Common Differences between American and British Spelling

Although the differences between American and British spellings are often subtle, they are still
significant. For example:
analyze - analyse
apologize - apologise
behavior - behaviour
canceling - cancelling
center - centre
check - cheque
color - colour
encyclopedia - encyclopaedia
favorite - favourite
fiber - fibre
fulfill - fulfil
gray - grey
humor - humour
labor - labour
license - licence
jewelry - jewellery
theater - theatre
To further complicate matters, some words have a slightly different meaning in American and
British English. For example:
pacifier - dummy
lawyer - solicitor
period - full stop
pharmacist - chemist
rent - hire
soccer - football
cookie - biscuit
eraser - rubber
Spelling Rules to Remember
If you must frequently work with both American and British spellings, you may find it helpful to
keep in mind these spelling rules:
Words ending in RE in British English have been changed to ER in American English.
Words containing the silent letters OUGH in British English have been changed in
American English to be spelled phonetically.
Words ending in OUR in British English have been changed to OR in American English.
Words ending in IOUR in British English have been changed to IOR in American
English.
Many words ending in YSE or ISE in British English have been changed to YZE or IZE
in American English, although there are exceptions.
Many words ending in YSED or ISED in British English have been changed to YZED or
IZED in American English, although there are exceptions.
Many words ending in ISATION in British English have been changed to IZATION in
American English, although there are exceptions.
Which Spelling is Correct?
Technically, both American and British spellings are correct. However, American spellings are
gaining an advantage in many circumstances because Microsoft Word is set to default its spell
check feature to American spellings. Thus, all British spellings will appear as incorrect when
using this program.
If you are a student preparing a research paper, ask your teacher which spellings he or she
prefers. If your instructor has no preference, simply choose either American or British spellings
and be consistent throughout the piece.
British and American Punctuation Differences
Writers who are interested in spelling differences between American and British English may
also find it useful to remember a few simple punctuation tips:
While British English often favors hyphenated compounds, such as counter-attack,
American English discourages the use of hyphens where there is no compelling reason.
In British English, writers typically use two spaces after a semi-colon. American English
encourages writers to use just one space.
Although American English typically calls for commas and periods to be included inside
the quotation marks, even if they are not part of the quoted sentence, British English
shows clearly whether or not the punctuation is part of the quoted phrase.