essay british or american

The Ultimate Guide To Writing In British English vs American English

Eloise McInerney

With a PhD in Languages, Literature & Cultural Studies, Eloise has a long background in language teaching which she brings to her work as an editor. When not poring over the words of others, she’s working on her epic fantasy novel, kicking bags at the gym, or roaming the beaches, hills and forests with her dog.

When it comes to British English vs American English, it has been said that we are “two countries divided by a common language.”

If you’re a writer or editor in the increasingly globalized digital market, you’ve probably encountered this divide firsthand in the job hunt. More contracts are certainly available for those who can use both of these common variants of English—but are you confident enough to expand your writing into a less familiar version of English?

Don't worry, it's easier than it seems. Though the differences between American and British English can be finicky, they follow distinct patterns.

In our ultimate guide, we cover spelling, common usage variants, and punctuation differences to help you write fluently in either variant of English and snag those extra contracts.

British vs American English: Historical Origins

English linguistic history goes back to before the 12th century. Back then, residents of what is now the UK used a combination of Germanic languages (which we consider the roots of modern English), early French, and Latin. Spelling and grammar weren’t standardized, and words with similar Latin roots might be spelled either the French way or the Latin way.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, influential dictionaries helped orchestrate the standardization of the English language. In 1755, Samuel Johnson published the first widely used British dictionary. Johnson preferred spellings based on a word’s roots, favoring French spelling , since, as he wrote , “the French generally supplied us.” Standard British spelling still follows this course.

Noah Webster, whose famous dictionary was published in 1828, tended to choose spellings based on common use and pronunciation rather than history, setting the trend for American spellings.

Now that we’ve seen how these regional variants were born, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty differences between American and British English so you can nail those overseas job proposals.

American vs British English: Usage and Vocabulary

It’s been suggested that when you pit British English vs American English, differences in vocabulary are focused around three areas: clothing, food, and transportation. It certainly seems that our terms for these common items are wildly different.

Here’s a quick chart so you don’t get caught out wondering what “boot” means in American English... or vice-versa.

American vs British English: Food

American vs British English: Outdoors

American vs British English: Clothing & fashion

American vs British English: Everyday home items ‍ ‍

Spelling Differences between British and American English

The common spelling differences between British and American English fall into these easy-to-recognize patterns. Still, there are always exceptions (this is English, after all), so keep a dictionary or style guide at hand.

-Or vs -our

American writers have mainly dropped the U in words with this ending. However, both variants may be acceptable on either side of the pond for some words.

• AmE behavior /BrE behaviour
• AmE color /BrE colour ‍
• In words where the ou sound is pronounced differently than an O sound, the ou spelling is standard to both regions: contour , troubadour
• In derivatives and inflected versions of these words in British English (that is, words where letters have been added or changed to denote different attributes or tenses), the U is not always kept: for instance, honour is BrE standard, but honorary drops the U .
• Cardinal numbers four and fourteen are always spelled with U .

-Ize vs -ise

The - ize spelling comes from Greek, while - ise is the French spelling. In American English - ize is the preferred form, while British spelling typically uses - ise , although style guides in Britain have more variance in their preferences. This applies to forms of the word other than the root word also. ‍ ‍

• AmE organize , organizing /BrE organise , organising
• AmE colonize, colonization/BrE colonise, colonisation

Exceptions ‍

• Words that do not come from a Greek root or do not use - ze /- se as a suffix are standard in English everywhere: advertise , seize , guise , capsize , franchise , demise , enterprise

-Yze vs -yse

This one is a bit simpler. In verbs, the British form is - yse while the American form is - yze . The spelling is followed in all forms of the verb. ‍

• AmE analyze , analyzing /BrE analyse , analysing
• AmE paralyze , paralyzed /BrE paralyse , paralysed

If a word ends in - re rather than - er , it’s the British spelling. However, even in British English, many words that end in this sound use - er . Generally - re is only used for the root versions of nouns; when this sound is used as a suffix (nic er , bigg er ) it always gets - er . Consult a dictionary if you’re unsure.

In the US, unless you are quoting the name of a fancy arts venue with an anachronistic spelling, it’s safe to assume - er is correct.

• AmE center /BrE centre
• AmE specter /BrE spectre
• AmE fiber /BrE fibre
• Words borrowed as-is from another language (such as French) retain their - re spelling in both UK and US English: genre , double entendre
• Words with Germanic roots, such as fire , anger , mother , danger , chapter , monster , member , and disaster, are typically consistent in both regions.
• Words made from the Greek suffix “meter” (for a measuring instrument) are always spelled - er : thermometer , barometer

While the British generally prefer the S when it comes to suffixes, for these words, they turn to a C , while Americans use an S.

• AmE defense /BrE defence
• AmE offense /BrE offence
• AmE pretense /BrE pretence
• Derivatives of the above words typically use the S in both regions: defensive , offensive , pretension
• In certain terms, the C denotes a noun form while the S denotes a verb form in both regions: Noun advice /verb advise , Noun device /verb devise ‍
• For other terms, that distinction is kept in British English but not in the US: BrE noun licence /verb license ; AmE license for both, BrE noun practice /verb practise ; AmE practice for both

Adding suffixes after the letter L

When adding one of the suffixes - ing , - ed , - er , - est , or - or , if the letter in front of the suffix is an L , British English typically doubles the L , while American English does not. However, watch out for exceptions.

• travel > BrE travelling /AmE traveling
• counsel > BrE counsellor /AmE counselor
• cruel > BrE cruellest /AmE cruelest
• Controlled and controlling are the same in both variants.

It gets trickier. When adding one of several other suffixes after an L , including - ful , - dom , and - ment , American English doubles the L , while British English does not.

• fulfill > BrE fulfilment /AmE fulfillment
• Words that are standard to both versions include till > until , null > annul
• British English prefers the root words instil , distil , and enrol over the American instill , distill , and enroll .

For other suffixes (e.g. - ous , - ize /- ise ) following an L , there is generally not a one-size-fits-all rule, so don’t close that dictionary!

Adding suffixes to words that end in E

For words that end in E , when adding a suffix such as - ing , -able , or - ism , American English sometimes drops the E as it is not pronounced, whereas British English typically will keep the E as a silent letter.

• Age > BrE ageing /AmE aging
• Like > BrE likeable /AmE likable
• Both sides of the pond typically use lunging , lovable , cringing , curable , and breathable.

Loss of vowel combinations/ligatures

Certain English words with roots from Greek and Latin, often medical terms, have been historically spelled with two vowels together to indicate what used to be a ligature (generally, a typeface that combines the two vowels into one character, e.g. ӕ or œ .) In British English, the combined vowels, either ae or oe , are kept, while in the US, only the E is kept. ‍

• BrE anaemia /AmE anemia
• BrE aeon /AmE eon
• BrE oestrogen /AmE estrogen
• Words that can be spelled both ways in US English: aesthetics/esthetics , archaeology/archeology , amoeba/ameba
• Words that can be spelled both ways in British English: encyclopaedia/encyclopedia , chamaeleon/chameleon , mediaeval/medieval

This is chiefly a word ending you’ll find in British prepositions and adverbs. Of course, Americans may use these terms in informal writing if they enjoy their unmistakable flavor. ‍

• AmE among /BrE amongst
• AmE while /BrE whilst

-T instead of -ed for past tense

For certain verbs, the British use - t to denote the past tense, while Americans typically use - ed . However, in American English, both variants are still often seen.

• leap > BrE leapt /AmE leaped
• burn > BrE burnt ( burned an acceptable variant)/AmE burned
• Among others, sleep > slept and sweep > swept are always standard.

-Og vs -ogue

Once again, the British generally use more letters, using - ogue where Americans use - og .

• AmE catalog /BrE catalogue
• AmE analog /BrE analogue
• While both forms of these words are accepted, dialogue , synagogue , and demagogue are the preferred spellings in the US.

Exceptions to the spelling rules

Of course, it wouldn’t be English without some spellings that don’t seem to follow any specific rule. Here’s a quick chart of some more unusual British and American English spelling differences.

