Differences between British and American spelling

These lists are not yet complete.

British spelling is normally used in most Commonwealth countries.

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Brit spelling US spelling
amour amour
arbour (in some senses) arbor
ardour ardor
armour armor
behaviour behavior
candour candor
clamour clamor
colour color
demeanour demeanor
enamour enamor
favour favor
flavour flavor
glamour glamour, glamor
honour honor
humour humor
labour labor
misbehaviour misbehavior
misdemeanour misdemeanor
paramour paramour
paviour, pavior pavior
rancour rancor
rigour rigor
rumour rumor
saviour savior
savour savor
splendour splendor
tumour tumor
valour valor
vigour vigor

Words always spelt "-or":

pallor
tremor
tenor
horror
terror
squalor
languor,

and others, including:

all agent-nouns except saviour and sometimes paviour

Examples of derivatives (Brit spellings):

coloured, colouring, colourer, colourable, coloration (or colouration), colorific
honoured, honouring, honourer, honourable, honorific, honorary
humoured, humouring, humourer, humorous, humorist, humoral
glamorous; labourer, laborious, laboratory.

Latinate suffixes like -ation, -ous, -ific, -ist almost always lose the -u-. Native suffixes such as -ed, -ing, -er, and -less always retain it.

Brit spelling US spelling
analogue (or analog (adj.)) analog
catalogue catalog, catalogue
dialogue dialog
duologue duologue
epilogue epilogue, epilog
monologue monologue
prologue prologue

-yse/-yse

analyse analyze
paralyse paralyze

-ize/-ise

Words which in British English may be spelt -ize or -ise are always -ize in standard American English. All words, except improvise, which may add the suffix -ation, belong to this category, as do several others such as recognize. Many words, however, must always be spelt -ise in both British and American English. Most words ending in -mise or -vise or -prise belong to this second category, which includes:
revise
devise
advise
surmise
surprise
advertise
televise
supervise

-ll-, -pp-

marvelled; -lling; -llous marveled; -ling; -lous
travelled; -lling; -ller traveled; -ling; -ler
woollen; woolly woolen; woolly
kidnapped; kidnapping kidnaped; kidnaping
worshipped; worshipping worshiped; worshiping

-er/-re

centre center
fibre fiber
lacklustre lackluster
litre liter
metre (in most senses) meter
manoeuvre maneuver
mitre miter
sombre somber
theatre theater

Words always spelt in one way:

(in both British & American English)
acre
lucre
macabre
mediocre
meter, when it means a device (not the unit) that measures things
ogre

oe/e

amoeba amoeba, ameba
oesophagus esophagus
oestrogen estrogen

ae/e

anaemia anemia
archaeology archaeology, archeology
encyclopaedia, encyclopedia encylopaedia, encyclopedia
faeces feces
medieval, mediaeval medieval, mediaeval
paediatric pediatric
palae-, e.g. palaeography paleo-, e.g. paleography

Other

any more, anymore anymore, any more
axe ax, axe
clue, occas. clew clue
cosy cozy
doughnut donut
draught (in some senses) draft
draft (in other senses) draft
grey gray
jail, gaol jail
licence (noun/vb), license (vb) license (noun & vb)
plough plow
practice (noun), practise (vb) practice (noun & vb)
sceptic skeptic
sulphur sulfur
through through, thru
visor visor, vizor
wagon, waggon wagon
whisky whiskey

The spelling "anymore" is often found in British English but disapproved of by some authorities. The adverbial phrase "some time" may also be spelt "sometime"; "any time" is not usually spelt "anytime" except in American English.

The spellings clew and gaol are rather rare.

"Whiskey" is the Irish spelling as well as the US one.

Kerb: The usual (but not compulsory) British spelling of "curb" when it means the bit at the edge of the pavement.

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