Published on
November 19, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
September 25, 2023.
Kneeled and knelt are two different spellings of the past simple and past participle of the verb “kneel,” used to refer to the act of placing one or both knees on the ground. This action is often used as a gesture of respect or worship (similar to “genuflecting”).
The spelling of the past tense varies somewhat between UK and US English:
In UK English, “knelt” is standard (though “kneeled” is still acceptable).
In US English, both “knelt” and “kneeled” are commonly used (“knelt” is more popular).
Examples: Kneeled and knelt in a sentenceThe people knelt/kneeled before the queen.
The worshippers knelt/kneeledand prayed every morning.
The mother knelt/kneeledon the floor to play with the child.
NoteVerbs whose past simple and past participle are formed in some way other than by adding the suffix “-ed” are called irregular verbs.
“Kneel” can be either regular or irregular; the irregular form is more popular today, especially in UK English. Other verbs that can be either regular or irregular are “learnt/learned,” “dreamt/dreamed,” “spelt/spelled” and “burnt/burned.”
Published on
November 18, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
September 25, 2023.
Spelt and spelled are two different spellings of the past tense of the verb “spell,” used to refer to the act of writing or saying letters in a specific order to form a word.
The spelling tends to vary based on whether you’re using UK or US English:
In UK English, both “spelled” and “spelt” are commonly used.
In US English, “spelled” is standard, and “spelt” is generally not accepted.
Examples: Spelt and spelled in a sentenceMy name can be spelt/spelled many different ways.
The child spelt/spelledthe word for the teacher.
The two dictionaries spelt/spelled the word differently.
I’d heard someone talk about Scribbr, but I wasn’t sure how it was spelt/spelled.
Published on
November 18, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 14, 2023.
Forty (40) is a cardinal number (i.e., a number used to indicate quantity). Like other words for numbers, it can be grammatically classified as a determiner, adjective, noun, or pronoun.
“Fourty” is sometimes used instead of forty, but this is incorrect. Although “four” is the correct spelling of 4, “fourty” is not a real word and should be avoided. The same applies when forty is used as part of a larger number (e.g., “forty-four,” “one-hundred-forty”).
Published on
November 18, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
October 16, 2023.
Regardless is an adverb meaning “despite everything.” It’s often used as a transition word at the start of a sentence to change the topic.
“Irregardless” is sometimes used instead of regardless. While “irregardless” may be used in informal contexts, it is considered nonstandard and should be avoided in formal or academic writing.
Examples: Irregardless and regardless in a sentenceNonstandard: I might lose, but I’m going to try irregardless.
Standard: I might lose, but I’m going to try regardless.
Published on
November 18, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 14, 2023.
Whoa is an interjection traditionally used to command a horse (and sometimes a person) to slow down or stop. It can also be used to express surprise or shock. As an interjection, whoa is not used in formal or academic writing.
“Woah” is more popular in UK English than US English, but it’s not considered an accepted variant of whoa by many dictionaries. In US English, “woah” is still always considered nonstandard.
Published on
November 14, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
August 22, 2023.
Truly is an adverb meaning “in a truthful way,” “absolutely,” or “properly.” It’s the adverbial form of the adjective “true.”
“Truely” is sometimes mistakenly used instead of truly, but “truely” is not a real word and should be avoided.
Examples: Truely and truly in a sentence
Kala is a truely talented actor.
Kala is a truly talented actor.
The band’s performance was truely awful.
The band’s performance was truly awful.
NoteAdverbs are often formed by adding “-ly” to the end of an adjective. While some adverbs ending with the letter “e” receive the suffix without dropping the “e” (e.g., “nice” becomes “nicely”), others, like “true,” do not.
Published on
November 14, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 14, 2023.
Labelled and labeled are two different spellings of the past tense of the verb “label,” referring to the act of attaching a label or identifying marker to something. The verb is also used negatively to refer to the act of assigning someone or something to a specific category.
The spelling tends to vary based on whether you’re using UK or US English:
In US English, “labeled” (one “l”) is standard.
In UK English, “labelled” (double “l”) is correct.
Examples: Labeled and labelled in a sentenceMany items were labeled/labelledincorrectly.
Even though the two politicians labeled/labelledeach other dangerous, they were quite alike in their beliefs.
All of Niamh’s files were meticulously labeled/labelled.
When you’ve labeled/labelledthe new products, please put them on the shelves.
Published on
November 10, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 14, 2023.
Label is a noun referring to a piece of material that identifies or describes an object it’s affixed to. It’s also used as a verb to refer to the act of attaching a label to something or, more negatively, to refer to the act of assigning someone to a specific category.
“Lable” is sometimes used instead of label, but this is incorrect. “Lable” is not a real word and should be avoided.
Examples: Label and lable in a sentence
Sara read the lable on the sweater.
Sara read the label on the sweater.
You shouldn’t lable people based on their religious beliefs.
You shouldn’t label people based on their religious beliefs.
Published on
November 9, 2022
by
Eoghan Ryan.
Revised on
March 13, 2023.
Undoubtedly is an adverb meaning “without doubt” or “certainly.” It’s a somewhat less formal alternative to “indubitably.”
It can be used at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence to express a viewpoint or evaluation. It can also be used by itself in response to a question, or as a sentence adverb modifying the whole sentence.
Examples: Undoubtedly in a sentenceThis is undoubtedly the best dessert I’ve ever eaten.
