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This guideline is a part of the English Misplaced Pages's Manual of Style. It is a generally accepted standard that editors should attempt to follow, though occasional exceptions may apply. Any substantive edit to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

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This page is supposed to serve as a handy reference for editors.

See also List of dialects of the English language and Misplaced Pages:Spellchecking.

English spelling comparison chart

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, the one listed first is more widely used. For example, in the Commonwealth, with the exception of Canada, the suffix -ise is the preferred variant over -ize.

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. A few English-speaking countries, such as the Philippines or Liberia, have spelling systems closer to American spelling.

Notes

1. Australian spellings: The Macquarie Pocket Dictionary, Third Edition (1998). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-701633-57-3
2. New Zealand spellings: The New Zealand Oxford Paperback Dictionary (1998). Melbourne, Oxford University Press Australia and New Zealand. ISBN 0-19-558410-4
3. Canadian spellings: The Canadian Oxford Dictionary, Second Edition (2004). Toronto, Oxford University Press Canada. ISBN 0-19-541816-6. P. xiii: "the main headword represents the most common form in Canadian usage".
4. Southern African spellings: South African Concise Oxford Dictionary (2002). Cape Town, Oxford University Press Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. ISBN 0195718046.
5. British and Irish spellings: The Chambers Dictionary, Ninth Edition (2003). Edinburgh, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-550-10013-X. Suffixes with -ise or -isation prevail over suffixes with -ize or -ization in current British and Irish usage, although the -ize forms are usually preferred by dictionaries and some publications; see below.
6. American spellings: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition (2003). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc. ISBN 0-87779-809-5.
7. Except in the name Australian Labor Party.

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. (Note: British variants can also refer to most Commonwealth variants.) Examples follow:

• acknowledgement vs acknowledgment: acknowledgement is preferred in British English, 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.
• catalogue vs catalog: Webster's treats this case differently — catalog is the preferred spelling in American English.
• glamour vs glamor: The spelling glamour is preferred in both British and American English.
• foetus vs fetus: In American English, foetus is usually not used. In British English usage is divided. In academic literature, fetus is preferred.

Archaic variants:

• gaol: the usual modern spelling is jail
• gramme: the usual modern spelling is gram
• masque: modern spelling is mask
• connexion: this word is usually spelled connection.

Different spellings – different meanings

There are several words that change their meaning when spelt differently.

• disc – disk: In Commonwealth English, the usual spelling is disc (meaning: thin flat circular object), but in computing disk is usually used, as in Hard disk, when referring to magnetic disks. In case of optical discs, such as "compact disc", the other spelling is used.

• enquiry – inquiry: In Commonwealth English, an enquiry is a request for information, but an inquiry is a formal investigation.

• judgement – judgment: In Australian 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.

• programme – program: In British English, the spelling program can be used for computer program. In all other cases programme is invariably used.

• 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 Kodak Theatre and AMC Theatres. However, theater is used by America's national theater and all major newspapers such as the New York Times (theater section) to refer to both the dramatic arts as well as to buidlings where performances take place.

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, analyse
Language tag en-GB, used by the UK government, and recommended by it.

Examples of organizations adhering to this standard: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), European Union (EU), Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Commonwealth Secretariat (Commonwealth of Nations), African Union (AU), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), International Olympic Committee (IOC), Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Transparency International, Greenpeace.

Major publications: The Economist, The Times, Financial Times, New Scientist, The Lancet

British English with Oxford Spelling (-ize)

Spellings: centre, programme, labour, defence, organization, recognize, but: analyse
Language tag (a code identifying the language used): en-GB-oed, Oxford Spelling is based on the Oxford English Dictionary.

Examples of organizations adhering to this standard: United Nations Organization (UN, WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, etc.), World Trade Organization (WTO), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), International Labour Organization (ILO), 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

Major Publications: Nature, Times Literary Supplement, Encyclopædia Britannica

American English

Spellings: center, program, labor, defense, organization, recognize, analyze
Language tag en-US, this standard is used by the U.S. government.

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

Major publications: International Herald Tribune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Newsweek, Science, Scientific American

References

• British Spelling standards

• Misplaced Pages style guidelines