Pedal vs. Peddle vs. Petal: The Short Answer
Pedal is a foot-operated lever (on a bike, car, or piano) — and also the verb for using one. Peddle is a verb meaning to sell goods, especially by going place to place. Petal is a noun: one of the colored leaf-like parts of a flower. “Pedal” and “peddle” are true homophones; “petal” just sounds close.
Pedal: The Foot Lever
“Pedal” relates to the foot — it comes from the Latin “pedalis,” meaning “relating to the foot.” Merriam-Webster covers it as both noun and verb.
As a noun — a lever you press with your foot:
- “She pressed the brake pedal.”
- “His bike has clipless pedals.”
- “The pianist worked the sustain pedal.”
As a verb — to operate pedals, or to ride a bicycle:
- “He pedaled furiously up the hill.”
- “They pedaled across the country last summer.”
Note the spelling of the verb forms: “pedaled/pedaling” in American English, “pedalled/pedalling” in British English. Either way, one “d.”
Memory trick: “pedal” has “ped,” like “pedestrian” — both involve feet.
Peddle: To Sell
“Peddle” is only a verb, and it always involves selling or promoting — usually in a traveling, persistent, or slightly pushy way.
- “He peddles handmade jewelry at weekend markets.”
- “She spent years peddling her screenplay around Hollywood.”
- “The vendor was arrested for peddling counterfeit watches.”
It can also mean promoting ideas or influence, often with a negative shade: “peddling conspiracy theories,” “peddling influence.” The noun form is “peddler” — a traveling seller.
Memory trick: “peddle” has a double “d” — think of a vendor going “door to door.” The extra “d” is for the extra legwork of selling.
Petal: The Flower Part
“Petal” is the odd one out: it has nothing to do with feet or selling. It is a noun meaning one of the brightly colored, leaf-like parts that form the corolla of a flower.
- “Rose petals covered the table.”
- “The cherry blossom petals drifted down like snow.”
- “Each petal of the daisy was perfectly white.”
It is never a verb in standard use and never involves commerce. If the sentence involves a flower, the word is “petal” — with a “t,” not a “d.”
Quick Comparison
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Spelling clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| pedal | noun, verb | foot lever; to operate pedals | “ped” = foot |
| peddle | verb only | to sell, hawk | double “d” = door to door |
| petal | noun only | flower part | “t” = tulip |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- “Peddle to the metal” — wrong. The idiom is “pedal to the metal” (press the accelerator). No selling involved.
- “Pedaling his wares” — wrong, unless he is literally cycling while selling. A street seller “peddles” goods.
- “Flower pedals” — wrong. Flowers have “petals.”
- “Brake peddle” — wrong. Cars have “pedals.”
These three are a favorite of copy editors because the errors look almost right at a glance. For more commonly confused sets, see rain vs rein vs reign, make vs do, and different from vs different than.
Test Yourself
- She stood on the bike _____ and pushed off.
- The salesman tried to _____ his knives door to door.
- The bride walked down an aisle of rose _____.
- He _____ his bicycle ten miles to work.
- Do not _____ misinformation online.
Answers: 1. pedals, 2. peddle, 3. petals, 4. pedaled, 5. peddle.
Frequently Asked Questions
A pedal is a foot-operated lever (noun and verb). To peddle is to sell goods, usually while traveling (verb only). A petal is a colored part of a flower (noun only).
Yes — they are pronounced identically. “Petal” is pronounced nearly the same, which is why all three get confused.
“Pedal to the metal” — it means pressing a car’s accelerator pedal hard. “Peddle” (to sell) makes no sense there.
To sell or offer goods for sale, typically in small quantities and often by traveling from place to place. It can also mean to promote ideas persistently, often with a negative connotation.
Not in standard English. “Petal” is a noun — the colored segment of a flower.
Pedal = “ped” like pedestrian (feet). Peddle = double “d” like door-to-door selling. Petal = “t” like tulip (flowers).