Grammar differences between British and American English

Don’t think it’s all about spelling. Some differences have to do more with punctuation. Our comprehensive guide has you covered.

Single quotation marks vs double quotation marks

In general, while American writers prefer “double quotation marks” for dialogue, quotations, irony, and other purposes in a sentence, British writers use ‘single quotation marks.’

However, some British style guides do use double-quotation marks, so be sure to follow any specific instructions you are given.

If you’ve got quotes within quotes—say, a character quoting another within dialogue—the quotation mark styling for the inner marks is reversed.

British vs American English: Does punctuation go inside or outside the quotation marks?

American English puts two punctuation marks inside the quotation marks at all times: the period (full stop in BrE) and the comma. Colons and semicolons always go outside the quotes.

The em dash, the question mark, the exclamation mark, and the ellipsis typically go outside the quotes, unless they belong specifically to the quoted material.

British grammar is similar to US grammar in that it also puts the colon and the semicolon outside the quotation marks at all times. However, all other punctuation goes outside the quotation marks as well, unless it belongs to the quoted material and not the whole sentence.

In British English, in dialogue (that is, quoting from speech, real or fictional, rather than from another text), periods and commas typically go inside the quotation marks, as they indicate the tone of the speech and therefore belong with it.

Still confused? When it comes down to it, most punctuation marks are actually used the same way. The differences you should watch out for are in commas and periods. When these belong to a quote, as in dialogue or a full sentence from an original text, they’ll be inside the quotation marks in both variants.

When they are added to indicate punctuation in the new sentence, rather than the original quote, differences are as below.

Oxford/serial commas

The Oxford comma, or serial comma, comes after the final item in a list, before the word “and.”

It’s easy to remember which version of English uses the Oxford comma as long as you reverse what you’d expect: the English of Britain, home to Oxford University Press, tends not to use the Oxford comma. Meanwhile, in the US, the Oxford comma is more common.

Plural versus singular for groups

When referring to an entity composed of a number of individuals—such as a company or a band—an American would likely refer to the group as singular, while a British person would probably write about them as plural.

How can I learn to write American English—or vice versa?

Now that we’ve gone through the labyrinth of differences between British and American English, do you feel ready to take on a copywriting job anywhere in the world? If you’re determined to write like you’re on the other side of the pond, here are our five best tips for learning to write British English or American English.

1. Read the style you want to write.

The best tools writers and editors have are often their brains—and lots of repetition. After all, this is how we all learned English in the first place! Find books, magazines, and news media from reputable organizations in the version of English you want to write. Read often about a range of subjects, and you’ll begin to pick up on the variations naturally.

2. Avoid inconsistency!

The most important thing when writing is simply to choose one spelling/usage and stick with it. If you write “theatre” once, then make sure you always write “theatre.” Reader and editor preferences vary, but inconsistency always looks unprofessional.

It may be easiest to choose a major style guide to follow. (E.g., Chicago Manual of Style for American English or Oxford Style for British English.) Buy its official reference book and you’ll have all the info you need, though be warned that these can be quite dense.

Make yourself a style sheet and write down the required or preferred spelling every time you learn a new term. These can get long, so organize (organise) your style sheet so it doesn’t become completely unreadable.

3. Use your spellcheck to its full capacity.

If you’re writing in an unfamiliar dialect, spellcheck is your best friend. But make sure to double-check the language it’s checking—if you’re trying to write in British English and it’s set to American, you will have no end of woes.

Remember that this goes for the default autocorrect settings on your communications platforms and cloud documents, too.

If your word processor of choice doesn’t have a built-in spellcheck, try using an add-on such as Grammarly.

Most spellcheck programs enable you to customize your dictionary, so if you notice a word that you often get incorrect, you can add it to the program’s directories manually and never worry about it again.

4. Just look it up!

If you’re uncertain about a term, don’t guess: look it up!

Editing isn’t just about knowing what’s right; it’s about anticipating what might be wrong. Learn the signs that suggest a term might have an American or British variant—if you see an - ise or - ize spelling, for instance—and look those terms up at first rather than relying on memory.

Once you’ve learned a new term, add it to your style sheet. Choose one dictionary as your reference and stick with it, as there is some variance between dictionaries.

You may have to check often, but with repetition, most of these decisions will become second nature.

5. Ask a native speaker.

Many of us know somebody who either grew up in another country or continent or is living there now. If you have a friend who’s a native speaker of the variant you want to learn, ask them to scan your prose for anything that looks “off.” There’s no better resource than someone who’s been using a dialect their entire life.

If you don’t know anyone who speaks the variant personally, asking language questions on forums like Reddit and StackExchange could be useful. Or, if you can afford it, hire an editor who’s a native speaker. ‍

There you have it—the ultimate guide to the differences between American and British English. There are plenty more details to learn if you’re keen, but this will get you through the day-to-day.

Of course, if you’re still unsure whether you’ll get your target audience’s variant right, or if you don’t want to spend hours programming spellcheck, Eleven’s team of professional copywriters includes native English speakers from both sides of the pond, and we are ready to help.

Happy writing!

Receive insider tips straight to your inbox.

Would you like to speak to one of our experts?

Create custom email campaigns, measure performance, and turn insights into results with Mailchimp’s email marketing tools.

The latest from the Eleven blog

From writing and editing to strategy and marketing, our expert team answers the biggest questions in online content.

How Updating an Article Boosted Traffic from 111K to 220K Visitors/Month

How to Build a Strong Writing Portfolio That Gets You Noticed

7 steps for brands to become thought leaders, get early access to our course, future-proof against ai, land your dream clients, and command higher rates.

Created by Eleven’s most established editors, SEO strategists, and account managers.

• Humanities ›
• English Grammar ›

Classic British and American Essays and Speeches

English Prose From Jack London to Dorothy Parker

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

From the works and musings of Walt Witman to those of Virginia Woolf, some of the cultural heroes and prolific artists of prose are listed below--along with some of the world's greatest essays and speeches  ever composed by these British and American literary treasures.

George Ade (1866-1944)

George Ade was an America playwright, newspaper columnist and humorist whose greatest recognition was "Fables in Slang" (1899), a satire that explored the colloquial vernacular of America. Ade eventually succeeded in doing what he set out to do: Make America laugh.

• The Difference Between Learning and Learning How : "In due time the Faculty gave the Degree of M.A. to what was left of Otis and still his Ambition was not satisfied."
• Luxuries: "About sixty-five per cent of all the people in the world think they are getting along great when they are not starving to death."
• Vacations: "The planet you are now visiting may be the only one you ever see."

Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906)

American activist Susan B. Anthony crusaded for the women's suffrage movement, making way for the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920, giving women the right to vote. Anthony is principally known for the six-volume "History of Woman Suffrage." 

• On Women's Right to Vote : "The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons?"

Robert Benchley (1889-1945)

The writings of American humorist, actor and drama critic Robert Benchley are considered his best achievement. His socially awkward, slightly confused persona allowed him to write about the inanity of the world to great effect.

• Advice to Writers : "A terrible plague of insufferably artificial and affected authors"
• Business Letters : "As it stands now things are pretty black for the boy."
• Christmas Afternoon : "Done in the Manner, If Not in the Spirit of Dickens"
• Do Insects Think? : "It really was more like a child of our own than a wasp, except that it looked more like a wasp than a child of our own."
• The Most Popular Book of the Month: "In practice, the book is not flawless. There are five hundred thousand names, each with a corresponding telephone number."

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)

British novelist and short-story writer Joseph Conrad rendered about the "tragedy of loneliness" at sea and became known for his colorful, rich descriptions about the sea and other exotic places. He is regarded as one of the greatest English novelists of all time.

• Outside Literature : "A sea voyage would have done him good. But it was I who went to sea--this time bound to Calcutta."

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)

American Frederick Douglass' great oratory and literary skills helped him to become the first African American citizen to hold high office in the US government. He was one of the 19th century's most prominent human rights activist, and his autobiography, "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass" (1882), became an American literary classic.

