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American spelling vs British spelling
One of the more notable differences between English as it is spoken in different countries is in the spelling of word endings. The following table shows some common spelling equivalents.
Note that the British spelling is nearly always closer to the French.
| American | British | French | ||
| -er | center theater |
-re | centre theatre |
centre théâtre |
| -g | catalog dialog |
-gue | catalogue dialogue |
catalogue dialogue |
| -m | gram program |
-mme | gramme programme |
gramme programme |
| -or | color favor |
-our | colour favour |
couleur faveur |
| -se | defense offense |
-ce | defence offence |
défense offense |
| -zation | privatization authorization |
-sation | privatisation authorisation |
privatisation autorisation |
| -ze | realize formalize |
-se | realise formalise |
réaliser formaliser |
For some words, British English has two spellings with different meanings/uses while American English has only one.
| American | British | Distinction |
| check | check | verb |
| cheque | noun | |
| license | license | verb |
| licence | noun | |
| meter | meter | measuring tool (gas meter) |
| metre | unit of measurement | |
| practice | practice | noun |
| practise | verb |
Yet for other words, both dialects have two spellings:
| Noun | Verb |
| advice | advise |
| device | devise |
Less Common Spelling Tendencies
| American | British | ||
| -e- | archeology encyclopedia |
-ae- | archaeology encyclopaedia |
| -l | jewelry fueled |
-ll | jewellery fuelled |
| -ll | fulfill enrollment |
-l | fulfil enrolment |
| -ling | signaling traveling |
-lling | signalling travelling |
| -ipped | worshipped | -iped | worshiped |
Also, in American English the final e is removed from verbs before adding -ing, whereas in British English this is not always done:
| American | British |
| routing | routeing |
| aging | ageing |
Other English Dialects
The above rules are for American vs British spelling. For the most part, the other English dialects also use British spelling, with some exceptions.
Australian English
| Australian | British |
| program | programme |
| worshipped | worshiped |
In addition, several British spellings are in the process of becoming Americanized:
- both -ae- and -e- may be found
- both -ise and -ize are commonly used
- -our is becoming -or, except in harbour and saviour
Canadian English
| Canadian | British | ||
| -ll | fulfill | -l | fulfil |
| -m | program | -mme | programme |
| -zation | privatization | -sation | privatisation |
| -ze | analyze | -se | analyse |
However, many words have been Americanized and both spellings may be used.
English spelling
- Apostrophe s and s apostrophe
- Common, simple spelling mistakes
- Confusing English pairs
- Dropping the final e
- I before e spelling rule
- Plurals of words that end in o
Learn French at Lawless French
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