misspelt

Misspelt is the British English past participle and adjective form of the verb misspell. It describes a word that has been written incorrectly according to the standard spelling of the language variety. The American English equivalent is misspelled, which is also widely understood in general writing.

Origin and form: The word is built from the prefix miss- meaning "wrong" and the verb spell. In British English, past participles of misspell are formed as misspelt, following the historical pattern that yields -spelt rather than -spelled. In American English the form is misspelled. The term appears in dictionaries and style guides to indicate an error in spelling.

Usage: Misspelt is used to describe errors in spelling or to refer to a specific instance, as in "The word is misspelt." It is common in proofreading, education, and discussions of orthography. The term highlights that spelling conventions vary across dialects and that what is considered correct can depend on locale.