• The Destiny of Colored Americans : "Slavery is the peculiar weakness of America, as well as its peculiar crime."
• A Glorious Resurrection: "My long-crushed spirit rose."

W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963)

W.E.B. Du Bois was an American scholar and human rights activist, a respected author and historian of literature. His literature and studies analyzed the unreachable depths of American racism. Du Bois' seminal work is a collection of 14 essays titled "The Souls of Black Folk" (1903). 

• Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others : "Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old attitude of adjustment and submission."
• Of the Passing of the First-Born : "He knew no color-line, poor dear--and the Veil, though it shadowed him, had not yet darkened half his sun."

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)

Known foremost for his novel "The Great Gatsby," American novelist and short-story writer F. Scott Fitzgerald was also a renown playboy and had a tumultuous life compounded by alcoholism and depression. Only after his death did he become known as a preeminent American literary author. 

• What I Think and Feel at 25: "The main thing is to be your own kind of a darn fool."

Ben Hecht  (1894-1964)

American novelist, short-story writer and playwright Ben Hecht is remembered as one of Hollywood's greatest screenplay writers and may best be remembered for "Scarface," Wuthering Heights" and "Guys and Dolls."

• Fog Patterns : "Yes, we are all lost and wandering in the thick mists. We have no destinations."
• Letters: "You would see a procession of mysterious figures flitting through the streets, an unending swarm of dim ones, queer ones."

Ernest Hemingway  (1899-1961)

American novelist Ernest Hemingway won the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his mastery of the art of narrative ... and for the influence he has exerted on contemporary style" as demonstrated in his brilliant novel "The Old Man and the Sea."

• American Bohemians in Paris: "The scum of Greenwich Village, New York, has been skimmed off and deposited in large ladles on that section of Paris adjacent to the Café Rotonde."
• Camping Out : "Any man of average office intelligence can make at least as good a pie as his wife."

Martin Luther King Jr.  (1929-1968)

Civil rights activist and minister Martin Luther King Jr., winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, may be best known for "I Have A Dream," in which he wrote about love, peace, nonviolent activism and equality between all races.

• I Have a Dream : "Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children."
• Reading Quiz on "I Have a Dream"
• Ten Things You Should Know About Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" Speech

Jack London  (1876-1916)

Nineteenth-century American author and journalist Jack London is best known for his adventures "White Fang" and "The Call of the Wild." London published more than 50 books over the last 16 years of his life, including "John Barleycorn," which was somewhat of a memoir about his lifelong battle with alcohol.

• The Somnambulists : "[T]his archdeceiver believes all that they tell him. He reads only the newspapers and magazines that tell him what he wants to be told."
• The Story of an Eyewitness: The San Francisco Earthquake : "Not in history has a modern imperial city been so completely destroyed."
• Reading Quiz on "The San Francisco Earthquake"
• What Life Means to Me : "I accepted that up above me was all that was fine and noble and gracious, all that gave decency and dignity to life."

H.L. Mencken  (1880-1956)

American journalist, activist and editor H.L. Mencken was also a very influential literary critic. His columns were popular not only for their literary criticism, but also for their questioning of popular political, social and cultural views.

• The Hills of Zion : "Dayton was having a roaring time. It was better than the circus."
• The Libido for the Ugly : "Out of the melting pot emerges a race which hates beauty."
• Literature and the Schoolma'm : "The essence of a sound style is that it cannot be reduced to rules."
• The Lower Depths : "The worst idiots, even among pedagogues, are the teachers of English."
• Portrait of an Ideal World : "All the great villainies of history have been perpetrated by sober men, and chiefly by teetotalers."

Christopher Morley  (1890-1957)

American writer Christopher Morley was popular for his literary columns in the "New York Evening Post," among other literary magazines. His many collections of essays and columns were "lighthearted, vigorous displays of the English language." 

• 1100 Words : "Let us be brief, crisp, packed with thought."
• The Art of Walking : "Sometimes it seems as though literature were a co-product of legs and head."
• A Morning in Marathon: "[W]e flashed onto the Hackensack marshes and into the fully minted gold of superb morning."
• On Going to Bed : "The happier creatures ... take the tide of sleep at the flood and are borne calmly and with gracious gentleness out to great waters of nothingness."

George Orwell  (1903-1950)

This British novelist, essayist and critic is best known for his novels "1984" and "Animal Farm." George Orwell's disdain for imperialism (he considered himself an anarchist) guided him in his life as well as through some of his writings.

• A Hanging : "We all began laughing again. ... The dead man was a hundred yards away."
• Why Are Beggars Despised? : "A beggar, looked at realistically, is simply a businessman, getting his living."

Dorothy Parker  (1893-1967)

Witty American poet and short-story writer Dorothy Parker began as an editorial assistant at "Vogue" and eventually became the book reviewer known as the "Constant Reader" for "The New Yorker." Among her hundreds of works, Parker won the 1929 O. Henry Award for her short story "Big Blond."

• Good Souls: "They are fated to go through life, congenial pariahs. They live out their little lives, mingling with the world, yet never a part of it."
• Mrs. Post Enlarges on Etiquette : "As one delves deeper and deeper into  Etiquette , disquieting thoughts come."

Bertrand Russell  (1872-1970)

British philosopher and social reformer Bertrand Russell won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 "in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought." Russell was one of the foremost philosophers of the 20th century.

• In Praise of Idleness : "The road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organized diminution of work."

Margaret Sanger  (1879-1966)

American activist Margaret Sanger was a sex educator, nurse and women's rights advocate. She began the first feminist publication, "The Woman Rebel," in 1914. 

• The Turbid Ebb and Flow of Misery: "My own cozy and comfortable family existence was becoming a reproach to me."

George Bernard Shaw  (1856-1950)

An Irish dramatist and critic, George Bernard Shaw was also a socialist propagandist and winner of the 1925 Nobel Prize in Literature (which he didn't receive until 1926) for "his work which is marked by both idealism and beauty." Shaw wrote more than 60 plays during his lifetime.

• Preface to Pygmalion: "It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him."
• She Would Have Enjoyed It: "Why does a funeral always sharpen one's sense of humor?"
• Why Law Is Indispensable: "Laws deaden the conscience of individuals by relieving them of responsibility."
• The Art of Political Lying : "Considering that natural disposition in many men to lie, and in multitudes to believe, I have been perplexed what to do with that maxim so frequent in everybody's mouth, that truth will at last prevail."
• Hints Toward an Essay on Conversation : "This degeneracy of conversation ... hath been owing, among other causes, to the custom arisen, for sometime past, of excluding women from any share in our society."
• A Meditation Upon a Broomstick : "But a broomstick is an emblem of a tree standing on its head."

Henry David Thoreau  (1817-1862)

American essayist, poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau is most known for his masterful work, "Walden," about living a life close to nature. He was a dedicated abolitionist and a strong practitioner of civil disobedience.

• The Battle of the Ants : "I never learned which party was victorious, nor the cause of the war."
• The Landlord: "If we do not look up to the Landlord, we look round for him on all emergencies, for he is a man of infinite experience, who unites hands with wit."
• The Last Days of John Brown : "[T]he one great rule of composition--and if I were a professor of rhetoric I should insist on this--is, to  speak the truth ."

James Thurber  (1894-1961)

American author and illustrator James Thurber is best known for his contributions to "The New Yorker." Via his contributions to the magazine, his cartoons became some of the most popular in the United States.

• The Subjunctive Mood : "Husbands are suspicious of all subjunctives. Wives should avoid them."
• Which: "Never monkey with 'which.'"

Anthony Trollope  (1815-1882)

British author Anthony Trollope is best known for his writing in the Victorian Era--some of his work includes a series of novels known as "The Chronicles of Barsetshire." Trollope also wrote on political, social and gender issues.

• The Plumber : "The plumber is doubtless aware that he is odious. He feels himself, like Dickens's turnpike-man, to be the enemy of mankind."

Mark Twain  (1835-1910)

Mark Twain was an American humorist, journalist, lecturer and novelist best known for his classic American novels "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." With his wit and grand telling of tales, Twain is nothing short of an American national treasure. 

