To gain mastery in using English, we must conquer
the following three of the God of English’s creations:
- The angel called ‘reading’
- The human called ‘writing’
- The devil called ‘spelling’
While most of us have been put
through the paces for reading and writing, we unfortunately almost always
falter when it comes to complicated spelling. To make matters worse, the
artificial intelligence in our digital devices, with their constant spelling
prompts and auto corrects, provides us an easy escape from memorizing proper
spellings.
If English is not your native
language and you are one of those seekers who wishes to understand the nuances
of spelling differences between American and British English, then welcome! You
have come to the right place! This blog offers details on the various spelling
rules in American English vis-a-vis British English for many common everyday
words.
Why are Spelling Rules different in American English and
British English?
We recommend you read our blog: Why American English is more Popular than British English. The reason#4 in that blog provides you the answer to this pertinent question.
Is Indian English Spelling different from American English
Spelling?
Yes. The spelling used in Indian
English is a legacy of the British rule. All the spelling rules are distinctly
British in nature. If you are an Indian wishing to write and spell in American
English, read and learn the rules listed below in this blog.
The 12 Rules of Spelling Difference between American
English and British English/ Indian English
Rule 1: Words ending with the suffix ‘-re’ in British
English/ Indian English
If a word ends with the suffix ‘-re’ in British English/ Indian
English, then in the corresponding spelling of that word in American English
will end with the suffix ‘-er’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-re’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-er’)
|
|
amphitheatre
|
amphitheater
|
|
calibre
|
caliber
|
|
centimetre
|
centimeter
|
|
centre
|
center
|
|
fibre
|
fiber
|
|
kilometre
|
kilometer
|
|
litre
|
liter
|
|
lustre
|
luster
|
|
manoeuvre
|
maneuver
|
|
meagre
|
meager
|
|
metre
|
meter
|
|
millimetre
|
millimeter
|
|
sabre
|
saber
|
|
sceptre
|
scepter
|
|
sombre
|
somber
|
|
spectre
|
specter
|
|
theatre
|
theater
|
Rule 2: Words ending with the suffix ‘-nce’ in British
English/ Indian English
If a word ends with the suffix ‘-nce’ in British English/ Indian
English, then in the corresponding spelling of that word in American English
will end with the suffix ‘-nse’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-nce’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-nse’)
|
|
Defence
|
Defense
|
|
Offence
|
Offense
|
|
Pretence
|
Pretense
|
|
Licence (as a
noun)
(*the verb form
used is ‘License’)
|
License (both as a noun and a verb)
|
Rule 3: Words ending with the suffix ‘-ise’ in British English/
Indian English
If a word ends with the suffix ‘-ise’ in British English/ Indian
English, then in the corresponding spelling of that word in American English
will end with the suffix ‘-ize’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-ise’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-ize’)
|
|
Apologise
|
Apologize
|
|
Appetiser
|
Appetizer
|
|
Authorise
|
Authorize
|
|
Capitalise
|
Capitalize
|
|
Characterise
|
Characterize
|
|
Civilise
|
Civilize
|
|
Colonise
|
Colonize
|
|
Criticise
|
Criticize
|
|
Dramatise
|
Dramatize
|
|
Emphasise
|
Emphasize
|
|
Equalise
|
Equalize
|
|
Mobilise
|
Mobilize
|
|
Naturalise
|
Naturalize
|
|
Organise
|
Organize
|
|
Popularise
|
Popularize
|
|
Realise
|
Realize
|
|
Recognise
|
Recognize
|
|
Satirise
|
Satirize
|
|
Standardise
|
Standardize
|
|
Symbolise
|
Symbolize
|
|
Vaporise
|
Vaporize
|
Rule 4: Words ending with the suffix ‘-our’ in British
English/ Indian English
If a word ends with the suffix ‘-our’ in British English/ Indian
English, then in the corresponding spelling of that word in American English
will end with the suffix ‘-or’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-ise’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-ize’)
|
|
Armour
|
Armor
|
|
Behaviour
|
Behavior
|
|
Candour
|
Candor
|
|
Clamour
|
Clamor
|
|
Demeanour
|
Demeanor
|
|
Endeavour
|
Endeavor
|
|
Flavour
|
Flavor
|
|
Glamour
|
Glamor
|
|
Harbour
|
Harbor
|
|
Honour
|
Honor
|
|
Humour
|
Humor
|
|
Labour
|
Labor
|
|
Neighbour
|
Neighbor
|
|
Odour
|
Odor
|
|
Rancour
|
Rancor
|
|
Rigour
|
Rigor
|
|
Rumour
|
Rumor
|
|
Saviour
|
Savior
|
|
Splendour
|
Splendor
|
|
Valour
|
Valor
|
|
Vapour
|
Vapor
|
|
Vigour
|
Vigor
|
Rule 5: Words containing ‘-ph-’ in British English/ Indian
English
If a word containing the letters ‘-ph-’ in British English/ Indian
English to represent the ‘f’ sound, then for the corresponding spelling of that
word in American English, it will be replaced with ‘f’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words
containing ‘-ph-’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words
containing ‘-f-’)
|
|
Sulphate
|
Sulfate
|
|
Sulphide
|
Sulfide
|
|
Sulphur
|
Sulfur
|
Rule 6: Words containing the double vowel ‘-oe’ in British
English/ Indian English
If a word contains two
consecutive vowels ‘oe’ in British English/ Indian English, then for the
corresponding spelling of that word in American English, this double vowel will
be replaced with ‘e’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words containing
‘-oe’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words containing
‘-e’)
|
|
Diarrhoea
|
Diarrhea
|
|
Oestrogen
|
Estrogen
|
|
Foetus
|
Fetus
|
|
Manoeuvre
|
Maneuver
|
Rule 7: Words containing the double vowel ‘-ae’ in British
English/ Indian English
If a word contains two consecutive vowels ‘ae’ in British English/
Indian English, then for the corresponding spelling of that word in American
English, this double vowel will be replaced with ‘e’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words
containing ‘-ae’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words
containing ‘-e’)
|
|
Anaemia
|
Anemia
|
|
Caesarean
|
Cesarean
|
|
Gynaecology
|
Gynecology
|
|
Haemorrhage
|
Hemorrhage
|
|
Leukaemia
|
Leukemia
|
|
Palaeontology
|
Paleontology
|
|
Paediatric /
paediatrician
|
Pediatric/ Pediatrician
|
Rule 8: Words ending with the suffix ‘-ogue’ in British
English/ Indian English
If a word ends with the suffix ‘-ise’ in British English/ Indian
English, then the corresponding spelling of that word in American English is
truncated to end with the suffix ‘-og’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-ogue’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-og’)
|
|
Analogue
|
Analog
|
|
Dialogue
|
Dialog
|
|
Catalogue
|
Catalog
|
|
Epilogue
|
Epilog
|
|
Monologue
|
Monolog
|
|
Prologue
|
Prolog
|
Exception:
- Travelogue (The spelling of this word is
identical in British English/ Indian English and American English.)
