American vs. British spelling
When writing assignments in New Zealand most lecturers will expect you to spell words in the British rather than the American fashion. Note, however, that some lecturers only insist on internal consistency: it should either have totally British spelling or totally American spelling.
Ensure that your computer's spell-checker is set to the correct version of English or check a good dictionary.
The main differences between British and American spelling are as follows:
-our vs. -or
Most words ending in -our in British English are spelt -or in American English.
| British | American |
|---|---|
| colour | color |
| flavour | flavor |
| labour | labor |
| rumour | rumor |
| behaviour | behavior |
| favourite | favorite |
-re vs. -er
Words ending in -re in British English are usually written -er in American English.
| British | American |
|---|---|
| centre | center |
| metre | meter |
| litre | liter |
| theatre | theater |
| fibre | fiber |
-ise vs. -ize
For many verbs that end in -se or -ize, British spelling most commonly uses -ise, whereas American spelling uses -ize. Some British spelling sources, such as the Oxford English Dictionary, also prefer -ize.
| British | American |
|---|---|
| specialise | specialize |
| realise | realize |
| equalise | equalize |
| recognise | recognize |
| organise | organize |
-ogue vs. -og
Most words spelt -ogue in British English are spelt -og in American English.
| British | American |
|---|---|
| analogue | analog |
| catalogue | catalog |
| dialogue | dialog |
-ll- vs. -l-
When adding a suffix (e.g. -ed, -er, -ing) to some words ending with l British spelling doubles the l, whereas American spelling does not.
| British | American |
|---|---|
| travelled | traveled |
| counsellor | counselor |
| cruellest | cruelest |
Other words
Some other common words are also spelt differently.
| British | American |
|---|---|
| programme | program* |
| bank cheque | bank check |
| defence | defense |
| speciality | specialty |
| aluminium | aluminum |
| sceptic | skeptic |
* In British English program is used for computer software, but programme for other meanings.
Spelling tips
The -able, -ible suffix rule
(Remember, this is English, so there are always exceptions!)
-able Usually if the root word is a complete word (e.g., fashion), it ends in ‘able’ (e.g. fashionable) |
-able Usually if the root word ends in an ‘e’ (e.g. advise), the ‘e’ is removed and ‘able’ or ‘ible’ is added (e.g. advisable) |
-ible Usually if the root word is not a complete word, it ends in ‘ible’ (e.g., possible → poss) |
|---|---|---|
| laughable | valuable | horrible |
| comfortable | debatable | terrible |
| desirable | edible | |
| dependable | collapsible | incredible |
| breakable | defensible | flexible |
| responsible | invisible | |
Words ending in 'y' Usually change the 'y' to an 'i' |
||
| reliable | Some exceptions | -tible Usually if the root word is complete and ends in 't', '-ible' is added |
| Justifiable | likeable | corruptible |
| sizeable | contemptible | |
| nameable | destructible |
The ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ not-really-true rule
You may have heard of the ‘i before e except after c’ rule. Unfortunately, there are so many exceptions to this rule, that it is not a very true or helpful rule. A variation of this rule: ‘i before e except after c or when sounded as ‘a’ as in neighbour and weigh’ is a little more accurate but of course, there are still exceptions.
E.g. conceive, receipt, ceiling, species, seize, weigh, weird
Merriam-Webster offers a much longer but more accurate rhyme, while noting that because English developed from so many different sources, there are still exceptions!
In reality, there is only one useful spelling rule to remember: Use the spell check function in your word processing software!
For help enabling your spell check in Word, see here , and for Macs, see here.
References and further reading
Marriot, S., & Farrell, B. (1992). Common errors in written English. Chambers.