• Advice to Youth : "Always obey your parents, when they are present."
• Corn-Pone Opinions : "Tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I'll tell you what his 'pinions is."
• The Danger of Lying in Bed : "The danger isn't in traveling by rail, but in trusting to those deadly beds."
• A Fable : "You can find in a text whatever you bring."
• Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences : " Deerslayer  is just simply a literary delirium tremens."
• The Lowest Animal : "[W]e have descended and degenerated ... till we have reached the bottom stage of development."
• On the Decay of the Art of Lying: "Lying is universal: we all do it; we all must do it."
• Two Ways of Seeing a River : "All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river!"
• Unconscious Plagiarism : "[P]ride protects a man from deliberately stealing other people's ideas."

H.G. Wells  (1866-1944)

British author and historian H.G. Wells is best known for his works of science fiction, including "The Time Machine," "The First Men in the Moon" and "The War of the Worlds." Wells wrote an astounding 161 full-length books. 

• For Freedom of Spelling: The Discovery of an Art: "Why should correct spelling be the one absolutely essential literary merit?"
• Of Conversation: An Apology: "I am no blowfly to buzz my way through the universe."
• The Pleasure of Quarrelling : "Without quarreling you have not fully appreciated your fellow-man."
• The Possible Collapse of Civilisation: "Modern warfare is an insanity, not a sane business proposition."
• The Writing of Essays: "The art of the essayist ... may be learnt in a brief ten minutes or so."

Walt Whitman  (1819-1892)

American poet and journalist Walt Whitman's verse collection "Leaves of Grass" is an American literature landmark. Ralph Waldo Emerson praised the collection as "the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom" America had yet contributed.

• A Glimpse of War's Hell Scenes: "There was no exultation, very little said, almost nothing, yet every man there contributed his shot."
• Slang in America : "Language in the largest sense ... is really the greatest of studies."
• Street Yarn: "Come and walk in New York streets."

Virginia Woolf  (1882-1941)

British author Virginia Woolf may be best known for her modernist classics "Mrs. Dalloway" and "To the Lighthouse." But she also produced feminist texts such as "A Room of One's Own" and "Three Guineas" and wrote pioneering essays on the politics of power, artistic theory and literary history.

• The Decay of Essay Writing : "Under the decent veil of print one can indulge one's egoism to the full."
• The Modern Essay : "The essay must lap us about and draw its curtain across the world."
• The Patron and the Crocus : "Be sure you choose your patron wisely."
• Street Haunting: A London Adventure : "Into each of these lives one could penetrate a little way."
• Writing for My Eye Only: "I can trace some increase of ease in my professional writing which I attribute to my casual half hours after tea."
• Definition and Examples of Humorous Essays
• Talking Together: An Introduction to Conversation Analysis
• The Essay: History and Definition
• An Overview of Classical Rhetoric
• Of Travel by Francis Bacon
• First-Person Point of View
• The Parts of a Speech in Classical Rhetoric
• What Is Enlightenment Rhetoric?
• 100 Major Works of Modern Creative Nonfiction
• What is a Familiar Essay in Composition?
• Mark Twain's Top 10 Writing Tips
• Ted Sorensen on the Kennedy Style of Speech-Writing
• The Art of Public Speaking
• What Are the Different Types and Characteristics of Essays?
• Division: Outlining the Parts of a Speech
• The Difference Between an Article and an Essay

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• UK vs. US English

UK vs. US English | Difference, Spelling & Examples

When writing your dissertation , research paper or essay, you will have to consistently follow the conventions of a specific style of English. The most commonly used forms are:

• American English
• British English
• Australian English

Although these dialects follow many of the same rules, they also have some important differences in spelling , punctuation and word choice .

Check US or UK English for free

Fix mistakes for free

Table of contents

Us vs. uk spelling, us vs. uk punctuation, us vs. uk verb conjugation, us vs. uk abbreviations, consistency is key, why is it so complicated.

As the table below shows, the difference between UK and US spelling usually relates to just one or two letters.

The following cheat sheet outlines the preferred spelling of some words that are commonly used in academic writing .

Check US or UK English

Use the best grammar checker available to check that you're writing consistently in one variant of English.

The main punctuation differences relate to single and double quotation marks and where to place other punctuation in relation to quotations.

There are some differences in subject-verb agreement with collective nouns  (nouns referring to a group of individual things as a unified whole) and in past tense verb forms .

There is also disagreement over how to use periods in abbreviations .

Most importantly, each individual word must be spelled the same throughout your document. However, it’s also best to avoid mixing US English and UK English .

• The defense minister first travelled  to China in 2013.
• The defense minister first traveled to China in 2013.
• The defence minister first travelled to China in 2013.

In addition, the same spelling should generally be used for all forms of a word.

• The organization is headquartered in Osaka, but it usually organises workshops in Tokyo.
• The organization is headquartered in Osaka, but it usually organizes workshops in Tokyo.
• The organisation is headquartered in Osaka, but it usually organises workshops in Tokyo.

If you use our proofreading and editing service , you can request a specific style of English (US or UK).

After winning their independence from the British, Americans used language as a way to create their own identity. This led to many variations in spelling and punctuation, among other things. Australia also developed its own written conventions, which lie somewhere between those of the US and the UK (although they tend to be more British).

Of the three, Australian English is generally the most flexible, and US English is the least flexible. Bear in mind that the rules are not always very firm: there are many exceptions, and the preferred conventions are constantly changing.

Is this article helpful?

Other students also liked.

• Toward or Towards | Definition, Difference & Examples

Avoid informal writing

Advice vs. advise | meaning, definition & examples, more interesting articles.

• Behaviour or Behavior | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
• Burned or Burnt | Meaning, Difference & Examples
• Cancelled or Canceled | Difference & Examples
• Color vs. Colour | Meaning, Spelling & Example Sentences
• Defence vs. Defense | Difference & Example Sentences
• Dreamt or Dreamed | Definition, Difference & Example Sentences
• Favor or Favour | Meaning, Spelling, & Examples
• Favourite or Favorite | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
• Fulfil or Fulfill | Difference & Example Sentences
• Gray or Grey | Difference & Example Sentences
• Honor or Honour | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
• Humor or Humour | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
• Judgment or Judgement l Difference & Examples
• Kneeled or Knelt | Meaning, Difference & Examples
• Labelled or Labeled | Difference & Examples
• Labor vs. Labour | Definition, Spelling & Examples
• Learnt vs. Learned | Difference & Example Sentences
• Modelling vs. Modeling | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
• Offence vs. Offense | Difference & Example Sentences
• Organisation vs. Organization | Definition & Examples
• Practice vs. Practise | Definition, Difference & Examples
• Realise or Realize | Difference & Example Sentences
• Smelled or Smelt | Meaning, Difference & Examples
• Spelt or Spelled | Meaning, Difference & Examples
• Theatre vs. Theater | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
• Travelling or Traveling | Difference & Example Sentences

"I thought AI Proofreading was useless but.."

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

American vs. British English: Which Should You Use?

Bev sninchak.

• 27 February 2014

You’ve finally decided to write your first novel (or perhaps your next one), and you’re eager to get started. Not so fast! Before you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, which English have you decided to use? Yes, there is more than one kind of English—namely British or American—and how you choose between them can determine how you write, communicate, and market your work to readers.

Here’s how to decide which path is the best choice for you.

Differences Between American and British English

There are numerous differences between American and British English—too many to list here, in fact. Some variations are obvious, while others are not so glaring. Differences in word meanings and usage can be the most confusing when it comes to getting across a specific meaning. If you mean to say “trousers,” it may sound stilted and odd to American readers, who refer to such clothing as “pants.” On the other hand, what Americans refer to as “underpants” or “underwear” would, in the UK, be referred to as “pants.”

