British vs. American English - Spelling Differences - Free English Lesson

British vs. American English - Spelling Differences - Free English Lesson There are some well-known spelling differences between British English and American English. Many of these spelling differences result from French influence on English. British English has a tendency to keep the spelling of many words of French origin. Americans try to spell words more closely to the way they sound phonetically and they tend to omit some letters. The general spelling differences between British and American English are listed below. British -our vs. American -or Behaviour Colour Favourite Flavour Behavior Color Favorite Flavor British -re vs. American -er difference centimetre centre kilometre theatre centimeter center kilometer theater British -ise vs. American -ize difference apologise civilise, criticise organise apologize civilize, criticize organize British -ll vs. American -l difference counsellor travelling quarrelling fuelled counselor traveling quarreling fueled British -ae vs. American -e difference archaeology orthopaedic gynaecology toxaemia archeology orthopedic gynecology toxemia British -ogue vs. American -og difference analogue catalogue dialogue monologue analog catalog dialog monolog [/col] [col type="half last"] [/col] British –ce vs. American -se difference defence licence offence defense license offense It is useful to learn both British and American English forms, but a good recommendation is to aim for consistency in your spelling.