Is it Kneeled or Knelt? (Spelling, Differences & Examples)

Kneeled and knelt are both past tense spellings of the verb kneel, which describes “being in or moving into a position where your body is supported on your knee or knees”.

Kneeled vs. Knelt (UK vs. US English)

The spelling form of the past tense of ‘kneel’ varies on whether you’re using UK English or US English conventions:

• UK English spells “knelt” without “ed” at the end (prefers the irregular verb form).

• US English spells “kneeled” with the “ed” (uses the standard verb conjugation).

Other US English and UK English differences

Common spelling differences between UK and US English are apparent across many words and spelling patterns:

Words with -our/-or:

UK English	US English
favour and favourite	favor and favorite
labour	labor
behaviour	behavior
honour	honor
neighbour	neighbor
humour	humor

Words ending in -er and -re:

• (UK spelling) centre, metre, fibre, theatre.

• (US spelling) center, meter, fiber, theater.

Words ending in -ce and -se:

• (UK spelling) defence, offence, licence.

• (US spelling) defense, offense, license.

Verbs with one L or two L’s:

• (UK spelling) travelled, modelled, labelled, cancelled.

• (US spelling) traveled, modeled, labeled, canceled.

Other words like knelt/kneeled

Generally speaking, American or US English prefers the standard verb conjugation to the past tense, which uses “ed”.

UK English prefers an irregular verb form, and the older English writing form of verb conjugations, which uses “t” as a past tense and past participle.

UK spelling	US spelling
learnt	learned
smelt	smelled
spelt	spelled
burnt	burned
leapt	leaped

Sentences with kneeled/knelt

Henry kneeled/knelt to pick up the wallet that someone dropped.

Sam kneeled/knelt before the king.

I kneeled/knelt before the altar to worship God.

He kneeled/knelt and prayed for guidance.

“Kneel”, synonyms

• bow
• curtsey
• genuflect (“to bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor in reverence or worship”.)
• kowtow
• stoop
• bow down
• prostrate oneself

Origin of ‘kneel’

From Etymonline on kneel:

Old English cneowlian “to kneel, fall on the knees,” from Proto-Germanic *knewljan.

Learn more about US English vs. UK English

Commonly misused words	UK English vs. US English
former vs. latter	burned or burnt?
bear with vs. bare with	color or colour?
breathe or breath	favorite vs. favourite
compliment vs. complement	smelled or smelt?
effect vs. affect	gray or grey?
elude or allude	favor vs. favour
it’s or its	analyze or analyse?

Sources

1. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of kneel.” Online Etymology Dictionary Accessed 9 March, 2024.
2. Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, kneel.