Other examples: Calling a room with a toilet in it a “bathroom” makes sense to a US reader, but substituting the word “loo” would leave them scratching their heads. “Lorry” is a common word used in the UK for what Americans would call a truck, but I had never heard of the word when I first visited the UK in 2001. It was then that I also figured out a “lift” was used to describe an elevator. In the US, if you want a lift, it usually means you need someone to give you a car ride somewhere.

When US citizens get a drug prescription filled, they visit a pharmacist; however, UK residents refer to such people as chemists. There are many other examples you can find on sites such as Project Britain  and this is a useful comparative guide.

Apart from words, there are other differences between British and American English. While a period—or full stop—is used when writing the terms “Mr” or “Mrs” in America, it is not in the UK. This can be confusing for US readers and may also prove somewhat distracting. Single quotation marks are often used in UK writing for dialogue, but double quotation marks are the standard for American English (except in certain cases).

Likewise, UK writing can sometimes use more passive constructions in storytelling, rather than a more active voice, which is found in most American novels. It is these smaller, subtler variations that may bother one set of readers, but not others. It’s hard to tell what reactions might be, which is why it might be best to consult people you know, both in the UK and in America, to find out how much the language matters to them.

Prior to making a decision, take an informal poll of fellow writers and readers you know and ask if they have a preference. Include online friends, family members, other authors, and people who frequent reader-related websites. If readers respond that the choice of language would influence their decision to read a book or pass it by, ask them to give you specific reasons so you can gauge the impact your novel’s choice of language might have on your audience. Some readers may tell you that they do not have a preference at all, and that an engaging story with a believable plot and realistic characters featuring plausible internal or external conflict is what truly matters.

Making the Right Choice

What’s the right choice for your novel? The answer lies in your target audience. Are you planning to write for mostly UK-based readers? If so, keep with British English. If you plan to reach a wider worldwide audience, including US readers, consider Americanizing your manuscript. That’s not to say that American readers and those outside the UK will avoid your book if you keep British English as the standard; however, it is possible you could lose readers if you’re aiming for a more global reach.

There is another option, although it would take more work on your part: You could choose to offer two versions of your book, one for UK audiences and another for US audiences. This might seem extreme for some authors, but to others, it makes sense. Only you can answer if such a choice would benefit you.

If you decide to offer two versions, the British version would be sold exclusively at UK-based outlets (or at Amazon’s UK storefront), while the Americanized novel would be offered to outlets that exclusively serve US readers. Again, it would require more work on your part, and you would have to determine if the extra effort is in line with the payoff— more sales to American readers.

In the end, the decision whether to use American or British English depends on the material you are writing, its intended reach, and your individual preferences. There is no correct answer for all situations, so it is best to make such a decision on a case-by-case basis. In the end, considering your audience and intended target readers should be a priority, first and foremost, before arriving at your final decision.

(c) Bev Sninchak

About the author

Contributor: Bev Sninchak is a veteran freelance writer with 16 years of experience producing content for online and print publications. She writes about many topics, from the best cloud-based accounting programs to how to obtain bad credit auto insurance !

Enjoyed this? Read related posts...

Allbooks:: All Books in Order by Niall Gannon

The Reading Agency: The Power of Reading

Behind the Bestseller: Get the Inside Track

Behind the Bestseller with Sam Blake: Podcast Launch!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get all of the latest from writing.ie delivered directly to your inbox., featured books.

Your complete online writing magazine.

Guest blogs, courses & events.

British vs. American English

There are many differences between British and American punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Neither version is more correct than the other; which version you should use just depends on who your primary audience is. Here are some of the most common differences between British and American academic English.

Punctuation

Single vs. double quotation marks.

British English uses single quotation marks to indicate quotations or dialogue.

• The UWSC says, 'This is how British people do it.'

When there is a quotation inside the quotation, British English uses double quotation marks for the nested quotation.

• The UWSC says, 'This is how British people, as they say, "do it".'

American English flips that method, and uses double quotation marks to indicate quotations or dialogue, and single quotation marks for nested quotations.

• The UWSC says, "This is how American people, as they say, 'do it.'"

Commas and Periods Within Quotation Marks

British English puts commas and periods (full stops) outside the quotation marks unless the quotation is also a complete sentence or the punctuation is part of the quotation.

• The UWSC says that British people write it "this way".

American English puts commas and periods inside the quotation marks.

• The UWSC says that American people write it "this way."

When it comes to other punctuation, both versions write it similarly. Colons and semicolons go outside quotation marks, and exclamation points and question marks depend on whether they're part of the quote or the sentence as a whole.

British English writes dates in DD/MM/YY format.

• 10/1/2019 means January 10, 2019.

American English writes dates in MM/DD/YY format.

• 10/1/2019 means October 1, 2019.

Abbreviations

British English typically does not put a period after an abbreviation.

• Dr, Mr, Mrs, Ms, and vs are all written without periods after them.

American English puts periods after abbreviations.

• Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms., and vs. all have periods after them.

There are certain patterns of words that British and American English tend to spell differently.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are singular nouns that refer to a group of people, like "group" or "team."

British English tends to default to using the plural verb forms for collective nouns.

• UNR's faculty are here to help you.

American English uses the singular verb form for collective nouns.

• UNR's faculty is here to help you.

Past Tense Forms

British and American English have some differences in how they might spell the past tense forms of some verbs.

British English might use '-t' to end the past tense forms of verbs ending in 'l,' 'm,' or 'n.'

• Burnt, dreamt, learnt, spilt, spoilt

American English will use '-ed' for the past tense of pretty much all regular verbs.

• Burned, dreamed, learned, spilled, spoiled

There are other differences between British and American English, but these are some of the common ones that come up in academic writing.

Oxford International Education Group. (n.d.). The main differences in British and American spelling. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordinternationalenglish.com/differences-in-british-and-american-spelling/

The Punctuation Guide. (n.d.). British versus American style. Retrieved from: https://www.thepunctuationguide.com/british-versus-american-style.html

• How It Works
• Why write for us?
• Writer Testimonials
• Education/Academia
• Contact us to Hire a Writer
• Style Guide For Writers
• SEO Writing For Dummies
• OWJ Writer Panel

Writing in British English vs. American English

George Bernard Shaw famously said that “England and America are two countries divided by a common language,” and any American who’s ever been asked to write in British English has quickly seen why. The differences in American English vs. British English are many, and while there are a few rules of thumb you can follow when trying to adapt to British spelling, punctuation, and grammar rules, both dialects contain plenty of exceptions, contradictions, and things that just plain don’t make sense.

The differences between American and British English started with the Norman Conquest in 1066, when French started creeping into English, bringing not only new words but new spellings of words we already had. In the following centuries, some of those spellings shifted back to the original British ones, but in the 1700s, the English aristocracy became enamored with the fashionable French, adopting French-influenced spellings once again.

Here, then, for American writers who find themselves asked to write in British, are some of the major differences between British and American English.

Guidelines for British Spellings

Many common words that end in -or end in -our across the pond, so we disagree with the British on how to spell “favorite,” “color,” and “neighbor.” They say “favourite,” “colour,” and “neighbour.”

-ize/-ise, -yze/-yse

What do the Brits have against Z (or “zed,” as they call it)? You might start to wonder when you see words like “civilise.” If it ends in -ize or -yze here, it probably ends in -ise or -yse there, so whether it’s “realise” or “realize,” “analyse” or “analyze” depends on what country you’re in.

How do you spell “theater”? If you’re in New York, you might enjoy a night out at a Broadway theater, but if you’re going to the West End for a show, you’re headed to the “theatre.” Similarly, you’ll see “centre” for “center” and “metre” for “meter.”

If a word ends in -og here, it likely ends in -ogue there. The most common example of this British English spelling convention is “catalogue.”

For a noun ending in -ce , the verb form will generally end in -se : They say “practice” as a noun but “practise” as a verb, for instance. American English usually picks one form and sticks with it, such as “license” and “practice,” which are both nouns and verbs here.

Adding -s or -st

The British spellings of some prepositions add an extra -s or -st , such as in “towards” or “amongst.”

