English vs. American

No... this isn't a "which one is better" thread. Because obviously American is better. No, seriously, this was inspired by seeing several English dudes complain about Americans spellings and vice-versa. These were the ones I noticed today:

American: realize
English: realise

American: skeptical
English: sceptical

American: color
English: colour

American: gray
English: grey

American: parentheses
English: brackets

So... yeah.

Anybody else want to add more to this list?

American: Honor
English: Honour

American: favorite
English: favourite




I actually tend to role with the English spellings over American, for some unknown reason.

America: Favorite
English: Favourite

Among the others I can't remember.. Talking to Jack almost every day, reading Evelyn Waugh, among the other English things I read though Waugh most recently, exposes me to an overwhelming amount of English fun. Like cockney! Although you could speak that anywhere...Though cockney with an English accent is cooler.

American: color
English: colour

American: neighborhood
English: neighbourhood

American: analyze
English: analyse

Though I can honestly say, I've never seen "advertise" spelled "advertize." It just looks wrong.

I haven't either, Fand. I always see advertise.

*checks dictionary*

Hehehe... Iz iz gud at zpelling!

Still!

American: realize
English: realise

I think Snoink might be a little nutty...

To save us some time, I jumped on google and found this. I don't think it has everything, but it is still neat.

It made me remember one thing that confused me for the longest time, -ed versus -t. Example: I dreamed that... or I dreamt that...

But I tend to go back and forth with that. I say smelt, or burnt, and they all look fine too. I don't think that one is so strict.

Anyway...here's some more..

American: analyze
British: analyse

American: criticize
British: criticise

American: memorize
British: memorise

American: catalog
British: catalogue

American: dialog
British: dialogue

American: encylopedia
British: encyclopaedia

American: medieval
British: mediaeval

American: bank
British: banque

American: check
British: cheque

American: defense
British: defence

American: license
British: licence

American: argument
British: arguement

American: program
British: programme

American: plow
British: plough

American: pajamas
British: pyjamas

American: learned
British: learnt

I still want to know what the British call a sofa.

Hm.

There's not really a difference, except with the "ou"'s, and the "s"'s, but I tend to lean towards "grey". That's about it.

English sounds so much more "civilized" than American. Meep. But that's just me.

Snoink wrote:No... this isn't a "which one is better" thread. Because obviously American is better. No, seriously, this was inspired by seeing several English dudes complain about Americans spellings and vice-versa. These were the ones I noticed today:

American: realize
English: realise

American: skeptical
English: sceptical

American: color
English: colour

American: gray
English: grey

American: parentheses
English: brackets

So... yeah.

Anybody else want to add more to this list?

Hey, I'm American and I use "grey" just because it looks better to me. And parenthesis/brackets don't necessarily mean the same thing. I always think of these () as parenthesis and these [] as brackets. And they're used in totally different context. Except in math.

EDIT:

Oh, by the way, I wouldn't recommend telling an Australian you're "rooting" for them. They might get the wrong idea...

Basically the difference is that in America you spell it how it sounds and in England you spell it how it's spelt if that makes any sense. There are pros and cons of both sides - American spelling is easier for children to learn while, as has been mentioned, a lot of English spelling looks 'neater' or more civilised sort of thing.

Actually 'bank' is the same (sometimes called building society, I think) and we use 'sofa' too.

What about:

American: analog
British: analogue

I still want to know what the British call a sofa.

A sofa is a couch, I use both words interchangeably.

American: parentheses
English: brackets

Not really a rule at all. I use both and so do many people I know.

American: argument
British: arguement

Just ... no. *wonders where this was found* It's always argument.

American: bank
British: banque

What?!?! No, we use bank. Don't believe everything you find on these web pages: actually ask British people. Banque is a french word. We might have used in 1356 ... That website Clau posted is awful for comparisons, it seems to just make up examples. ie. it thinks to learn becomes "leareded" wtf?

What you should probably realise is British English inherits words from American English these days, what with the modern world so globalised -- it's not so clear cut maybe as it used to be.

Anyway, here's some more common ones that are actually real:

American vs. British

The "re" thing -

Center vs. Centre
Meter vs. Meter
Theater vs. Theatre

Math vs. Maths

"ur" thing -

Color vs. Colour
Honor vs. Honour
Armor vs. Armour
Harbor vs. Harbour
Neighbor vs. Neighbour
Humor vs. Humour
Labor vs. Labour

and so forth.

the "se" thing:

Organize vs. Organise
Recognize vs. Recognise
Realize vs. Realise
Colonize vs. Colonise

and so forth.

the "double l" thing -

Modeling vs. Modelling
Quarreled vs. Quarrelled
Traveler vs. Traveller
Counselor vs. Counsellor
Equaling vs. Equalling
Cruelest vs. Cruellest

Switch this round because then randomly there are american words with ll and British words without:

Willful vs. Wilful
Skillful vs. Skilful
Installment vs. Instalment
Fulfill vs. Fulfil

Random common ones, or colloquial differences:

Cozy vs. Cosy
Curb vs. Kerb
Mold vs. Mould
Pajamas vs. Pyjamas
Plow vs. Plough
Skeptical vs. Sceptical
Tire vs. Tyre
Pants vs. Trousers
Diaper vs. Nappy
Sneakers vs. Trainers
Vacation vs. Holiday
Eraser vs. Rubber
Recess vs. Break time
Parking Lot vs. Car Park
Sidewalk vs. Pavement
Dumpster vs. Skip
Candy vs. Sweets

Oops, that went on a bit.

American: medieval
British: mediaeval
That's actually just a personal preference. I don't know where the 'mediaeval' spelling came from, but most people over here don't use it.

American: bank
British: banque

Umm ... I've never seen it spelled that way in my life. Where'd you hear that?

American: argument
British: arguement
We don't spell it with an 'e'--'arguement' is just wrong.

American: program
British: programme
We use both and they actually have different meanings--check a dictionary because it's complicated.


I still want to know what the British call a sofa.

A sofa is either a sofa or a settee

And a biggie is this:

UK: manoeuvre
US: maneuver

It often surprises me how many Americans have absolutely no idea that Brits have different spellings. The amount of times I've been critiqued and some poor soul's gone through and altered all the spellings. >< I've noticed that we get US books over here that aren't changed, but that UK books are all altered for the American market, which I suspect is the reason--Brits are shown the differences from an early age.

hah, Pardon the web site jack! I didn't go through it much (you know my laziness). I was exposed to British spellings from reading, and I don't know if I asked someone or it clicked in my head, "This book is by an English author... oh"

And the whole thing that American English is easier to spell? B/S I say! I can spell now, sure, but thats because after getting the word wrong 1,000 times with spell check, I learned. I spell phonetically, and it does me no good.

On a silly note: I love the word 'cheque' and 'theatre' so much more than the American. (This might be the French student in me...) and Jack, I love those random list of words you gave us! ^_^ 'kerb' looks so cool...