Modeling (one L) is the American spelling. Modelling (two L’s) is standard in Britain, Australia, and most other English-speaking countries.
Both spellings mean exactly the same thing, whether you’re talking about fashion, clay, or a sales forecast. If you’re unsure whether to write modelling or modeling for US readers, choose the single L.
Why American English Keeps One L in Modeling
The difference comes down to which syllable you stress. In model, the stress falls on the first syllable: MOD-el.
American spelling follows a simple rule. Double the last consonant before -ing or -ed only when the stress lands on the final syllable.
Since model is stressed at the start, the L stays single: modeling. Compare compel, which is stressed at the end and becomes compelling in every variety of English.
Noah Webster set out this rule in his American dictionary, and the Chicago Manual of Style still explains it the same way. British English kept the older habit of doubling the L no matter where the stress falls.
The American change took a while to settle in. According to Grammarist, modelled and modelling were standard in American English until the early 1900s.
Model, Modeled, Modeler: Each Form in US and British Spelling
Model and models never change. Only the forms that add an ending starting with a vowel (-ed, -ing, -er) split into two spellings.
| Form | American | British and most others | US example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past tense (what already happened) | modeled | modelled | The county modeled flood risk block by block. |
| -ing form | modeling | modelling | Our analyst is modeling customer losses for a $2 price increase. |
| Person who builds models | modeler | modeller | The county’s lead modeler presented the new flood map. |
Your Style Guide Picks the Spelling for You
In school, work, and publishing, you usually don’t choose this spelling yourself. The dictionary or style guide behind your document has already chosen it.
| If you’re writing for… | The spelling authority is… | So you write… |
|---|---|---|
| APA-style papers | Merriam-Webster and the APA Dictionary of Psychology | modeling |
| Medical journals using AMA style, such as JMIR | Merriam-Webster | modeling |
| Books edited in Chicago style | Merriam-Webster | modeling |
| Google developer documentation | Merriam-Webster, first spelling listed | modeling |
| Canadian books and university publications | Canadian Press spelling lists | modelling |
| Australian government and university writing | An Australian English dictionary | modelling |
| UK editions of ISO building standards | The standard’s own wording | modelling |
Why US Style Guides Land on One L
Most US guides point to Merriam-Webster. Its entry for the verb lists “modeled or modelled; modeling or modelling,” with the one-L forms first.
The order matters. Google’s developer style guide tells writers to use American spelling and to pick the first form Merriam-Webster lists when it gives more than one.
How Standards Groups and Nonprofits Choose
Technical groups face the same choice. In 2017, the team writing the HL7 FHIR health-data standard noticed both spellings in its pages. It settled on US spelling because the standard was being approved through ANSI, the American standards body.
Some organizations switch spellings by audience. PATH, a global health nonprofit, uses American spelling by default but allows modelled and modelling when the main readers expect British spelling.
If no guide applies to you, spell for your readers’ country. Then keep that spelling the same from the first page to the last.
Names Like UML Keep Their Own Spelling
A proper name (the official name of a product, journal, or standard) keeps its spelling. Your house style doesn’t change it.
- Unified Modeling Language (UML): The software standard from the Object Management Group uses one L, even in British writing.
- Ecological Modelling: This Elsevier journal uses two L’s, so American authors who cite it keep the double L.
- ISO 19650: The UK edition of this construction standard is titled with “building information modelling (BIM).”
Even one organization can mix them up. A BSI press release aimed at US readers wrote “building information modeling” in one place and “Building Information Modelling” in a council’s name.
One British Sentence That Follows Both Rules
The London firm runs a modelling course that teaches the Unified Modeling Language.
Modelling follows the firm’s British style. Modeling stays single because it’s part of a name.
3D Modeling, Data Modeling, and Other Field Terms
The field you work in doesn’t change the spelling. Your audience does. In US writing, every one of these uses one L:
- Design: He’s taking a 3D modeling class at the community college on Tuesday nights.
- Architecture: The architect modeled the kitchen in SketchUp so the client could “walk through” it.
- Public health: The epidemiologists modeled hospital demand for the winter flu season.
- Fashion: She’s been modeling sneakers for a local running store’s Instagram page.
- Coaching: The coach modeled the new defense with magnets on a whiteboard.
Modeling in Psychology Means Learning by Watching
Psychology adds a meaning of its own. Albert Bandura’s social learning theory uses modeling for learning by watching someone else.
Dad modeled patience during the three-hour airport delay, and the kids noticed.
That’s modeling in the psychology sense. The children learned calm behavior by watching it.
Where Dictionaries and Usage Data Disagree
Sources agree on the main rule. They split on how wrong the “other” spelling is and on what Canadians use.
| Question | What the sources say | Safest choice |
|---|---|---|
| Is modeling acceptable in British writing? | Scribbr calls it acceptable. WordReference says it isn’t correct in UK English. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries labels it US English. | Use modelling for UK readers. |
| Is modelling acceptable in American writing? | Merriam-Webster lists it as a second spelling. WordReference calls it correct but rare. Grammarist says it has almost vanished from American writing since 2000. | Use modeling unless it’s part of a name. |
| What do Canadians use? | Canadian Press spelling lists use modelling, and so does Oxford’s American dictionary for Canada. Grammarist says Canadians prefer two L’s but use one about a third of the time. Sapling’s web data shows modeling ahead. | Follow Canadian Press style or your publisher. |
| What about a worldwide audience? | Google writes in American English for everyone. PATH defaults to American but switches for British-spelling readers. | Pick one spelling and stay consistent. |
What Usage Data Shows by Country
Real-world usage is messier than the dictionaries. Sapling’s usage figures put modeling at 93 to 7 in the US. They put modelling ahead 66 to 34 in the UK and 69 to 31 in Australia.
India comes out nearly even, at 54 to 46 for modelling. Canada shows 61 to 39 for modeling. Sapling doesn’t explain how it collected these numbers, so treat them as a rough picture.
Spell-Checkers, URLs, and File Names
Check Your Document’s Language Setting
Your spell-checker flags whichever spelling doesn’t match its language setting. If modeling gets a red underline, check whether your document is set to UK English instead of US English.
Keep Regional Spellings Out of URLs and File Names
Web addresses and file names need extra care. Google’s developer guide warns that readers used to one spelling may mistype the other. It suggests avoiding words with regional spellings in file names, URLs, and code settings.
The simplest fix is to use the base word, which never changes:
- Better:
flood-model-v2.csv - Riskier:
flood-modeling-v2.csv
Big companies often leave URLs alone when they adapt text for a region. Adobe’s Australian page reads “3D modelling” in the text, but its address still says what-is-3d-modeling.
Choosing Between One L and Two
Check your reader’s style guide first, and copy official names exactly as their owners write them. With no guide to follow, give US readers modeling and almost everyone else modelling.
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I’m Hazel, and I studied BSC English at GCUF. I focus on explaining word meanings in simple, clear language that anyone can understand. My goal is helping readers grasp everyday English, confusing terms, and slang used in real conversations and social media. I believe language learning works best when definitions connect to actual life situations. Through careful research and straightforward explanations, I make vocabulary accessible for students, learners, and anyone curious about how English really works in daily use.