Smelt or smelled?

giraffe! · Jul 27, 2008

Okay, are these two words the same or are they used differently?

For example;

'I picked up the violets; they smelled like rain.'
and
'I picked up the violets; they smelt like rain.'

Are the two correct?

dpaterso · Jul 27, 2008

While smelt is also the past tense of smell, it doesn't look as elegant as smelled in this example.

-Derek

Jill · Jul 27, 2008

I think this is a British/American English thing. In British English we tend to say 'smelt' (although the alternative is also correct). I teach EFL and it confuses non native speakers even more than it does us!

Albedo · Jul 27, 2008

This is another of those optional irregular verbs, like dreamed/dreamt. Either is fine, go for what reads better. Personally I prefer 'smelt', because irregular verbs give a bit of extra texture to the language.

tehuti88 · Jul 27, 2008

Unfortunately, the first thing I think of when I see the word "smelt" is a small delicious fish.

Then I think of what they do to make metal or whatever, you know, smelting. *LOL* Then I think of smelling something.

I have similar issues with "dreamed/dreamt" and "burned/burnt." I know both are correct, but I can never seem to decide on one of them.

writergirl08 · Jul 27, 2008

tehuti88 said:
Then I think of what they do to make metal or whatever, you know, smelting. *LOL* Then I think of smelling something.

That's what I thought of too! It gave a new meaning to "I smelt the flowers." :tongue

bonobo_jones · Jul 27, 2008

Smelled, definitely. For the above-mentioned reasons.
Smelled reads better to me here. More mellifluous, in keeping with the sentence.

Mr Flibble · Jul 27, 2008

I've been called on this before -- because as noted above it's a british thing. Smelt is more than OK in the UK -- not so much in the US.

Diana W. · Jul 27, 2008

While smelt is more common in the UK I always felt that smelled reads better.

Matera the Mad · Jul 27, 2008

The smelter smelt of smelt. EEEWWWWW. :roll:

Phot's Moll · Jul 27, 2008

I'm English. I'd smell a flower or get a big strong man to smelt me some iron ore. Smelt is correct as past of smell and I might say it that way, but to me, it looks odd to write it in this context.

kuwisdelu · Jul 27, 2008

I don't usually have a problem with British spellings--in fact I very often prefer them, but "smelt" makes me think of metal work and sticks out (to Americans) as more unnatural than "dreamt" or "burnt" ever would. With something like "dreamt" or "burnt" just pick whatever you prefer and stick to it. With "smelt," I would suggest go with "smelled" unless you're primarily writing for a UK audience.

Smelt or smelled?

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