Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Spelling

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The following is a handy reference for editors, listing various common spelling differences between national varieties of English.

Please note: If you are not familiar with a spelling, please do some research before changing it – it may be your misunderstanding rather than a mistake, especially in the case of American and British English spelling differences.

English spelling comparison chart

{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Spelling/Words ending with "-ise" or "-ize"}}

This table gives the accepted spellings (following government guidelines and major dictionaries). It is by no means exhaustive, but rather an overview. When two variants appear in the same cell, the one listed first is more widely used. (For example, in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and Ireland, ageing is more common than aging; in Canada and the US, aging is more common.)

The spelling systems of unlisted Commonwealth countries, such as India, Pakistan and Singapore, are generally close to the British spelling system, with possibly a few local differences. Some non-Commonwealth English-speaking countries, such as the Philippines, Burundi, Liberia, have spelling systems closer to American spelling.

With some exceptions, boxes in yellow show use of British spellings and those in blue show use of US spellings. Boxes in pink indicate that both spellings are used.

class="wikitable sticky-header" style="border:0 none transparent; border-collapse:collapse;"

style="vertical-align:bottom; border-bottom:3px double #999;"

! style="text-align:left;" | UK & IrelandChambers 2003; There are two British English spelling standards, with different requirements for -ise and -ize suffixes; see International organizations above.

! style="text-align:left;" | South Africa{{cite book |title= South African Concise Oxford Dictionary |year=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press Southern Africa |location=Cape Town |isbn= 0195718046}}

! style="text-align:left;" | New Zealand{{cite book |title=The New Zealand Oxford Paperback Dictionary |year=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Auckland, N.Z |isbn=0195584104}}

! style="text-align:left;" | Australia{{cite book |title=Macquarie Dictionary |editor1-first=C. |editor1-last=Yallop |year=2005 |publisher= Macquarie University |location=North Ryde, N.S.W |isbn= 1-876429-14-3 |edition=4th}}

! style="text-align:left;" | Canada{{cite book |title=Canadian Oxford Dictionary |editor1-first=Katherine |editor1-last=Barber |year=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Don Mills, Ont |isbn=0-19-541816-6 |page=xiii |edition=2nd |quote=The main headword represents the most common form in Canadian usage.}}

! style="text-align:left;" | United StatesChambers 1998, p. xx.{{cite book |title=Merriam–Webster's Collegiate Dictionary |last= |first= |authorlink=|year=2003 |publisher=Merriam-Webster, Inc |location=Springfield, Mass |isbn=0-87779-809-5 |edition=11th}}

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | acknowledgement

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | acknowledgement

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | acknowledgement

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | acknowledgement, acknowledgment

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | acknowledgement, acknowledgment

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | acknowledgment

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | aeroplane

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | aeroplane

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | aeroplane

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | aeroplane

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | airplane

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | airplane

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | ageing, aging

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | ageing, aging

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | ageing, aging

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | aging, ageing

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | aging, ageing

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | aging, ageing

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | all right

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | all right

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | all right

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | alright, all right

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | all right

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | alright, all right

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | aluminium

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | aluminium

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | aluminium

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | aluminium

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | aluminum

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | aluminum

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | authorise, authorize

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | authorise, authorize

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | authorise

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | authorise, authorize

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | authorize

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | authorize

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | analyse

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | analyse

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | analyse

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | analyse

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | analyze

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | analyze

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | artefact

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | artefact

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | artefact

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | artefact, artifact

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | artifact

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | artifact

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | cancelled

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | cancelled

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | cancelled

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | cancelled

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | cancelled

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | canceled

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | catalogue

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | catalogue

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | catalogue

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | catalogue

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | catalogue

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | catalog, catalogue

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | centre

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | centre

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | centre

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | centre

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | centre

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | center

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | civilisation, civilization

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | civilisation, civilization

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | civilisation

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | civilisation, civilization

