An Ongoing Debate

The debate over the correct spelling of words first began when Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the
English Language was published in1755, followed by Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the
English Language in 1828. While people in England preferred Johnson's spellings, Webster's simplified
variations became increasingly popular in the United States.

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 or he 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.