smell

1) Smell – Smelt – Smelt

• More common in British English.
• Smelt is used for both the past tense and the past participle.
• Examples:
  • She smelt the roses in the garden.

  • He has smelt something burning in the kitchen.

    2) Smell – Smelled – Smelled

• Standard in American English.
• Smelled is used for both the past tense and the past participle.
• Examples:
  • She smelled the flowers yesterday.

  • They have smelled fresh bread baking.

    Special Note

• Both forms are correct in British and American English, but each region has its preference.
• In modern usage, smelled is more common overall, while smelt often carries a slightly more literary or traditional tone.
• Important distinction: smelt is also a separate verb meaning to extract metal from ore by heating.

  • Example: The factory smelt iron from the ore.

    Summary

• Smelt → preferred in British English for the verb smell, but also a distinct verb meaning “to extract metal.”
• Smelled → dominant in American English, also widely accepted in British English.
• Both are correct, but smelled is the more universal modern choice.