Why does the compiler require `delete [] p` versus `delete p[]`?

Question

In C++, if you want to dynamically allocate an array, you can do something like this:

int *p;
p = new int[i];  // i is some number

However, to delete the array, you do...

delete[] p;

Why isn't it delete p[]? Wouldn't that be more symmetrical with how it was originally created? What is the reason (if there is any) why the language was designed this way?

Answer 1

One reason could be to make these cases more distinct.

int ** p;
delete[] p
delete p[1];

If it were delete p[] then a one character error would have pretty nasty consquences.