Retained ligatures

As English lost the ligatures æ and œ , the British converted them to digraphs, such as in “orthopaedic,” “encyclopaedia,” and “manoeuvre.” Meanwhile, Webster stripped them down to single vowels, so we save a little ink when we spell “orthopedic,” “encyclopedia,” and “maneuver.”

Doubled consonants

Verbs ending in a vowel followed by L often double the L when you add a suffix that starts with a vowel, such as in “traveller” or “cancelling” instead of the American “traveler” and “canceling.” But this is a pretty tricky area because the British aren’t consistent about it, and neither are we: We use “excelling,” for example, but they use “fooling.”

Other oddities of British English spelling

Here are a few other differences in British vs. American spelling that don’t seem to fall under any specific rule of thumb but might be helpful to know:

British Punctuation and Grammar

No oxford commas.

You might think that the country where Oxford commas came from would use them, but no. The truth is that the only place in Britain that uses the serial comma is, well, the Oxford University Press. While a lot of Americans like it, they’ll find very little company: The Brits don’t use it, the Canadians don’t use it, and neither do the world’s English-speaking journalists.

Single-quotes first

While we use double quotation marks (“”) to enclose a quote, in Britain, they prefer single ones instead (‘’).

Punctuation after quotes

In the U.S., if we’re writing a sentence that’s a quote, we’ll usually put the period or comma at the end before the closing quotation mark. But in the U.K., they usually close the quotation marks first, then write the period or comma.

Dropped periods after titles

If an abbreviation of an English courtesy title includes the first and last letters of a word, it doesn’t need a period after it in British English, so they’d write “Mr John Smith” or “Dr Mary Jones” without punctuation.

Pluralizing collective nouns

In America, we often treat a company, brand, or other group as a singular collective noun taking a singular verb. But the British often treat these as plurals, taking plural forms of verbs, so they might say things like “IBM issued their earnings report” or “the team have won three games in a row.”

More use of “got”

The British seem to like the word “got” a whole lot. For one, they don’t use the word “gotten”: While we’d say that “it’s gotten windy out there,” they’d just say that “it’s got windy out there.” Also, where we use “have,” the Brits tend to use “have got.” While we say “they have three apples,” they’d say “they’ve got three apples,” and if I want to say that “I have to go home early” and I’m writing for a British audience, I’d say that “I’ve got to go home early.”

“In hospital”

Here’s one specific quirk that has come up a lot in past projects: In British English, if you’re in the hospital, you’re merely “in hospital.” They draw a very fine distinction between being “in hospital,” meaning that you’re a patient being treated there, and being “in the hospital,” which to them often means only that you’re physically inside of a hospital building. It can also mean that someone is a patient at a specific hospital that’s already been referred to by name.

Mindy Young, an editor for Online Writing Jobs, got her start as a newspaper copy editor after earning her B.A. from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. She spent nearly 13 years editing stories, writing headlines, and putting together pages for daily newspapers, and along the way, she also had the opportunity to write food columns and restaurant reviews. After earning a pair of Associated Press awards and a Suburban Newspaper Association award, she left journalism for the world of content marketing, where she puts her skills to work every day for OWJ clients and writers.

Share this post:

Recent posts.

• How Writers Can Ethically Use AI
• It’s Been a While …
• How to Format Content for Busy Readers
• SEO Content Writing 101: How to Create SEO Articles
• Know Your Portmanteaus and How to Use Them
• Article Formats
• Content Marketing
• Finding Good Links
• Freelance Writing
• Holiday Updates
• Writer Panel Improvements
• Writing Tips

We pay weekly

Connect with us, sign up for our newsletter, get to know us.

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2006-2013 QualityGal, 2013-2024 Online Writing Jobs   All rights reserved.

American English vs. British English

American English is the form of English used in the United States . It includes all English dialects used within the United States of America. British English is the form of English used in the United Kingdom. It includes all English dialects used within the United Kingdom. Differences between American and British English include pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary (lexis), spelling, punctuation , idioms, and formatting of dates and numbers.

Comparison chart

History of British vs. American English

The English language was introduced to America through British colonization in the early 17th century. It also spread to many other parts of the world because of the strength of the British empire. Over the years, English spoken in the United States and in Britain started diverging from each other in various aspects. This led to a new dialects in the form of American English.

American vs. British accent

Prior to the Revolutionary War and American independence from the British in 1776, American and British accents were similar. Both were rhotic i.e. speakers pronounced the letter R in hard . Since 1776, the accents diverged but English accent in America has changed less drastically than accents in Britain.

Towards the end of the 18th century, non-rhotic speech took off in southern England , especially among the upper class; this "prestige" non-rhotic speech was standardized, and has been spreading in Britain ever since.

Most American accents, however, remained rhotic.

There are a few fascinating exceptions: New York and New England accents became non-rhotic, perhaps because of the region's British connections. Irish and Scottish accents, however, remained rhotic.

To be fair, both American and British English have several types of accents and there is no one true American or British accent.

Noah Webster and the Blue-Backed Speller

Even after America gained independence, American schools used textbooks imported from England. Noah Webster , an American lexicographer, nationalist and prolific political writer, found them unsatisfactory. He disliked the influence and control of British aristocracy over the English language and its pedantic rules for spelling and pronunciation.

So in the 1780s Webster wrote and published A Grammatical Institute of the English Language a compendium that consisted of a speller (published in 1783), a grammar (published in 1784), and a reader (published in 1785). The speller became very popular and over time, Webster changed the spellings in the book to be more phonetic (e.g. color instead of colour ; defense instead of defence ). Webster's changes greatly influenced American English because his grammar books were so popular and used in schools throughout the country.

This influence was further solidified by Webster's dictionaries, first published in 1806. Noah Webster was a spelling reformer who believed that the spelling of words should match their pronunciation as much as possible.

Differences in use of tenses

In British English the present perfect is used to express an action that has occurred in the recent past that has an effect on the present moment. For example: I've misplaced my pen. Can you help me find it? In American English, the use of the past tense is also permissible: I misplaced my pen. Can you help me find it? In British English, however, using the past tense in this example would be considered incorrect.

Other differences involving the use of the present perfect in British English and simple past in American English include the words already , just and yet .

British English: I've just had food . Have you finished your homework yet? American English: I just had food. OR I've just had food . I've already seen that film. OR I already saw that film.

Differences in Vocabulary

While some words may mean something in British English, the same word might be something else in American english and vice versa. For example, Athlete in British English is one who participates in track and field events whereas Athlete in American English is one who participates in sports in general.

Rubber in British English: tool to erase pencil markings. Rubber in American English: condom.

There are also some words like AC, Airplane, bro, catsup , cell phone etc. which are common in American English and not used very often in British English. Some words widely used in British English and seldom in American English are advert, anti clockwise, barrister, cat's eye.

Differences in Spelling

There are many words that are spelt differently in both forms of English. Some examples are:

A majority of the spelling differences between American and British English fall into the following categories:

• - our (British) and - or (American). e.g. colour vs color
• - re (British) and - er (American). e.g. centre vs center
• - ce (British) and - se (American). e.g. defence vs defense
• - ise (British) and - ize (American). e.g. centralise vs centralize
• - yse (British) and - yze (American). e.g. analyse vs analyze
• - ogue (British) and - og (American). e.g. dialogue vs dialog
• Simplification of ae and oe in American English. e.g. gynaecology vs gynecology

Differences in the use of Prepositions

There are also a few differences between British and American English in the use of prepositions. For example: While the British would play in a team , Americans would play on a team . Another example: While the British would go out at the weekend , Americans would go out on the weekend .

Differences in Verb usage

American and British English may also use a base verb in different manners. For example: For the verb " to dream", Americans would use the past tense dreamed while the British would use dreamt in past tense. The same applies to "learned" and "learnt". Another example of differing past tense spellings for verbs in American and British English is "forecast". Americans use forecast while the British would say forecasted in simple past tense.

Differences in Pronunciation

Some words that are pronounced differently in American vs British English are controversy, leisure, schedule etc. There are also some words like Ax ( Axe in British) and Defense ( Defence in British) which have the same pronunciation but different spellings in both languages.

