{Business Tips} Spelling is NOT universal...

In the party world....we often forget that people of different countries spell words quite differently. We encounter this on a daily basis when customizing designs for clients. What one country deems wrong, another deems right. Grammar is also this way...but that is a whole different post! Most of our clients are American...although we were born and raised in a British/Canadian spelling state of mind. Many times you will see us spell words in the American way when it comes to words like Honor/Honour, we became tired of being told we were spelling things wrong....when technically we were not. ;)  We will NEVER get use to the word customising...we simply use customizing. :) So if you have never thought about it...it can be very daunting.



Here is a handy dandy guide to spelling differences in America, Britain and Canada. It is not complete. You get the general idea. ;)

Canadian English generally follows British spelling, but often the American alternative is possible too. The most commonly used spelling, where applicable, is marked with an asterisk (*).

Australian English also generally follows the British tradition.

Here is a link to quotation mark use in case you are curious. Also not created equal. British/Canadian use out of quote periods etc. American is inside even if logic says it should not be so. HERE.



British
Canadian American

acknowledgement

acknowledgement*, acknowledgment

acknowledgment, acknowledgement

ageing, aging

aging*, ageing*

aging

aeroplane

airplane

airplane

aesthetics

aesthetics

aesthetics, esthetics

aluminium

aluminum

aluminum
among, amongstamong*, amongstamong
amortiseamortizeamortize
anaemiaanemiaanemia

anaesthesia

anaesthesia*, anesthesia

anesthesia
analogueanalogueanalogue, analog
analyseanalyze*, analyseanalyze
annex, annexeannexannex
apnoeaapneaapnea

apologise*, apologize

apologize

apologize

archaeology

archaeology*, archeology

archaeology, archeology
armourarmour*, armorarmor
artefactartifactartifact
authorise*, authorizeauthorizeauthorize
axe

axe

ax, axe
balk*, baulkbalkbalk
banister*, bannisterbanister*, bannisterbanister
behaviourbehaviourbehavior
behovebehoovebehoove
blonde (for female)blonde*, blond*blond, blonde
B.Sc.B.Sc.B.S.
buretteburette*, buretburet, burette

burnt, burned

burned*, burnt*

burned, burnt
bussed, bussingbused, busingbused, busing
CaesareanCaesarian*, Cesarean, CesarianCesarean, Caesarean
calibrecalibrecaliber

cancelled

cancelled

canceled, cancelled
candourcandourcandor
capitalisecapitalizecapitalize
carburettorcarburetor*, carburettor carburetor

catalogue

catalogue

catalog(ue)
catalysecatalyze*, catalysecatalyze

centre

centre

center

cheque (noun, money)

cheque

check

chequered

checkered

checkered
chilli*, chilichilichili
cigarettecigarettecigarette, cigaret
clamourclamourclamor
collectable *, collectiblecollectiblecollectible

colour

colour*, color

color
connection*, connexionconnectionconnection
convenorconvenorconvener

cosy

cozy

cozy

counsellor

counsellor*, counselor

counselor

criticise*, criticize

criticize

criticize
curb (verb)curbcurb
customize, customisecustomizecustomize
demeanourdemeanourdemeanor
dependant (a person who relies on another person, especially for financial support)dependantdependent

defence

defence*, defense

defense
dialling, dialleddialing, dialed; dialling, dialleddialing, dialed

dialogue

dialogue

dialog(ue)

diarrhoea

diarrhea

diarrhea
dietician*, dietitiandietitian*, dieticiandietitian*, dietician,
dispatch*, despatchdispatchdispatch

