spelt

¹

[ spelt ]

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of spell ¹.

spelt

²

[ spelt ]

noun

1. one of the earliest cultivated forms of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta, native to southern Europe and western Asia, used for livestock feed and as a grain for human consumption.

spelt

¹

/ spɛlt /

verb

1. a past tense and past participle of spell 1

spelt

²

/ spɛlt /

noun

1. a species of wheat, Triticum spelta, that was formerly much cultivated and was used to develop present-day cultivated wheats

Word History and Origins

Origin of spelt¹

before 1000; Middle English, Old English from Late Latin spelta, probably from Germanic; compare Old High German spelza ( German Spelt )

Word History and Origins

Origin of spelt¹

Old English; related to Old Saxon spelta, Old High German spelza

Example Sentences

That spelt trouble for Draper, who looked increasingly fatigued as the contest wore on.

From BBC

He angered Newcastle fans by criticising them for booing following a home defeat and spelt his name out in £20 notes and posted the photo on-line.

From BBC

Antoci’s first encounter with Erewhon was in the 1990s, when one of her previous company’s restaurant clients, the chef of the legendary Rex il Ristorante in downtown L.A., placed an order for spelt.

From Los Angeles Times

In it, one of de Guzman's wives' names had been spelt incorrectly.

From BBC

Their missed chances spelt danger for the visitors and so it turned out.

From BBC

Related Words

• cereal
• grass

Is Spelt A Word?

And is spelt in the dictionary?

Spelt is a word. It is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb spell, as in She spelt all the words correctly on the spelling test. Spelt causes some confusion because spelled is also a valid form of the past tense and past participle of spell, as in They spelled the science terms with care to avoid mistakes. Spelled is the more common past tense form of spell.

What’s the past tense of spell?

The past tense of spell can be either spelt or spelled, but spelled is much more commonly used.