ENGLISH OR AMERICAN?
theenglishteacher on July 18th, 2008
Not only do some words mean different things but many are spelt differently, here are just a few of the most common.
| English | American English |
| all right | all right, alright (disputed) |
| analyse | analyze |
| centre | center |
| cheque | check |
| colour | color |
| counsellor | counselor |
| criticise, criticize | criticize |
| defence | defense |
| doughnut | donut |
| favour | favor |
| fibre | fiber |
| flavour | flavor |
| fulfil | fulfill |
| grey | gray |
| honour | honor |
| humour | humor |
| jewellery | jewellery, jewelry |
| judgement, judgment | judgment |
| kerb | curb |
| labour | labor |
| license, licence (verb) licence (noun) |
license (verb) license (noun) |
| litre | liter |
| metre | meter |
| mould | mold |
| neighbour | neighbor |
| offence | offense |
| practise (verb) practice (noun) |
practice (verb) practice (noun) |
| pretence | pretense |
| programme | program |
| pyjamas | pajamas |
| realise, realize | realize |
| savour | savor |
| speciality | specialty |
| theatre | theater |
| travelled travelling |
travelled, traveled travelling, traveling |
| tyre | tire |
This is an area of language that fascinates me because I often wonder why there are differences in spelling in Australia and America. Is it true that Americans spell phonetically?
There has been much debating over this. Facts seem to state that it’s the younger generation who spell phonetically…