In this article, you will be able to learn about the spelling difference between American English and British English. There are several areas in which British and American spelling are different. These are the main ones to be aware of:
Words ending in –re
British English words that end in –re often end in –er in American English:
British English
American English
Centre
Center
Fibre
Fiber
Litre
Liter
Theatre
Theater or theatre
Words ending in –our
British English words ending in –our usually end in –our in American English:
British English
American English
Colour
Color
Flavour
Flavor
Humour
Humor
Neighbour
Neighbor
Words ending in –ize or –ise
Verbs in British English that can be spelled with either -ixe or -ise At the and are always spelled with -ize at the end in American English:
British English
American English
Apologize or apologise
Apologize
Organize or organise
Organize
Recognize or recognise
Recognize
Words ending in -yes
Verbs in British English that end in -yse are always spelled -yze in American English:
British English
American English
Analyse
Analyze
Breathalyse
Breathalyze
Paralyse
Paralyze
Words ending in a vowel plus L :
In British spelling, verbs ending in a vowel plus L double the L when adding endings that begin with a vowel. In American English, the L is not doubled:
British English
American English
Travel
Travel
Travelled
Traveled
Travelling
Traveling
Traveller
Traveler
Words spelled with double vowels
British English words that are spelled with the double vowels ae Or oe are just spelled with an e in American English:
British English
American English
Leukaemia
Leukemia
Manoeuvre
Maneuver
Oestrogen
Estrogen
Paediatric
Pediatric
Nouns ending with -ence
Some nouns that end with -ence in British English are spelled -ense in American English:
British English
American English
Defence
Defense
Licence
License
Offence
Offense
Pretence
Pretense
Nouns ending with -ogue
Some nouns that end with -ogue in british English end with either -og or -ogue in American English:
British English
American English
Analogue
Analog or analogue
Catalogue
Catalog or catalogue
Dialogue
Dialog or dialogue
American English and British English words list a to z