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. 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. The correct spelling is “Occurred,” with two ‘r’s. The word “occurred” is the past tense of “occur,” meaning to happen or take place. For example, “The incident occurred last night,” implies that the event took place the previous night. Understanding the tense and meaning of “occurred” is key to using it correctly. Occured vs occurred? The only correct spelling is "occurred," regardless if you are using American English or British English. Find out why.