Canada-US-UK Spelling Differences
It’s all English, but Canada-US-UK spelling differences certainly do exist. Canadian English generally follows British spelling but, alas, not always… sometimes the American version is preferred. This list comes from Karen Bond and her website, Karen’s Linguistics Issues. The most commonly used spellings are marked with an asterisk (*).
For more on writing:
Skills
Grammar
Writing memoirs
Keeping a journal
Ghost writing
Canada-US-UK spelling differences from Karen's Linguistic Issues
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Canada-US-UK Spelling Differences
| British | Canadian | American |
acknowledgement | acknowledgement*, acknowledgment | acknowledgment, acknowledgement |
| ageing, aging | aging*, ageing* | aging |
| aeroplane | airplane | airplane |
| aesthetics | aesthetics | aesthetics, esthetics |
| aluminium | aluminum | aluminum |
| among, amongst | among*, amongst | among |
| amortise | amortize | amortize |
| anaemia | anemia | anemia |
| anaesthesia | anaesthesia*, anesthesia | anesthesia |
| analogue | analogue | analogue, analog |
| analyse | analyze*, analyse | analyze |
| annex, annexe | annex | annex |
| apnoea | apnea | apnea |
| apologise*, apologize | apologize | apologize |
| archaeology | archaeology*, archeology | archaeology, archeology |
| armour | armour*, armor | armor |
| artefact | artifact | artifact |
| Authorise*, authorize | authorize | authorize |
| Axe | axe | ax, axe |
| balk*, baulk | balk | balk |
| banister*, bannister | banister*, bannister | banister |
| behaviour | behaviour | behavior |
| behove | behoove | behoove |
| blonde (for female) | blonde*, blond* | blond, blonde |
| B.Sc. | B.Sc. | B.S. |
| burette | burette*, buret | buret, burette |
| burnt, burned | burned*, burnt* | burned, burnt |
| bussed, bussing | bused, busing | bused, busing |
| Caesarean | Caesarian*, Cesarean, Cesarian | Cesarean, Caesarean |
| Calibre | calibre | caliber |
| cancelled | cancelled | canceled, cancelled |
| candour | candour | candor |
| capitalise | capitalize | capitalize |
| carburettor | carburetor*, carburettor | carburetor |
| catalogue | catalogue | catalog(ue) |
| catalyse | catalyze*, catalyse | catalyze |
| centre | centre | center |
| cheque (noun, money) | cheque | check |
| chequered | checkered | checkered |
| chilli*, chili | chili | chili |
| cigarette | cigarette | cigarette, cigaret |
| clamour | clamour | clamor |
| collectable *, collectible | collectible | collectible |
| colour | colour*, color | color |
| connection*, connexion | connection | connection |
| convenor | convenor | convener |
| cosy | cozy | cozy |
| counsellor | counsellor*, counselor | counselor |
| criticise*, criticize | criticize | criticize |
| curb (verb) | curb | curb |
| customize, customise | customize | customize |
| demeanour | demeanour | demeanor |
| dependant (a person who relies on another person, especially for financial support) | dependant | dependent |
| defence | defence*, defense | defense |
| dialling, dialled | dialing, dialed; dialling, dialled | dialing, dialed |
| dialogue | dialogue | dialog(ue) |
| diarrhoea | diarrhea | diarrhea |
| dietician*, dietitian | dietitian*, dietician | dietitian*, dietician, |
| dispatch*, despatch | dispatch | dispatch |
| doughnut | doughnut, donut | donut, doughnut |
| Dr (A contracted form of a word, ending with the same letter as the full form, is not followed by a full stop). | Dr. | Dr. |
| draught (current of air) | draft | draft |
| dreamt, dreamed | dreamt*, dreamed* | dreamed, dreamt |
| emphasise | emphasize | emphasize |
| encyclopedia*, encyclopædia | encyclopedia | encyclopedia |
| endeavour | endeavour | endeavor |
| enquiry*, inquiry | inquiry*, enquiry | inquiry |
| enrol | enrol | enroll |
| favour | favour | favor |
| favourite | favourite | favorite |
| fibre | fibre | fiber |
| fibre optics | fiber optics, fibre optics (used by the Canadian government only) | fiber optics |
| finalize, finalise | finalize | finalize |
| flautist | flutist*, flautist | flutist |
| flavour | flavour | flavor |
| focused, focusing or focussed, focussing | focused, focusing or focussed, focussing | focused, focusing |
| foetus*, fetus | fetus | fetus |
| forever*, for ever | forever | forever |
| fuelling | fuelling | fueling |
| fulfil | fulfil | fulfill, fulfil |
| galvanise | galvanize | galvanize |
