American and British English Differences

American and British English Differences

Spelling

1. Spelling of words ending in "our" in British English are "or" in American English.

A representative list of such words is:

 

British	American	British	American	British	American
arbour	arbor	armour	armor	candour	candor
ardour	ardor	clamour	clamor	enamour	enamor
favour	favor	fervour	fervor	flavour	flavor
harbour	harbor	honour	honor	humour	humor
behaviour	behavior	fervour	fervor	labour	labor
odour	odor	parlour	parlor	rancour	rancor
tumour	tumor	valour	valor	colour	color

 

2. Many American words ending in "or" also end in "or" in British English.

Some examples of this are:

 

actor	anchor	captor	censor	debtor	decor	Donor
error	factor	jailor	manor	minor	pallor	pastor
razor	sector	terror	tremor	tutor	victor	visitor

 

3. The spelling of some American words ending in "er" such as center are spelled with "re" such as "centre."

Some examples of this are:

 

British	American	British	American	British	American
fibre	fiber	centre	center	lustre	luster
metre	meter	louvre	louver	caliber	calibre
sabre	saber	theatre	theater	liter	litre

 

4. But beware of some French words that end in "re" that are the same in both British and American English.

Some examples of these are:

 

genre

Notre

Entrée

émigré

cadre

lucre

 

5. Also beware of some Spanish words such as "hombre" and "padre" which are also exceptions to the rule.

6. The French word "cadre" requires special attention. It is a word that means the nucleus of a group that is intended to form a larger group. For many years the Chinese have pronounced it a "cotter." It is correctly pronounced as "ka dray."

7. One word that deletes the "o" and changes and the "re" is "manoeuvre" in British English and "maneuver" in American English.

8. Some other spelling differences are as follows:

 

British	American	British	American	British	American	British	American
cheque	check	plough	plow	storey	story	behove	behoove

 

9. The use of articles is different in the two languages. The American rules for the use of the articles "a," "an" and "the" and British English is somewhat different and allows the following "The man went to hospital to see nurse." American English would require the following "The man went to a/the hospital to see a/the nurse." The choice of "a" and "the" would depend on whether he wanted to see a particular nurse at a particular hospital or any nurse at any hospital.

10. Many British words ending in "ize" also appear as ending as "ise."
Both are accepted as correct in British English while the "ize" is only acceptable in American English.

A small representative sample is shown below.

 

apologize	atomize	authorize	barbarize	bastardize	brutalize	cannibalize	canonize
carbonize	categorize	cauterize	centralize	characterize	civilize	collectivize	colonize
containerize	emphasize	epitomize	equalize	familiarize	finalize	formalize	fossilize

 

11. British English has some vocabulary differences from American English.

Some representative examples are:

 

British	American	British	American	British	American	British	American
lorry	truck	billy	tin pan	ring	call	pub	bar
post	mail	reck	care	hired	rented	biscuit	cookie
holiday	vacation	lift	elevator	barrister	lawyer	packet	present
waggon	wagon	bonnet	hood	nil	nothing	petrol	gasoline
pillion	seat	aeroplane	airplane	football	soccer	tyre	tire
flat	apartment	snigger	snicker	chaff	tease	handbarrow	wheelbarrow