smelt
Past tense of smell, the way a lot of rural Southern folks still say it.
Also called smelled.
Updated September 24, 2026
smelt pronunciation
/SMELT/
Meaning
When somebody says they smelt smoke or smelt supper cooking, they mean smelled. Teachers push smelled, but smelt is the older past tense, and it never quit the hills. Same sound as the little fish, but context makes it plain.
How folks use it
- “I smelt woodsmoke before I even saw the cabin.”
- “You smelt that skunk in the ditch, didn't you?”
Origin and etymology
Older English used smelt as the past tense of smell. American school English settled on smelled, but smelt hung on in Appalachian and rural Southern talk. British English still allows both.
Frequently asked questions
Is smelt bad grammar?
Schoolbooks prefer smelled. In mountain speech, smelt is normal. It is an older form that stuck, not a made-up mistake.