Time telling in British vs American English

Both languages have a slightly different structure of telling the time. While the British would say quarter past ten to denote 10:15, it is not uncommon in America to say quarter after or even a quarter after ten.

Thirty minutes after the hour is commonly called half past in both languages. Americans always write digital times with a colon, thus 6:00, whereas Britons often use a point, 6.00.

Differences in Punctuation

While the British would write Mr, Mrs, Dr, the Americans would write Mr., Mrs., Dr.

Video explaining the differences

Here's a funny musical video that outlines the differences in some English and British English language words.

• Books on American English
• Books on British English
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences

Related Comparisons

Share this comparison via:

If you read this far, you should follow us:

"American English vs British English." Diffen.com. Diffen LLC, n.d. Web. 15 Jul 2024. < >

Comments: American English vs British English

Anonymous comments (5).

September 23, 2012, 3:43pm i'm american and i prefer dreamt and ageing to dreamed and aging. spell check is doing red dotted underlines on those words! — 65.✗.✗.250

March 16, 2014, 8:57am Thx alot — 41.✗.✗.109

April 20, 2011, 11:47pm Did you know that a phrase in british english is knock-up it means to waken or rouse (in america it means to impregnate) learned it in school which makes school somewhat useful (not that much) crazy brits, be careful what you say around american chicks — 97.✗.✗.97

August 14, 2013, 10:58pm That line starting with "To be fair..." seems tacked on. It pretty well negates what came before it. — 108.✗.✗.242

December 28, 2010, 8:28pm I grew up in the SF Bay Area, and I had a mostly private education, except for State College. It seems I grew up learning a more “British” spelling. It wasn’t until I started using online dictionaries and MS Office, that I realized that there existed another variation. As a child color was colour. I still try to spell fulfill as fulfil. Neither was I aware that ageing should be spellt aging in American English, when were the standards changed? My piers would find that to be incorrect. Who writes dialog? I’ve always said learnt and dreamt, but only write dreamed and learned. Only recently have I heard someone say dreamed, and that person spoke English as a second language. Perhaps, these changes have come about to accommodate nonnative speakers of English? Although, I have heard differences in tense even here in California, I had thought that people speaking that way were undereducated. So while I might say, I just lost my pen, or I’ve just lost my pen, I would more than li — 64.✗.✗.212

• Difference between England and United Kingdom
• Difference between Great Britain and United Kingdom
• Thanksgiving in America vs Thanksgiving in Canada
• Dictionary vs Thesaurus
• Santa Claus vs Sinterklaas
• Annex vs Appendix

Edit or create new comparisons in your area of expertise.

Stay connected

© All rights reserved.

British and American English

Why the correct variant matters for your academic paper.

When preparing an academic paper in English, one of the key pieces of information to have is the target country. There are significant differences between written English in the United Kingdom and the United States, and using an academic translator or editor who speaks your target variant is the best way to ensure that your ideal reader is able to fully understand your text.

Lexical differences

As would be expected from two countries separated by an entire ocean, there have arisen a vast number of differences between British and American vocabularies.

As an example, let’s look at infancy in the two countries: British babies ride in a pushchair, sleep in a cot or a Moses basket, wear a nappy under their babygrow, use dummies, and are cared for by their mummy. Their American counterparts ride in a stroller, sleep in a crib or a bassinet, wear a diaper under their onesie, use pacifiers, and are cared for by their mommy.

These differences extend to all categories of one’s vocabulary -- so much so that linguist Lynne Murphy has dedicated an entire blog to examining lexical differences. The best way of rooting them out is by having a native speaker of the target variant review an English text for issues.

Orthographic differences

The most obvious of these is -ise/-ize verbs, where a UK-based writer would use memorise, for example, and their American counterpart would use memorize. Another frequently occurring difference is the omission of the letter ‘u’ from words like favourite, so that in the US, it is spelled favorite.

However, there are a number of other spelling differences as well, many of which are of particular relevance to writers addressing scientific or medical topics. Words such as paediatric and foetus are spelled differently in the States, resulting in pediatric and fetus. Likewise, certain units of measure end in –re in the UK (metre) but –er in the US (meter).

Other spelling differences aren’t covered by a general rule but occur in specific instances, such as aluminium, which becomes aluminum in the US.

Grammatical differences

There are fewer grammatical differences than lexical or orthographic ones, but they still exist. For example, if you ask a British person to call you later, they may say “I will do,” but an American will drop “do” and just say “I will.”

Prepositional phrases also change between the two variants, as the Cambridge Dictionary points out : British people live in Elm Street, while Americans live on Birch Street. Likewise, speakers of British English say they’re attending a party at the weekend, whereas Americans prefer on the weekend.

Cultural references

It’s easy to overlook the importance of cultural references within a text. While Brits and Americans share many cultural references, others are unique to one of the two cultures.

As an example, both variants of English use sports-related metaphors to express a variety of concepts, but sports that are popular in one country aren’t necessarily popular in the other. The expression playing with a straight bat, derived from cricket, might be used by a British English speaker but is opaque to an American unfamiliar with the sport. Meanwhile, the same American might refer to someone as a Monday-morning quarterback, which comes from American football.

Editors and translators tasked with ensuring that a paper uses a specific variant of English should be on the lookout for not only spelling differences, which are easy to spot, but also for grammatical, lexical, and idiomatic differences.

For a text to be best understood by its target reader, it is key to have it translated or edited by a native speaker who can sift through the text and identify any idiosyncrasies that don’t fit with the target variant of English. When preparing an academic paper for submission to a journal, authors should always confirm what variant of English the journal editors expect to see and advise their translator and/or editor accordingly to ensure a correct final product.

• Our Mission and Values
• Journals and Publishers
• Research Authorities
• Foundations and Museums
• Language Experts
• Translation
• Academic Writing Coaching
• Academic Review
• Book Proposal Assistance
• Journal Finder
• Table and Graph Formatting
• Manuscript Preparation
• Grant Services
• Post-Publication Services
• Grant Proposal Assistance
• Publication Support
• Our Seven Step Recipe For Success
• Pricing & Turnaround
• Success Story- Grant Proposal Assistance
• Success Story- Translation
• Success Story: Editing
• Success Story: Publication Support
• Success Story- Junior Scholar
• 'Publication Success' Interview Series: Previous Recordings
• FAQ: People
• FAQ: Projects
• FAQ: Timeline and Pricing
• Author Resources
• Newsletter Archive
• Upcoming Live Events

The Difference Between British English and American English: A Quick Guide

English is a global language spoken by millions of people around the world. A recent study undertaken in 2022, estimated that there are about 1.5 billion people around the world who speak English as a native or as a second language. 1 However, when it comes to understanding the difference between American English (US) and British English (UK), it is not uncommon to find even native-English speakers getting confused. One of the main differences in US vs. UK English is that the latter uses the spelling of words taken from other languages like German and French. On the other hand, American English words use spellings based on how a word sounds when it is spoken.

US English has its roots in the 17 th and 18 th century when settlers from Britain introduced the language on their arrival in America. Over the centuries the language developed in myriad ways until its usage, specifically the spelling and grammar, were standardized by Noah Webster, a lexicographer who according to available sources, changed the way certain words were to be spelt in America. This was his way of showing cultural independence from Britain. 2

Today, a majority of the international peer-reviewed journals publish articles in English. In other words, approximately 95% of the academic content published in journals globally is in English. 3 This is because research papers published in English-language journals are able to garner a larger readership and get more attention than those published in regional languages which leads to more citations. While most journals specify the version of English that they want used, it is common to find researchers getting confused and making errors when writing.

In this article we will look at some of the key differences between British English and American English including vocabulary, spelling, and grammar rules.

Differences in vocabulary based on cultural aspects

One of the most evident differences between British English and American English is in terms of the vocabulary. For example, people using British English refer to the front end of a car as a bonnet, while it is called a hood by those using American English. Similarly, while it is the boot for the back of a car in British English, it is referred to as a trunk in American English.

