Occurred, Occured, or Ocurred—Which Spelling Is Right? Spelling words isn’t always easy, especially when they contain double letters. In this case, the correct spelling is occurred. How can you remember it when you need it? The best way to remember how to spell occurred is to remember its double set of double consonants. Correct spelling, explanation: occurred is a past participle of a verb occur. The past participle is generally created by adding a suffix -ed to a particular verb, but there are a few other rules. Learn how to spell the past tense of "occur" correctly with two Rs and an E. Find out why you need to double the R and avoid common mistakes with related words. Happened vs. Occurred What's the Difference? Happened and occurred are two words that are often used interchangeably to describe an event or situation that took place. However, there is a subtle difference between the two. Happened is a more informal and commonly used word, while occurred is more formal and often used in written or professional contexts. Additionally, occurred may imply a sense of inevitability or a more deliberate happening, whereas happened is more neutral in its ...