Rule 9: Words ending with the suffix ‘-mme’ in British
English/ Indian English
If a word ends with the suffix ‘-mme’ in British English/ Indian
English, then the corresponding spelling of that word in American English is
truncated to end with the suffix ‘-m’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-mme’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words
ending with ‘-m’)
|
|
Programme
|
Program
|
|
Monogrammed
|
Monogramed
|
Rule 10: Words containing the syllable ‘-que’ in British
English/ Indian English
If a word contains the syllable ‘que’ in British English/ Indian
English to represent the ‘k’ sound, then for the corresponding spelling of that
word in American English, this syllable is replaced with ‘ck’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words containing
‘que’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words containing
‘ck’)
|
|
Cheque
|
Check
|
|
Chequer
|
Checker
|
Exception:
- Exchequer (The spelling of this word is
identical in British English/ Indian English and American English.)
Rule 11: Certain Words containing the letter ‘y’ in
British English/ Indian English
If a word contains the letter ‘y’ in British English/ Indian English
to represent the ‘i’ sound in, then for the corresponding spelling of that word
in American English, this letter is replaced with ‘i’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Words containing
the letter ‘y’ to represent the ‘i’ sound)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Words containing
the letter ‘i’)
|
|
Tyre /Tyres (of a
wheel)
|
Tire / Tires
|
|
Gybe
|
Jibe
|
Rule 12: Some Words containing the double consonant ‘-ll’
in British English/ Indian English
- For some verb whose basic form
ends with the consonant ‘l’, the adjective form, past tense form of verb and
present participle forms will contain ‘ll’ in British English/ Indian English.
The equivalent American English spelling will contain only one ‘l’.
- For some nouns in British
English/ Indian English containing ‘ll’, the equivalent American spelling will
contain only a single ‘l’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British English / Indian English Spelling
(Verbs containing ‘-ll-’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Verbs
containing ‘-l’)
|
|
Cancelled
Cancelling
|
Canceled
Canceling
|
|
Equalled
Equalling
|
Equaled
Equaling
|
|
Fuelled
Fuelling
|
Fueled
Fueling
|
|
Grovelled
Grovelling
|
Groveled
Groveling
|
|
Levelled
Levelling
|
Leveled
Leveling
|
|
Libelled
Libelling
|
Libeled
Libeling
|
|
Modelled
Modelling
|
Modeled
Modeling
|
|
Panelled
Panelling
|
Paneled
Paneling
|
|
Quarrelled
Quarrelling
|
Quarreled
Quarreled
|
|
Revelled
Revelling
|
Reveled
Reveling
|
|
Travelled
Travelling
|
Traveled
Traveling
|
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Nouns
containing ‘-ll-’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Nouns
containing ‘-l’)
|
|
Jeweller
|
Jeweler
|
|
Jewellery
|
Jewelry
|
|
Traveller
|
Traveler
|
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Adjectives
containing ‘-ll-’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Adjectives
containing ‘-l’)
|
|
Marvellous
|
Marvelous
|
|
Woollen
|
Woolen
|
Exceptions to Rule 12:
- For some verbs whose basic form
ends with the consonant ‘l’ in British English/ Indian English, the equivalent
American English spelling will contain ‘ll’.
- For some adjectives whose first
syllable ends with the consonant ‘l’ in British English/ Indian English, the
equivalent American English spelling will contain ‘ll’.
Examples are given in below table:
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Verbs
ending ‘-l’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Verbs
ending with ‘-ll’)
|
|
Appal
|
Appall
|
|
Distil
|
Distill
|
|
Enrol
|
Enroll
|
|
Enthral
|
Enthrall
|
|
Fulfil
|
Fulfill
|
|
Instil
|
Instill
|
|
British
English / Indian English Spelling
(Adjectives
containing ‘-l’)
|
Equivalent
American English Spelling
(Adjectives
containing ‘-ll’)
|
|
Skilful
|
Skillful
|
|
Wilful
|
Willful
|
Miscellaneous Words whose spellings differ in American and
British English
This blog focused on all those
words for whose spelling difference in British and American English could be
broken down to rules and exceptions to those rules. However, there are quite a
few words for which there are no specific rules to determine the spelling
difference.
If you are interested in such
words, we recommend you read our blog: Miscellaneous Spelling Differences in American and British
English.