American and British Spelling

Your friend from London asks you to put the shopping bags in the boot of the car. Which American English word means the same as boot in this context?

• trunk

• hood

• glove compartment

• backseat

Answer explanation

In British English, the storage area at the back of a car is called the 'boot'. In American English, it is called the 'trunk'.

Sort these words by their common spelling variant: American English or British English.

Groups:

(a) American English

,

(b) British English

• analyze

• centre

• theatre

• color

• defense

• organise

Answer explanation

'Color' (-or), 'analyze' (-yze), and 'defense' (-ense) are American spellings. 'Theatre' (-re), 'organise' (-ise), and 'centre' (-re) are British spellings.

A British cookbook might instruct a baker to add vanilla extract to enhance the cake's ______. Which word correctly completes the sentence using standard British English spelling?

• flavor

• flavour

• flavar

• flayvor

Answer explanation

British English often uses the '-our' ending for words that end in '-or' in American English. Therefore, 'flavour' is the correct British spelling to use in this context.

Match each American English spelling to its British English equivalent.

• grey

• tire

• programme

• gray

• cheque

• check

• tyre

• program

Answer explanation

These pairs show common spelling differences: gray/grey, tire/tyre (for a wheel), check/cheque (for money), and program/programme.

If you were writing an essay for a history class in the United States, which sentence uses the correct spelling?

• The army's defence of the fort was heroic.

• The army's defense of the fort was heroic.

• The army's defents of the fort was heroic.

• The army's defance of the fort was heroic.

Answer explanation

In American English, the correct spelling is 'defense' (with an 's'). The spelling 'defence' (with a 'c') is used in British English.

Read the sentence: "After the film, we went to the shopping centre to buy some new pyjamas." Based on the spellings, where is the writer most likely from?

• The United States

• The United Kingdom

• Mexico

• Japan

Answer explanation

The spellings 'centre' (instead of 'center') and 'pyjamas' (instead of 'pajamas') are characteristic of British English.

Sort these verbs into two groups based on their typical spelling: American English (-ize) or British English (-ise).

Groups:

(a) American English (-ize)

,

(b) British English (-ise)

• realize

• apologise

• criticise

• organize

Answer explanation

American English typically uses the '-ize' suffix for these verbs, while British English often uses '-ise'.

Read the sentence: "The British pilot prepared the *aeroplane* for takeoff." How would the italicized word be spelled in a story written for an American audience?

• airplane

• airoplane

• aeroplan

• air-plane

Answer explanation

American English simplifies the 'ae' diphthong found in the British spelling 'aeroplane' to just 'a', resulting in 'airplane'.

Match each American English vocabulary word to its common British English equivalent.

• flat

• vacation

• biscuit

• cookie

• petrol

• apartment

• holiday

• gas

Answer explanation

These pairs show common vocabulary differences: apartment/flat, vacation/holiday, cookie/biscuit, and gas/petrol (for a car).

Your cousin from Manchester wrote: "I need to practise my guitar solo." To adapt this for an American audience, how should 'practise' be spelled?

• practice

• practiss

• practize

• practis

Answer explanation

In British English, 'practise' is the verb and 'practice' is the noun. In American English, 'practice' is used for both the verb and the noun.