| gaol (old fashioned), jail* | jail | jail |
| gauge | gauge | gauge, gage |
| gemmology | gemmology | gemology |
| generalise | generalize | generalize |
| glamour | glamour | glamour, glamor |
| gonorrhoea | gonorrhea | gonorrhea |
| grey | grey | gray |
| gynaecology | gynecology*, gynaecology | gynecology |
| haemorrhage | hemorrhage | hemorrhage |
| harbour | harbour | harbor |
| harmonise*, harmonize | harmonize | harmonize |
| haulier | hauler | hauler |
| homeopathy*, homoeopathy | homeopathy | homeopathy |
| honour | honour | honor |
| humour | humour | humor |
| initialise | initialize | initialize |
| instalment | instalment*, installment | installment |
| jail*, gaol (old fashioned) | jail | jail |
| jewellery | jewellery*, jewelry | jewelry |
| judgment*, judgement | judgment*, judgement | judgment |
| kerb (noun) | curb | curb |
| kilometre | kilometre | kilometer |
| label, labelled, labelling | label, labelled, labelling | label, labeled, labeling |
| labour | Labour | labor |
| lasagne | lasagna | lasagna |
| leant, leaned | leaned | leaned |
| learnt, learned | learned*, learnt* | learned |
| licence (noun) | licence | license |
| license (verb) | license*, licence | license |
| litre | litre | liter |
| lustre | lustre | luster |
| manoeuvre | manoeuvre*, maneuver | maneuver |
| marvellous | marvellous | marvelous |
| maximise*, maximize | maximize | maximize |
| meagre | meagre | meager |
| metre (unit of length) | metre | meter |
| modelled | modelled | modeled |
| modelling | modelling | modeling |
| mould | mould | mold |
| moustache | moustache*, mustache | mustache, moustache |
| mum, mummy | mum, mummy*, mom, mommy | mom, mommy |
| neighbour | neighbour | neighbor |
| net, nett (amount of money) | net | net |
| ochre | ochre | ocher |
| odour | odour*, odor | odor |
| oedema, edema | edema | edema |
| oesophagus*, esophagus | esophagus | esophagus |
| oestrogen*, estrogen | estrogen | estrogen |
| offence | offence*, offense | offense |
| omelette | omelette*, omelet | omelet, omelette |
| organisation*, organization | organization | organization |
| organise | organize | organize |
| optimise*, optimize | optimize | optimize |
| orientate | orient | orient |
| orientated | oriented | oriented |
| orthopaedic | orthopaedic*, orthopedic | orthopedic |
| pædiatrics | pediatrics | pediatrics |
| paedophile*, pedophile | pedophile | pedophile |
| paralyse | paralyze*, paralyse | paralyze |
| parlour | parlour | parlor |
| parallelling, parallelled | paralleling, paralleled | paralleling, paralleled |
| peddler*, pedlar | peddler*, pedlar | peddler |
| penalise, penalisation | penalize, penalization | penalize, penalization |
| pleaded | pleaded | pleaded, pled |
| plough | plow*, plough | plow |
| practise (verb) | practise*, practice | practice |
| practice (noun) | practice | practice |
| pretence | pretense*, pretence | pretense |
| programme (TV), program (computer) | program*, programme | program |
| pyjamas | pyjamas | pajamas |
| rancour | rancour | rancor |
| realise*, realize | realize | realize |
| recognise*, recognize | recognize | recognize |
| rigour | rigour | rigor |
| rumour | rumour | rumor |
| sabre | sabre | saber |
| saleable | saleable | saleable, salable |
| saviour | saviour | savior |
| savour | savour | savor |
| sceptical | sceptical*, skeptical | skeptical |
| signalling | signalling | signaling |
| skilful | skilful*, skillful | skillful, skilful |
| slipped disc | slipped disc | slipped disk |
| smelt, smelled | smelled | smelled |
| snorkelling | snorkelling | snorkeling |
| speciality | specialty*, speciality | specialty |
| standardise, standardisation | standardize, standardization | standardize, standardization |
| sulphur | sulphur*, sulfur | sulfur |
| theatre | theatre | theater |
| theatregoer | theatregoer | theatergoer |
| titbit | tidbit | tidbit |
| towards | toward*, towards | toward, towards (unusual) |
| travelling | travelling | traveling, travelling |
| tumour | tumour | tumor |
| tyre | tire | tire |
| valour | valour | valor |
| vapour | vapour | vapor |
| vice (the device) | vice | vise, vice |
| vigour | vigour | vigor |
| visualise*, visualize | visualize | visualize |
| wagon*, waggon | Wagon | wagon |
| woollen | woollen*, woolen | woolen |
| yogurt*, yoghurt, yoghourt | yogourt*, yoghurt, yogurt | yogurt*, yoghurt, yoghourt |
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