Is It Learnt or Learned? | Spelling, Difference & Examples
Learnt and learned are two ways of spelling the past tense of the verb “learn,” which means “to gain skill or knowledge.”
- In British English, “learnt” is standard.
- In American English, “learned” is standard.
It’s important to choose one spelling and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
The students learnt/learned about the history of the USA in their classes.
Mason learnt/learned to speak three languages during high school.
Learned as an adjective
The first meaning of the adjective learned is “acquired by learning.” In this case, you can spell it both ways, and it’s pronounced like the verb learned or learnt, with one syllable.
Learned helplessness occurs after someone has repeatedly experienced a stressful situation.
However, learned can also carry the meaning “scholarly” or “knowledgeable.” In this case, it’s pronounced [lur-nid] with emphasis placed on the first of two syllables.
In this context, you always spell it learned, even in British English.
If you want to become learned, you have to go to school!
Learn as a regular or irregular verb
Learn can be considered either an irregular verb or a regular verb, depending on the chosen spelling of the past tense verb.
- Verbs that form their past tense by adding “-ed” are regular verbs.
- Verbs that form their past tense by adding a different suffix are irregular verbs.
Irregular forms of verbs that can be both regular and irregular are more common in British English. Other examples of verbs that are both irregular and regular are smelled or smelt, spelt or spelled, dreamed or dreamt, burnt or burned, and kneeled or knelt.
Main differences between American and British English
>American and British English are very similar, but there are a few main differences in spelling. Some differences are:
| Difference | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -or vs -our | In American English, many Latin-derived words end in -or. | Behavior or behaviour Color or colour Favor or favour Flavor or flavour Favorite or favourite Honor or honour Humor or humour Labor or labour Neighbor or neighbour |
| In British English, these same words end in -our. | ||
| -er vs -re | In American English, some French, Latin, or Greek words end in -er. | Center or centre Fiber or fibre Theater or theatre |
| In British English, these same words end in -re. | ||
| -ize vs -ise | In American English, many Greek-derived words end in -yze or -ize. | Analyze or analyse Organization or organisation Realize or realise Recognize or recognise |
| In British English, these words end in -yse or -ise. | ||
| -ed vs -t | In American English, most verbs are regular and form their past tense with the suffix -ed. | Burned or burnt Dreamed or dreamt Kneeled or knelt Learned or learnt Smelled or smelt Spelled or spelt Spilled or spilt |
| In British English, some of these verbs are irregular and form their past tense with the suffix -t. | ||
| Single vs double consonant | In American English, many words are spelled with a single consonant. | Buses or busses Canceled or cancelled Counselor or counsellor Focused or focussed Labeled or labelled Modeling or modelling Traveling or travelling |
| In British English, these same words are often spelled with a double consonant. | ||
| Dropping vs retaining the “e” | In American English, “e” is often dropped when forming a noun from a verb | Acknowledgment or acknowledgement Aging or ageing Judgment or judgement |
| In British English, the “e” is often retained. | ||
| Different verb and noun spellings | In American English, most words have identical verb and noun spellings. | License or licence Practice or practise |
| In British English, some words have different spellings for the verb and noun forms. | ||
| Other spelling differences | There are many other spelling differences between the two English variants. | Airplane or aeroplane Aluminum or aluminium Check or cheque Cozy or cosy Defense or defence Dependent or dependant Enrollment or enrolment Fulfil or fulfill Gray or grey Jewelry or jewellery Karat or carat Mold or mould Offense or offence Pajamas or pyjamas Program or programme Skeptical or sceptical Tire or tyre |
Other interesting articles
If you want to know more about job applications, research, or idioms, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Job applications
Research
Frequently asked questions about learnt or learned
- Is it I have learned or learnt?
-
Learnt and learned are two spellings of the same verb. They’re both common, but “learnt” is standard in British English and “learned” in American English.
- I have learned is more common in American English.
- I have learnt is more common in British English.
It´s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
- Is it lesson learnt or learned?
-
Learnt and learned are two spellings of the same verb. They’re both common but learnt is standard in British English and learned in American English.
- Lesson learned is more common in American English.
- Lesson learnt is more common in British English.
A QuillBot grammar check can help you use one form consistently.
