While the British and the Americans understand each other the vast majority of the time, there are still many important differences between British and US English, which can lead to confusion or humorous misunderstandings.
On paper, the most obvious difference between British and American English is the spelling (just as when speaking, the most obvious difference is pronunciation).
The spelling differences first arose because at the time of the British colonization of North America, English spelling wasn’t yet fixed. Standardized spelling of English came about in the 18th century, after the American Colonies had already declared independence.
Further spelling differences came when Noah Webster (founder of Webster’s Dictionary) attempted to simplify English spellings in America. Many of his suggestions – like plow – took hold and became standard American spelling. Others – like tung (for “tongue”) – did not.
The main spelling differences are described below, together with some examples from UK and US English:
- -our v –or
This is one of the best-known spelling differences between British and American English, and is due to French influence. Nearly all of these words originally come from Latin, and had the plain –or ending.
For example:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| armour | armor |
| behaviour | behavior |
| colour | color |
| favour | favor |
| flavour | flavor |
| humour | humor |
| labour | labor |
| neighbour | neighbor |
| odour | odor |
| rumour | rumor |
| saviour | savior |
| vigour | vigor |
- -re v –er
Like –our, the –re spelling originally comes from French. In the United States it was replaced with –er to reflect American pronunciation more closely.
For example:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| calibre | caliber |
| centre | center |
| fibre | fiber |
| litre | liter |
| meagre | meager |
| metre | meter |
| sombre | somber |
| theatre | theatre |
- -ae- v –e-
Many words that come from Ancient Greek have an –ae- in British English but only –e- in US English. Most of these words are scientific, medical, or technical words.
For example:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| anaemia | anemia |
| gynaecologist | gynecologist |
| paediatrician | pediatrician |
For example:
- -ence v –ense
Many nouns that end in –ence in British English, end in –ense in the US. UK English only uses –ense for the corresponding verb; for example, you can license someone to do something, after which they hold a licence to do it.
For example:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| defence | defense |
| offence | offense |
| pretence | pretense |
- Final –e
On both sides of the Atlantic, English is famous for the “silent” –e at the end of many words. Where both American and British English have this, in words such as name, make, or have, it comes from an Old English inflection. But many final –e’s come from French loanwords, and American English tends to omit these in accordance with Noah Webster’s spelling reforms. Often the consonant before the final –e is doubled in British English.
For example:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| annexe | annex |
| gramme | gram |
| programme | program |
The words axe (UK) and ax (US) follow this pattern, though the word comes from Germanic, not French, roots, and judgement (UK) and judgment (US) can also be taken as an example of this if we discard the suffix –ment.
- -oe- v –e-
Like –ae- above, British English preserves the –oe- digraph in words derived from the Classical languages, while US English has simplified it to –e-.
For example:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| diarrhoea | diarrhea |
| gonorrhoea | gonorrhea |
| manoeuvre | maneuver |
- Doubled consonants
Sometimes British spelling requires a doubled consonant, for example in the past participle of certain verbs, where American spelling omits it.
For example:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| carburettor | carburetor |
| counsellor | counselor |
| dishevelled | counselor |
| travelled | traveled |
| woollen | woolen |
In other places, it is US English that has the doubled consonant, in certain verbal infinitives, or to preserve the root word of certain adjectives.
For example:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| distil | distill |
| enrol | enroll |
| fulfil | fulfill |
| instalment | installment |
| skilful | skillful |
- -ize v –ise / -yse v –yze
One of the best-known spelling differences isn’t really a difference at all. It’s a common misconception that in the the US you must use spellings like civilize (which is true) but in the UK you must use spellings like civilise (which is not true). In fact, both the –ize and –ise spellings are valid in the UK. Many British people use –ise spellings exclusively, but this is a convention, not a rule. You cannot use –ise spellings in the US.
By contrast, the –yze ending in words like analyze and paralyze is only acceptable in US English. In the UK you must use analyse and paralyse.
- Other simplifications
Many American spellings do owe their existence to Noah Webster’s spelling reforms, which sought to simplify spelling and bring it closer to common American pronunciation.
For example:
| British | American |
|---|---|
| aeroplane | airplane |
| cheque (in banking) | check |
| cosy | cozy |
| doughnut | donut |
| draught | draft |
| grey | gray |
| jewellery | jewelry |
| kerb (noun) | curb |
| plough | plow |
| sceptical | skeptical |
| sulphur | sulfur |
All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.
