 "Doughnut" is the traditional spelling and still dominates even in the United States though "donut" is often used.At present, "doughnut" and the shortened form "donut" are both pervasive in American English.The first known printed use of "donut" was in "Peck's Bad Boy and his Pa" by George W. Peck, published in 1900, in which a character is quoted as saying, "Pa said he guessed he hadn't got much appetite, and he would just drink a cup of coffee and eat a donut."