Spoiled/Spoilt

[LoveBox]

What is the difference between the two? And which one should I be using when I say something like "I got so many presents, I was totally spoiled/spoilt".

there is no difference. you can use either

I think that there is a difference - I spilled the milk / the milk is spilt. So, I spoiled my son () / my son is spoilt.

Hopefully a better qualified pedant will be along soon though .

nope, they really are the same.

ditto dreamed/dreamt, learned/learnt, smelled/smelt etc etc

*nope, they really are the same.

ditto dreamed/dreamt, learned/learnt, smelled/smelt etc etc*

I disagree: "my learnt colleague" sounds ridiculous.

As is, "I smelled ore to get iron."

WMittens, that's because those are different words/meanings with the same spelling

smelting iron is nothing to do with your sense of smell!

I think the -t form might be older, iirc, and the -ed forms came along as an analogy with other -ed forms. And yy, tiy, different meanings for WMittens examples!

however, if you can show me some irrefutable source which states that there are differences between spoiled/spoilt, dreamed/dreamt/, smelled/smelt then I would love to see it, and will of course bow to your superior knowledge

FYI

Same as "lit" or "lighted"
Both are acceptable.

Right, let's take this to AIBU and get it sorted out once and for all .

(I stand by my original post for the record.)

No, you're saying that one is passive and one active, and I am almost certain that's not true. I think that the -t form may have originally been used for strong verbs, but am not certain.

spoil (spoil)
v. spoiled or spoilt (spoilt), spoil·ing, spoils
v.tr.
1.
a. To impair the value or quality of.
b. To damage irreparably; ruin.

1. To impair the completeness, perfection, or unity of; flaw grievously: spoiled the party.
2. To do harm to the character, nature, or attitude of by oversolicitude, overindulgence, or excessive praise. See Synonyms at pamper.
3. Archaic

a. To plunder; despoil. b. To take by force. v.intr.

1. To become unfit for use or consumption, as from decay. Used especially of perishables, such as food. See Synonyms at decay.
2. To pillage.

isn't the 't' form the past participle and, therefore, the adjective - I have spoiled the sauce/the spoilt child?
learned professor is obv different

No, they are both past participle. This is quite cool google ngram

Thank you thisisyesterday, now you've explained the joke everyone can enjoy it!

what joke?

This learned/learnt & spoiled/spoilt thing has come up in PC before. It's a UK v US thing. 'My child is spoiled' is US. 'My child is spoilt' is UK.

The 'learned professor' thing, or smelting iron ore, is something separate.

yeah, they're the same.

dreamed/dreamt, spelled/spelt, spoiled/spoilt, spilled/spilt

the only one that matters is sleeped/slept

all of the others haven't evolved that far.

what joke?

The irony in my post. It was a result of the smelting.

(Just to clarify, the joke in this post was a pun, or "play on words", on irony/iron, and the 'smelting' process of getting iron from its ores.

never ever make puns to pedants - all they see is the error in the words, never the puns

(i thought it was funny though)

I think the problem is that the joke simply wasn't funny.

Dreamed tends to be used in North American English, dreamt British English.

I believe I read somewhere that irregular verbs (the spoilt, spilt, smelt, learnt versions) survive as long as the word is heavily used. The less a word is used the more common the regular version (smelled, spelled, spoiled etc) becomes.

Yep, they're the same.

Spoilt/burnt/learnt are British.

Spoiled/burned/learned are used in America.