Benefited or benefitted? Many people need help with using the correct spelling. If you are one of them, both are acceptable spellings. However, deciding which one to use highly depends on who you are writing for.
“Benefited” is correct in American English, while the double T version is the recommended spelling in British English.
Read on to discover more about adding -ed to regular verbs and when to double a single consonant letter.
What Is Benefited?
“Benefited” is a verb that means to gain an advantage or profit from something. It was derived from the 16th-century word “benefit,” which itself originated from the Latin word “benefactum,” meaning “good deed.”
You can find “benefited” in both active and passive forms. Its present simple tense is “benefit.” The present participle is “benefitting,” and the past participle is “benefited.”
“Benefited” implies that you, or an entity, have successfully obtained something positive. This is due to your effort or decisions, leading you to more significant benefits than you previously had.
Examples
- Aside from the salary increase, full-time workers also benefited from a pension plan and health insurance.
- All the employees benefited from the new training program.
- The situation stayed the same; none of us benefited from it.
- I benefited from the paid vacation time.
- The project was a great success, and everyone involved benefited immensely.
What Is Benefitted?
Benefitted shares the same meaning as benefited. The difference is that the double T version is the preferred British spelling.
Like its American English counterpart, “benefitted” is most often utilized in official and business documents. However, “benefitted” and “benefited” aren’t just about economic matters. Anything with a positive result of a given action is a benefit.
For insurance, if an insurance company covered car repairs, you “benefitted” from the policy.
Examples
- The community benefitted after the installation of a public park.
- Everyone who participated in this program has truly benefitted from their experience.
- The students benefited from their hard work and dedication as they earned good grades.
- The mountain range benefitted from the heavy snowfall it received this winter.
- My continuous series of payments have benefitted my credit standing.
What’s the Difference Between Benefited and Benefitted?
Benefited or benefitted? This is a question many English speakers find themselves asking. The difference arises from the American and British English spelling rules.
Generally, in American English, you use only one “T” at the end of words like benefited. In British English, benefitted is more seen due to the secondary stress rule. This rule recommends double consonants when a word ends with an unstressed syllable. This is also known as the final consonant or double final consonant rule.
When a word ends with a stressed syllable, it uses only one final consonant. Nonetheless, it’s all determined by where the emphasis falls in the word.
Trick to Remembering the Spelling
Understanding the rules will help you know when to use each spelling form. This way, you won’t have to guess which one to use when writing a sentence.
If you’re writing for an American audience, use “benefited,” and if it’s for a British audience, choose “benefitted.” So the next time you doubt whether to use “benefited” or “benefitted,” consider the context and audience your document is intended for.
Final Thoughts
While “benefited” is the standard spelling in American English, “benefitted” gets accepted as the appropriate spelling in British English. Ultimately, they are both accepted spellings, and you can use them interchangeably to convey the same meaning.