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | civilization

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | civilization

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | colour

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | colour

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | colour

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | colour

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | colour

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | color

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | co-operation

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | co-operation

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | co-operation

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | cooperation, co-operation

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | co-operation, cooperation

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | cooperation

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | defence

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | defence

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | defence

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | defence

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | defence

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | defense

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | dialogue

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | dialogue

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | dialogue

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | dialogue

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | dialogue

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | dialogue, dialog (conversation)
dialog (text)

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | diarrhoea

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | diarrhoea

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | diarrhoea

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | diarrhoea, diarrhea

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | diarrhea

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | diarrhea

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | encyclopaedia

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | encyclopaedia

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | encyclopaedia

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | encyclopedia

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | encyclopedia

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | encyclopedia

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | empanel, impanel

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | empanel, impanel

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | empanel, impanel

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | impanel, empanel

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | impanel, empanel

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | impanel, empanel

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | foetus, fetus

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | foetus

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | foetus

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | fetus, foetus

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | fetus

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | fetus

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | fulfil

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | fulfil

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | fulfil

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | fulfil(l)

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | fulfill

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | fulfill

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | jail, gaol

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | jail, gaol

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | jail

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | jail

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | jail

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | jail

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | grey

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | grey

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | grey

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | grey

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | grey

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | gray, grey

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | honour

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | honour

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | honour

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | honour

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | honour

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | honor

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | instalment

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | instalment

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | instalment

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | instalment

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | instalment, installment

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | installment

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | judgement, judgment

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | judgement, judgment

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | judgement

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | judgement, judgment

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | judgment, judgement

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | judgment

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | kerb (roadside)
curb (restrain)

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | kerb (roadside)
curb (restrain)

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | kerb (roadside)
curb (restrain)

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | kerb (roadside)
curb (restrain)

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | curb

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | curb

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | labour

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | labour

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | labour

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | labourExcept in the name Australian Labor Party.

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | labour

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | labor

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | licence (n.),
license (v.)

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | licence (n.),
license (v.)

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | licence (n.),
license (v.)

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | licence (n.),
license (v.)

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | licence (n.),
license (v.)

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | license (n. and v.)

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | liquorice

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | liquorice

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | liquorice

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | licorice

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | licorice

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | licorice

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | manoeuvre

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | manoeuvre

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | manoeuvre

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | manoeuvre

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | manoeuvre

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | maneuver

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | meagre

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | meagre

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | meagre

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | meagre

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | meagre

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | meager

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | mould

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | mould

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | mould

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | mould

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | mould

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | mold

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | organisation, organization

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | organisation, organization

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | organisation

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | organisation, organization

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | organization

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | organization

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | plough

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | plough

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | plough

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | plough

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | plow

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | plow

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | practice (n.),
practise (v.)

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | practice (n.),
practise (v.)

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | practice (n.),
practise (v.)

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | practice (n.),
practise (v.)

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | practice (n.),
practise (v.)

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | practice (n. and v.)

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | computer program,
training programme

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | computer program,
training programme

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | computer program,
training programme

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | computer program,
training program,
theatre program

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | computer program,
training program

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | computer program,
training program

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | pyjamas

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | pyjamas

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | pyjamas

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | pyjamas

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | pyjamas, pajamas

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | pajamas

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | routeing, routing

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | routeing, routing

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | routeing, routing

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | routing

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | routing

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | routing

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sceptic

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sceptic

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sceptic

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sceptic

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | skeptic

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | skeptic

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sombre

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sombre

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sombre

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sombre

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sombre

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | somber

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sulphur

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sulphur

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | sulphur

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | sulfur, sulphur

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | sulfur, sulphur

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | sulfur

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | theatre

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | theatre

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | theatre

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | theatre

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | theatre

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | theater, theatre

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | travelling

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | travelling

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | travelling

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | travelling

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | travelling

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | traveling, travelling

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | tyre

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | tyre

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | tyre

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | tyre

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | tire

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | tire

style="vertical-align:bottom; border-bottom:1px double #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | veranda

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | veranda

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | verandah

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | verandah

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | veranda

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | veranda

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | vice
(fault and tool)

