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Travelling or Traveling l Difference with Examples

Last Updated : 08 Jun, 2023
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Travelling and traveling are two spellings of the same word, with the only difference being the presence or absence of a letter “l” in the word which makes many writers confusing. The main difference between Traveling and Travelling is that Traveling is the preferred spelling in British English, whereas Travelling is the preferred spelling in American English.

Travelling

A journey along a road or region constantly and predictably is called travelling. The word travelling consists of double “L” in its spelling, without any change in their meaning.  Travelling is a verb which means to travel is to go from one place to another, as on a trip or journey. It is a present participle of travel.

Usages:

  1. Travelling is commonly used in Europe.
  2. Travelling is preferred for usage in British English.
  3. British language following countries, use travelling for describing a journey.
  4. To communicate with the audience of Europe, travelling is used.
  5. The countries, which follow the word “travelling” are Europe, Singapore, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Pakistan, India, and England, etc.

Examples:

  1. “I am travelling to Paris next week to attend a conference.” (British English)
  2. “I love travelling around the world and experiencing new cultures.” (British English)
  3. “Are you travelling by car or by train?” (British English)

Traveling

Making a journey or going out for a trip is called traveling. Traveling consists of single “L” in its spelling. It is also verb and as used as present participle of travel.

Usages:

  1. Traveling is commonly used in the United States,
  2. Traveling is a preferential word for practice and use in American English.
  3. American language following countries, use traveling for describing a journey. 
  4. Traveling is used to communicate with the audience of the United States. 
  5. The countries, which follow the word “traveling” are South America, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Northern China, Caribbean, Saudi Arabia, Jodan, Iraq, and Kuwait, etc.

Examples:

  1. I am traveling to Paris next week to attend a conference.” (American English)
  2. “I love traveling around the world and experiencing new cultures.” (American English)
  3. “Are you traveling by car or by train?” (American English)

Tabular Differences Between travelling and traveling

  Travelling Traveling
Spelling  British English  American English
Pronunciation /ˈtræv(ə)lɪŋ/  /ˈtrævəlɪŋ/ 
Usage  Used in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada Used in the US 
Consonant  Two “L”s  One “L”
Examples I am travelling to London.  I am traveling to LA.
Derivatives  Traveller, travelled Traveler, traveled 
Impact on grammar  The inclusion of the second “L” changes the spelling of words derived from the verb, such as travelled/traveled. The lack of the second “L” changes the spelling of words derived from the verb, such as traveler/traveller.
Word origin  Comes from the Old French word “travailler,” meaning “to toil.” Comes from the French word “travailler,” meaning “to work.”
Usage frequency  More common in formal writing and printed materials. More common used in various online content and informal writing. 
Spelling reform  It was reformed in the 18th century to standardize the spelling of words in the English language. It has not been subject to any spelling reform. 

Conclusion:

In summary, traveling and travelling are two different spellings of the same word, with the former being used in American English and the latter being used in British English. They both refer to the act of moving from one place to another, and their usage depends on the geographical region.


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