British vs. American English - Spelling Differences - Free English Lesson

British vs. American English - Spelling Differences - Free English Lesson

There are some well-known spelling differences between British English and American English. Many of these spelling differences result from French influence on English. British English has a tendency to keep the spelling of many words of French origin. Americans try to spell words more closely to the way they sound phonetically and they tend to omit some letters.

The general spelling differences between British and American English are listed below.

British -our vs. American -or

Behaviour
Colour
Favourite
Flavour


Behavior
Color
Favorite
Flavor


British -re vs. American -er difference

centimetre
centre
kilometre
theatre

centimeter
center
kilometer
theater

British -ise vs. American -ize difference

apologise
civilise,
criticise
organise

apologize
civilize,
criticize
organize

British -ll vs. American -l difference

counsellor
travelling
quarrelling
fuelled

counselor
traveling
quarreling
fueled

British -ae vs. American -e difference

archaeology
orthopaedic
gynaecology
toxaemia

archeology
orthopedic
gynecology
toxemia


British -ogue vs. American -og difference

analogue
catalogue
dialogue
monologue

analog
catalog
dialog
monolog
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British –ce vs. American -se difference


defence
licence
offence

defense
license
offense

It is useful to learn both British and American English forms, but a good recommendation is to aim for consistency in your spelling.