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | vice
(fault and tool)

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | vice
(fault and tool)

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | vice
(fault and tool)

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | vice (fault)
vise (tool)

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | vice (fault)
vise (tool)

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | vigour

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | vigour

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | vigour

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | vigour

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | vigour

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | vigor

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"

| title="GB" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: #FFFF80" | yoghurt, yogurt, yoghourt

| title="ZA" lang="en-ZA" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | yoghurt, yogurt

| title="NZ" lang="en-NZ" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | yoghurt

| title="AU" lang="en-AU" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | yoghurt

| title="CA" lang="en-CA" style="background-color: #FFCCCC" | yogourt, yogurt, yoghurt, yoghourt

| title="US" lang="en-US" style="background-color: #B3B3FF" | yogurt

style="vertical-align:top; border-bottom:3px solid #999;"

! style="text-align:left;" | UK & Ireland

! style="text-align:left;" | South Africa

! style="text-align:left;" | New Zealand

! style="text-align:left;" | Australia

! style="text-align:left;" | Canada

! style="text-align:left;" | United States

:See Notes for explanations of the references above.

Other spelling differences

Throughout this section, the variants here regarded as "British" are also used in Australia (in most cases), as well as in other Commonwealth countries and in Ireland. Canadian spelling combines British and American.

=Preferred variants=

In both British English and American English, many words have variant spellings, but most of the time one variant is preferred over the other. In dictionaries, the preferred spelling is listed first among the headwords of an entry. Examples follow:

acknowledgement vs acknowledgment: acknowledgement is preferred in British English,Chambers 1998, p. 13; Oxford Advanced 1974, p. 8; while Collins 1997, p. 898 lists 'acknowledgement' as the only entry. acknowledgment in American English.
judgement vs judgment: judgement is preferred in British English (except in the sense of a judge's decision, in which case judgment is preferred), judgment in American English.
per cent vs percent: per cent is preferred in British English, percent in American English.
dialogue vs dialog: In a non-technical context, the spelling dialogue is preferred in American English. In Webster's dictionary, dialogue is given first, and Chambers also indicates dialog is less used in North America.Chambers 1998, p. 445.
catalogue vs catalog: Webster's treats this case differently, as does ChambersChambers 1998, p. 255.—catalog is the preferred spelling in American English.
glamour vs glamor: The spelling glamour is preferred in both British and American English. (Glamourous is sometimes found in American English, but is usually considered incorrect in British English, where glamorous is the only accepted form.)

foetus vs fetus: In American English, foetus is never used. In British English, usage is divided. In academic literature, fetus is preferred.
aluminium vs aluminum: aluminum is the prevalent spelling throughout North America; however, in scientific literature aluminium should be used, as recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, or IUPAC. (The two spellings also have different pronunciations.)
sulphur vs sulfur: sulphur is the prevalent spelling outside North America; however, in scientific literature sulfur should be used, as recommended by IUPAC. (see Sulfur#Spelling and etymology)
caesium vs cesium: cesium is the prevalent spelling throughout North America; however, in scientific literature caesium should be used, as recommended by IUPAC.

=<span class="anchor" id="Old English"></span>Archaic spelling=

Older sources use many archaic variants (such as shew for show), which are not to be used outside quotations except in special circumstances (for example, quire may be used instead of choir in architectural contexts).

When archaic spelling is used in the title of a work, modernize the spelling in the text of the article but retain the original spelling in the references.

For example, the text of an article might read "Thomas Ady attacked the Demonology of King James..." while the citation should read Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogie, Diuided into three Bookes. By James Rx, 1597....". Adding a may help prevent well-meaning editors from correcting the spelling "mistakes".

As per {{section link|WP:Manual of Style|Quotations}}, archaic glyphs should be modernized, including within quotations and titles (e.g., æ→ae, œ→oe, ſ→s, and y^e→the). Archaic spellings (including capitalization, punctuation, and emphasis that would be non-standard today) are retained in quotations, and we rarely need to provide any translations into Modern English if the source material is Elizabethan or later. For Middle English, treat it on a case-by-case basis, but always provide translation for Old English.

