Spelling Tips: Granddad, Grandad and Granddaughter

It’s easy to remember how to spell ‘grandma’, ‘grandmother’ and ‘grandson’ – they all have a single ‘d’. But when it comes to ‘granddad’, ‘grandad’ and ‘granddaughter’, it’s a little trickier. Which of these spellings are correct? In this post, we’ll look at how to avoid errors when using these words.

Granddad or Grandad?

‘Granddad’ and ‘grandad’ both mean ‘grandfather’ (i.e. the father of a mother or father). Both spellings are common, and you’ll find both in dictionaries:

Kim’s grandad lives in New York. ✓

Kim’s granddad lives in New York. ✓

In most cases, then, the ‘correct’ spelling is simply a matter of preference.

Both spellings are common in British English, but ‘granddad’ with a double ‘d’ is the more popular spelling in American English. As such, you may want to use the spelling that is most common in your dialect (or that your readers will know best).

Granddaughter or Grandaughter?

A ‘granddaughter’ is a female grandchild. Some people misspell this word as ‘grandaughter’ with only one ‘d’, but the correct spelling is ‘granddaughter’:

Joy looks after her granddaughter on Tuesdays. ✓

Joy looks after her grandaughter on Tuesdays. ✗

Why does ‘grandad’ have a single ‘d’ spelling and not ‘granddaughter’? There is no reason! It’s just a matter of convention (welcome to the confusing world of English spelling). But until single ‘d’ spelling catches on, the only correct version of this word is ‘granddaughter’ with a double ‘d’.

Summary: Granddad, Grandad and Granddaughter

To summarise what we’ve explained in this post:

• Both ‘granddad’ and ‘grandad’ are common spellings.
• In British English, ‘grandad’ and ‘granddad’ are both common.
• In American English, ‘granddad’ is the standard spelling.
• ‘Granddaughter’ is the only correct spelling for a female grandchild.

Hopefully, this should help you to avoid spelling errors. But if you’d like an expert to check your writing is error free, our proofreaders can help!