Do Canadians use “travelled” or “traveled”?

One of the challenges of Canadian English is that it incorporates British English while simultaneously incorporating American English. This is particularly confusing when it comes to choosing which words to use.

Take the words “travelled” and “traveled”, for example.

Travelled

Speakers of British English use the travelled spelling.

Traveled

American English speakers, on the other hand, use the traveled spelling.

So, where do Canadians come in? Do we side with Americans as we do with tire and curb, or do we side with the British as we do with colour and metre?

Well, in this case, in Canada, we use travelled, just like the Brits.

Now, keep in mind, as with some other words, this usage is changing. Just as how the American spelling of color and pronunciation of zee are starting to gain popularity in Canada, so is the American usage of traveled. In time, Canadians may end up favouring the simpler approach.

But for now, in Canada, use “practice” as a noun and “practise” as a verb

Bonus tip: same goes for counsellor and marvellous.

By Kim Siever

I am a copywriter and copyeditor. I blog on writing and social media tips mostly, but I sometimes throw in my thoughts about running a small business. Follow me on Twitter at @hotpepper.