Occurred Or Occured – How To Spell The Word Correctly

Learning how to spell English words can be a complex task for students, particularly when it comes to certain words, that have a different spelling in other languages or vary in their pronunciation. One of the most frequent spelling mistakes is the wrong spelling of “occurred/occured.” In this article, we will provide you with the correct spelling of this word, along with some example sentences, and answers to the most frequently asked questions on this topic.

The correct spelling of “occurred”

“Occurred” is the past tense of the verb “occur.” “Occur” derives from the Latin word “obcurrere,” where “ob-” means “against” and “currere” means “to run.” In Latin, it originally meant “to run to meet.” The word evolved in English to mean “to happen” or “to take place.” It means that something happened or took place at a particular time or in a specific context.

“Occurred” is spelled with two “r’s,” and the correct spelling is derived from the base form of the verb, “occur.” The correct spelling is “occurred” because the word follows the standard English spelling rule for forming the past tense of verbs ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel. In such cases, the final consonant is usually doubled before adding the “-ed” suffix.

However, the misspelling “occured” is a common error, likely due to confusion or oversight. This mistake might arise from not recognising the need to double the final “r” when forming the past tense. Such misspellings can occur when individuals are not familiar with the specific spelling rules for English verbs, or when they inadvertently overlook the correct spelling.