Most people know that there are several spelling differences between British and American English. In order to make the differences clearer, I shall list them into categories, starting with the two most common differences, "-ise" and "-ize" and "-our" and "-or" spellings.

-ise and -ize

British people write "realise", "visualise" and "stigmatise" and American write "realize", "visualize" and "stigmatize". It should be noted, however, that British English is increasingly using the "ize" spelling.

-our and -or

This is a common difference between British and American spellings. Britons write "colour", "favour", "honour" and "neighbour", whereas Americans write "color", "favor", "honor" and "neighbour". The words are, however, pronounced the same regardless of the spellings.

There are also some lesser-known differences:

-re and -er

In London you would visit a theatre in the centre of town only a few metres from your flat. In New York you would visit a theater in the center of town only a few meters from your apartment.

-ce and -se

In American English the "se" spelling is used for these words: defense, offense, pretense. However, in British English the spellings are: defence, offence and pretence.

-yse and -yze

In addition to that, there are also differences between words ending in "yse" and "yze". In British English the "yse" ending prevails - analyse, paralyse, and in America, the "yze" endings are used - analyze and paralyze.

Oe and ae

There are further differences in the use or "oe" and "ae". In British English, for example, we say "oestrogen" and "aesthetic" whereas in the United States the spellings are "estrogen" and "esthetic". Notice that both words begin with "e".

The dropped "e"

American English tends to drop the "e" in many of its spellings, preferring "aging" to British English's "ageing" and "likable" instead of "likeable".

-ogue and -og

In British English we refer to a dialogue or a catalogue, but in America it is a dialog or a catalog. Notice that the "ue" is skipped entirely in American English.

Double consonants

In Britain there are travellers who like travelling because it fulfils them, whereas in American there are travelers who like traveling because it fulfills them. Note how double consonants appear and disappear in each example.

Miscellaneous

Men in England have moustaches, whereas men in America have mustaches. In Britain people like to watch TV programmes, but in America they watch TV programs. A person in Britain will pay their bills by cheque, but an American will write a check.

KJ Hutchings is the owner of KJ Language Services, providing proofreading, editing and writing services to businesses and students, in particular those who use English as a second language. For more information, visit her site at: http://www.kjlanguageservices.com/