={{anchor|different}}Different spellings, different meanings=

Several words change their meaning when spelt differently.

cheque – check: to check is to ensure; outside the US, a bill of exchange drawn on a bank payable on demand is a cheque.
kerb – curb: In British English, kerb is the edge of the road or pavement (UK) where kerbstones can be found. In the US, it is spelled curb, and may be attached to a sidewalk. To curb is to limit or control in either dialect.
disc – disk: Outside of computing, in British English the usual spelling is disc (meaning a thin flat circular object); in American English disk and disc are normally interchangeable. However, in computing (in both British & American English), disk usually refers to magnetic disks, as in hard disk drives, dating back to the first magnetic disks used by US-developed mainframe computers. Disc usually refers to optical discs, beginning with the Compact Disc (developed outside the US) and continuing with DVD (the last "D" of the acronym usually meaning disc regardless of its uncertain etymology), Blu-ray Disc, and even defunct formats such as HD DVD.
draught – draft: In the UK draft is a preliminary version of a document, while draught is a drink or a current of air; all are usually spelled draft in the US, but draught has been making a comeback in reference to beverages.
enquiry – inquiry: for most British writers, an enquiry is a request for information, but an inquiry is a formal investigation.
ensure – insure: To ensure is to make sure. In British English, to insure is to take out an insurance policy. In American English, to insure is sometimes used instead of to ensure.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/youmeus/learnit/learnitv220.shtml Learning English | BBC World Service]Peters, p. 285: But in North American English insure covers both meanings, and ensure is simply a variant spelling. (Emphasis as original.)
judgement – judgment: In Australian and British law, a judge's decision in a case is always spelt judgment. On the other hand, the forming of opinion or conclusion by an ordinary person is usually spelt judgement.
metre – meter: in most countries other than the US, metre is the metric unit of length, and meter is a measuring device; in these dialects metre is also the rhythm of a line of verse, but the word as part of the technical name of a given metre (pentameter, hexameter, etc.) is spelled -meter.
programme – program: In British English, the spelling program can be used for computer program. In all other cases, programme is invariably used.
storey – story: a story is a tale; outside of the US, upper floors of buildings are spelt storey.{{cite book |last=Peters |first=Pam |authorlink=Pam Peters |title=The Cambridge Guide to English Usage |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |date=2004 |page=517 |chapter=storey or story |isbn=0-521-62181-X}}
theatre – theater: Many uses of either spelling can be found in American English. Both theater and theatre are commonly used among theatre professionals. The spelling theatre can be seen in names like the Kodak Theatre and AMC Theatres. However, the spelling theater is used for the various venues at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and all major American newspapers, such as The New York Times's theater section{{cite web|title=Theater section|url=http://theater.nytimes.com/pages/theater/index.html|work=The New York Times|accessdate=10 December 2010}} to refer to both the dramatic arts as well as to the buildings where performances take place. The Columbia University Guide to Standard American English states that theater is used except in proper names.{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=L2ChiO2yEZ0C&pg=PA435&#v=onepage&q=Theater%20Theatre%20spelling%20%22American%20English%22 |title=The Columbia Guide to Standard American English |author= Wilson, Kenneth G. |authorlink=Kenneth G. Wilson (author) |year=1993 |chapter=theater, theatre |page=435 |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York}}
tyre – tire: In American and Canadian English, tire is used to refer to fatigue and the inflated rim of a wheel. In British and other forms of English, tire means "to fatigue" and tyre is the inflated rim of a wheel.

International organizations

There are three major English spelling standards used by international organizations and publishers:

=British English with "-ise"=

Spellings: centre, programme, labour, defence, organisation; recognise, advise, devise, advertise, and analyse

Language tag (a code identifying the language used): en-GB.

Examples of organizations adhering to this standard: European Union (EU), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Commonwealth Secretariat (Commonwealth of Nations), African Union (AU), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), International Olympic Committee (IOC), UK Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The UK government does not seem to have an official position on spelling, though it often uses this variant in communications.