Some of the other common words like flats, trousers, lorry, university and holiday come under British English while for American English they correspond to apartments, pants, truck, college and vacation.

Differences in the way words are spelt

There are some very distinct spelling differences between US and UK English. Usually, UK English words that end with ‘our,’ end in ‘or’ in US English. For example, the spellings for UK English would be colour, flavour, labour, humour or neighbour, while in US English the spellings change to color, flavor, labor, humor and neighbor respectively. Similarly, verbs are spelt with ‘ize’ or ‘ise’ in the end in British English but they are always spelt as ‘ize’ in American English. 

For example, it is apologize or apologise , recognize or recognise in UK English but in US English, it is always ‘apologize’ and ‘recognize’ .

Differences in grammar

Apart from UK and US spelling differences in the English language, there are some key differences in. When it comes to the use of collective nouns, American English measures them as singular while in British English, they can be either singular or plural. For example, in US English one would say, ‘The band is playing’ , however in UK English, one would use the plural form and say, ‘The band are playing’ .

Similarly, in British English, formal speech is used more commonly, with words like ‘shall’ being frequently used.While American English, on the other hand, leans towards a more informal usage, with ‘will’ or ‘should’ .

To sum it up, the differences between British English and American English are many, but they do not really make much of a difference when the English language is spoken. For average listeners, these can be understood based on context easily. However, for researchers and those in academia who need to use language in academic writing to convey their findings, it becomes very important to know what the difference between US and UK English is.

• The most spoken languages worldwide in 2022, Statista. Available online at https://www.statista.com/statistics/266808/the-most-spoken-languages-worldwide/
• Differences between British and American English, British Council. Available online at https://www.britishcouncilfoundation.id/en/english/articles/british-and-american-english
• Liu, W. The changing role of non-English papers in scholarly communication: Evidence from Web of Science’s three journal citation indexes. Learned Publishing, Wiley Online Library, December 2016. Available online at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/leap.1089

Paperpal is an AI writing assistant that help academics write better, faster with real-time suggestions for in-depth language and grammar correction. Trained on millions of research manuscripts enhanced by professional academic editors, Paperpal delivers human precision at machine speed.   

Try it for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime , which unlocks unlimited access to premium features like academic translation, paraphrasing, contextual synonyms, consistency checks, submission readiness and more. It’s like always having a professional academic editor by your side! Go beyond limitations and experience the future of academic writing. Get Paperpal Prime now at just US$12 a month !    

Related Reads:

• Continually vs. Continuously: The Fine Line Between the Two Words
• Ambiguous vs. Ambivalent: How to Use the Right Word in the Right Context
• Idea vs. Concept: Why Distinguishing Between Ideas and Concepts Matters in Research
• Proofreading Techniques and Tips for Academic Writing

Useful Sentence Starters For Academic Writing

7 academic writing tips for an effective physical science research paper , you may also like, how to structure an essay, mla works cited page: format, template & examples, powerful academic phrases to improve your essay writing , academic editing: how to self-edit academic text with..., how to use ai to enhance your college..., how to use paperpal to generate emails &..., word choice problems: how to use the right..., how to paraphrase research papers effectively, 4 types of transition words for research papers , paraphrasing in academic writing: answering top author queries.

Which Language Do You Want to Learn?

• Inside Babbel
• Babbel Bytes

ARTICLES ABOUT

What are the differences between american and british english.

Americans often find the way people from the United Kingdom speak and write amusing, and vice versa. The slight variations in spelling, the delightfully silly words used for common objects, and of course, accents . But we also have a lot of questions about the differences between American and British English. How did the same language diverge in such a distinct way? Why do we spell things differently? And what’s the deal with “soccer” versus “football”?

In the video above , we had an American and Brit attempt to answer some of the most commonly Googled questions about the differences between American and British English. Here we’ll answer them with a bit more detail, with sources for you to dive even deeper.

How Do You Speak With A British Accent?

It depends which British accent you want; there are “loads” to choose from! A common accent in pop culture you’ve probably heard is the Cockney accent, which is primarily spoken by working class people in London. Some key features are pronouncing “TH” sounds as “F” sounds and dropping the “H” at the beginning of words (i.e. ‘oliday instead of “Holiday”). The Cockney way of speaking also used an elaborate rhyming slang .

You may also enjoy a more proper or “posh” English accent — what’s known as Received Pronunciation or the Queen’s English. Historically, this accent has been a signal of superior social status. The indicators of this accent include a clear pronunciation of the “H” at the beginning of words, an inaudible “r” sound within words (like “heart”), and long vowels (making “darling” sound like “dahhhhhling”).

Why Does America Call Football “Soccer”?

While it’s probably obvious why other parts of the world call the sport “football” (what with all the kicking of balls), you may wonder why the United States calls it “soccer” instead. Believe it or not, the word “soccer” actually originated in Great Britain . 

In the 1800s, British universities began playing different variations of the medieval game known as football. One of these versions of the game was called “association football,” which Brits called “soccer” for short. When the game was brought over to America, it was still called “soccer” and that name stuck. The Brits used “soccer” and “football” interchangeably to describe the game between 1960 and 1980, but then switched almost exclusively to “football” due to the American connotations associated with “soccer,” ironically enough.

Why Does American English Drop The “U”?

One of the most common and noticeable spelling differences between American and British English is the use (or lack of use) of the letter “u” in words like “colour” and “honour.” To Americans, the “u” seems unnecessary and a bit old fashioned. How did this change occur? It was all thanks to a man whose name you’ve almost definitely heard: Noah Webster.

Webster wanted to make American English more distinct, in order to take control of the language from the British. In his earliest dictionaries , Webster removed the extra “u” from words and switched “re” to “er” at the end of words like “theater.”

What Is British Pudding?

When people search this question, they are probably referring to “black pudding,” which is a type of blood sausage popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It’s generally made from pork blood, pork or beef fat, as well as cereal grains or oats. Black pudding is a staple of the traditional “full English breakfast” or “fry-up,” which usually also includes fried eggs, sausages, back bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, potatoes and toast.

What Are The Differences Between British And American English?

We’ve already described some of the key differences in the answers above, but there are many other features that set the two dialects apart, from the way they sound to the words they use . Let’s dive deeper into some of these differences.

It’s difficult to make clear distinctions between U.S. and U.K. accents when there is such a wide variety of accents within both the U.S. and the U.K. A Texan and a New Yorker are both Americans, but have very different accents. The same goes for British accents in London, Manchester and Glasgow.

However, some very general distinctions can be made. Americans usually pronounce every “r” in a word, while the British tend to only pronounce the “r” when it’s the first letter of a word.

There are also differences between American and British English in the areas of spelling, vocabulary and grammar. Here are just some of the examples.

Prepositions

The differences below are only a general rule. American speech has influenced Britain via pop culture, and vice versa. Therefore, some prepositional differences are not as pronounced as they once were.

Past Simple vs Present Perfect

Americans tend to use the past simple tense when describing something that has recently occurred, while people in the U.K. are more likely to use the present perfect tense.

The past participle of get

In the U.K., “gotten” as the past participle of “get” is considered archaic and was abandoned long ago in favor of “got.” However, in the U.S. people still use “gotten” as the past participle.

Collective nouns: singular or plural?

In British English, a collective noun (like committee, government, team, etc.) can be either singular or plural, but more often is plural, emphasizing the members of the group. Collective nouns in the United States, by comparison, are always singular, emphasizing the group as one whole entity.

Regular or irregular verbs?

This is a subtle difference that can be easily overlooked in speech, but is much more apparent in written form. Many verbs that are irregular in the past tense in Britain ( leapt, dreamt, burnt, learnt ) have been made regular in America ( leaped, dreamed, burned, learned ).

As the most-spoken second language on the planet, English has to be flexible. After all, it’s not solely spoken in the countries we’ve detailed above. So whether you speak English like a Brit or like an American, this shouldn’t be an obstacle when communicating with people on the opposite side of the pond, or anywhere else in the world.

Nuno Marques also contributed to this article.