Core answer: In Italian, the correct writing is Halloween, with double l and double e. Context and details
- How to spell: Halloween is the correct form. It uses two l’s and two e’s. Variants like Hallowen or Haloween are incorrect and commonly seen due to confusion with English spelling and pronunciation.
- Origin: The term comes from the English expression All Hallows’ Eve, meaning the vigil of All Saints’ Day. Over time it contracted to Halloween in modern usage.
- Common conflations: Many sources point out that the two wrong forms arise from misremembering the original English double letters or misunderstanding the contraction process, but the standard Italian-adopted form remains Halloween.
If you’re using this in a text or from a teaching perspective
- Use Halloween consistently, especially in formal writing or web content, to avoid penalizations for spelling in search engines and to prevent reader confusion.
- When explaining to students, highlight the etymology All Hallows’ Eve to help remember the double consonants and vowels reflect the original orthography, then show the modern streamlined form Halloween.