Major publications: BBC, The Economist, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Lancet, New Scientist, The Times.

=British English with "-ize" (Oxford spelling)=

Spellings: centre, programme, labour, defence, organization; recognize, but: advise, devise, advertise, and analyse
Language tag: en-GB-oxendict

Oxford spelling is based on the Oxford English Dictionary,Oxford Advanced 1974, pp. viii, 29, 228, 477, 602, 678, 715; and Oxford Illustrated 1976. and followed by CollinsCollins 1997. and Cassell'sCassell 1985. dictionaries, whereas Chambers lists both ‑ize and ‑ise for British English.Chambers 1998, p. xx. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary notes that "the form ize has been in use in English since the 16th century. The alternative spelling ise (reflecting a French influence) is in common use, especially in British English".{{cite book |title=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English |editor=Allen, Robert |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford |date=1990 |edition=8th |chapter=Definition of -ize |chapter-url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_us1259412#DWS-M_EN_US-188520 |isbn=0-19-861243-5}}

Examples of organizations adhering to this standard: United Nations organizations (UN, WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, ITU, ILO, etc.), World Trade Organization (WTO), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Amnesty International, World Economic Forum, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Major publications: Encyclopædia Britannica (despite being an American publication since 1911), Nature, The Times Literary Supplement.

=American English=

Spellings: center, program, labor, defense, organization; recognize, but: advise, devise, advertise, and analyze

Language tag: en-US

Examples of organizations adhering to this standard: International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Organization of American States, NAFTA Secretariat.

Major publications: International New York Times, Newsweek, The New York Times, Science, Scientific American, Time, The Wall Street Journal.

Tools and reference articles

User:Ohconfucius/EngvarB – Script to convert the entire contents of a page from American spelling to British spelling (with an option for using Oxford spelling – the default operation being non-Oxford British English)
Comparison of American and British English
American and British English spelling differences
See :Category:Varieties of English templates to explicitly identify a national style of spelling.
{{tl|Engvar}} built inside a template: allows an editor to set the variant by {{para|engvar|}}, then the prepared template can adjust its spellings.

Notes

References

{{cite book |title=The Chambers Dictionary |publisher=Chambers |year=2000 |origyear=1998 |location=Edinburgh |isbn=0-550-14000-X}}
{{cite book |title=The Chambers Dictionary |publisher=Chambers|year=2003 |edition=9th |location=Edinburgh |isbn=0-550-10013-X}}
{{cite book |title=Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English |editor1-first= Albert S. |editor1-last= Hornby |editor2-first= Anthony P. |editor2-last= Cowie|editor3-first= Jack W.|editor3-last= Lewis |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1974 |location=London |isbn=0-19-431102-3}}
{{cite book |title=Cassell's Italian-English, English-Italian Dictionary: Dizionario Italiano-Inglese, Inglese-Italiano|publisher=Cassell |editor1-first= Piero|editor1-last= Rébora|editor2-first= Francis M.|editor2-last= Guercio|editor3-first= Arthur L.|editor3-last= Hayward|edition=7th|year=1985 |origyear=1967 |location=London |isbn=0-304-52253-8}}
{{cite book |title=The Oxford Illustrated Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1976 |origyear=1975 |location=Great Britain}}
{{cite book |last=Terrell| first=Peter |title=Collins German-English, English-German Dictionary |edition=3rd |publisher=HarperCollins|year=1997|location=Glasgow |isbn=0-00-470580-7}}

External links

{{cite web|title=British Spelling standards|url=http://arssemantica.atspace.com/BrE/britspelling.htm|publisher=Ars Semantica |date=12 August 2006}}
{{cite web|title=Dave VE7CNV's Truly Canadian Dictionary of Canadian Spelling |url=http://www.luther.ca/~dave7cnv/cdnspelling/cdnspelling.html |publisher=Dave VE7CNV |date=2007}}

Category:Wikipedia Manual of Style (formatting)

Category:Wikipedia spelling