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*, encyclopædiaencyclopediaencyclopedia
endeavourendeavourendeavor

enquiry*, inquiry

inquiry*, enquiry

inquiry

enrol

enrol

enroll

favour

favour

favor
favouritefavouritefavorite

fibre

fibre

fiber
fibre opticsfiber optics, fibre optics (used by the Canadian government only)fiber optics
finalize, finalisefinalizefinalize

flautist

flutist*, flautist

flutist

flavour

flavour

flavor
focused, focusing or focussed, focussingfocused, focusing or focussed, focussingfocused, focusing
foetus*, fetusfetusfetus
forever*, for everforeverforever
fuellingfuellingfueling

fulfil

fulfil

fulfill, fulfil
galvanisegalvanizegalvanize
gaol (old fashioned), jail*jailjail
gaugegaugegauge, gage
gemmologygemmologygemology
generalisegeneralizegeneralize

glamour

glamour

glamour, glamor
gonorrhoeagonorrheagonorrhea

grey

grey

gray
gynaecologygynecology*, gynaecologygynecology

haemorrhage

hemorrhage

hemorrhage

harbour

harbour

harbor
harmonise*, harmonizeharmonizeharmonize
haulier

hauler

hauler
homeopathy*, homoeopathyhomeopathyhomeopathy

honour

honour

honor
humourhumourhumor
initialiseinitializeinitialize
instalmentinstalment*, installmentinstallment
jail*, gaol (old fashioned)jailjail

jewellery

jewellery*, jewelry

jewelry

judgment*, judgement

judgment*, judgement

judgment

kerb (noun)

curb

curb
kilometrekilometrekilometer
label, labelled, labellinglabel, labelled, labellinglabel, labeled, labeling

labour

labour

labor
lasagnelasagnalasagna

leant, leaned

leaned

leaned

learnt, learned

learned*, learnt*

learned
licence (noun)licencelicense
license (verb)license*, licencelicense

litre

litre

liter
lustrelustreluster

manoeuvre

manoeuvre*, maneuver

maneuver
marvellousmarvellousmarvelous
maximise*, maximizemaximizemaximize
meagremeagremeager

metre (unit of length)

metre

meter
modelledmodelledmodeled
modellingmodellingmodeling

mould

mould

mold
moustachemoustache*, mustachemustache, moustache
mum, mummymum, mummy*, mom, mommymom, mommy

neighbour

neighbour

neighbor
net, nett (amount of money)netnet
ochreochreocher
odourodour*, odorodor
oedema, edemaedemaedema
oesophagus*, esophagusesophagusesophagus
oestrogen*, estrogenestrogenestrogen

offence

offence*, offense

offense

omelette

omelette*, omelet

omelet, omelette

organisation*, organization

organization

organization
organiseorganizeorganize
optimise*, optimizeoptimizeoptimize
orientateorientorient
orientatedorientedoriented
orthopaedicorthopaedic*, orthopedicorthopedic
pædiatricspediatricspediatrics
paedophile*, pedophilepedophilepedophile
paralyseparalyze*, paralyseparalyze

parlour

parlour

parlor

parallelling, parallelled

paralleling, paralleled

paralleling, paralleled

peddler*, pedlar

peddler*, pedlar

peddler
penalise, penalisationpenalize, penalizationpenalize, 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
rancourrancourrancor

realise*, realize

realize

realize
recognise*, recognizerecognizerecognize
rigourrigourrigor
rumourrumourrumor
sabresabresaber
saleablesaleablesaleable, salable
savioursavioursavior

savour

savour

savor

sceptical

sceptical*, skeptical

skeptical
signallingsignallingsignaling

skilful

skilful*, skillful

skillful, skilful
slipped discslipped discslipped disk

smelt, smelled

smelled

smelled
snorkellingsnorkellingsnorkeling

speciality

specialty*, speciality

specialty
standardise, standardisationstandardize, standardizationstandardize, standardization

sulphur

sulphur*, sulfur

sulfur
theatre

theatre

theater

theatregoer

theatregoer

theatergoer

titbit

tidbit

tidbit
towardstoward*, towardstoward, towards (unusual)

travelling

travelling

traveling, travelling
tumourtumourtumor

tyre

tire

tire
valourvalourvalor
vapourvapourvapor

vice (the device)

vice

vise, vice
vigourvigourvigor
visualise*, visualizevisualizevisualize
wagon*, waggonwagonwagon
woollenwoollen*, woolenwoolen
yogurt*, yoghurt, yoghourtyogourt*, yoghurt, yogurtyogurt*, yoghurt, yoghourt

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