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Paul Sparks
- Xiangtan University, Online Postgraduate (Masters Degree) English Lesson Plans, Lesson Material and Ideas...
Speaking Lesson: American
English and British English Spelling Differences
-
Generally
American English -or as a word ending is equivalent to -our in
British English.
-
American
-er as a word ending is sometimes equivalent to -re in British
English.
-
If
a verb ends in a single 'l' then the American -ing, -ed and -er
forms also have a single 'l' whereas the British forms have a
double 'll'. For example American English has signaler, signaling
and signaled whereas British English has signaller, signalling and
signalled.
-
American
English tends to prefer -ize and -ization whereas British English
prefers -ise and -isation.
-
There
are, of course, exceptions to the above rules. American usage is
"glamour" not "glamor" and
"advertising" not "advertizing". British usage
has "honorary" and "honorific" without the
"u"
-
When
spelling out words (and phone numbers) it is British practice to
say things such as "double e" for "ee" and
"triple / treble 3" for "333".
Common
Spelling Differences:
American
|
British
|
aluminum
|
aluminium
|
analog
|
analogue
|
anesthesia
|
anaesthesia
|
archeology
|
archaeology
|
catalog
|
catalogue
|
center
|
centre
|
color
|
colour
|
defense
|
defence
|
dialog
|
dialogue
|
donut
|
doughnut
|
encyclopedia
|
encyclopaedia
|
favorite
|
favourite
|
gray
|
grey
|
gynecology
|
gynaecology
|
honor
|
honour
|
humor
|
humour
|
jewelry
|
jewellery
|
license
|
licence
|
meter
|
metre
|
mold
|
mould
|
mustache
|
moustache
|
nite
|
night
|
omelet
|
omelette
|
pajamas
|
pyjamas
|
practice
|
practise
|
program
|
programme
|
routing
|
routeing
|
specialty
|
speciality
|
story
|
storey
|
sulfur
|
sulphur
|
thru
|
through
|
tire
|
tyre
|
|