BRITISH SPELLING
British and American styles in spelling are steadily coming together. True, a slip of pa-
per mailed from London as a cheque would be received in New York as a check. The sender
would write that it had travelled across the Atlantic; the receiver, that it had traveled. The
Briton would speak of its colour ; the American, of its color. Such are the traditional differ-
ences between British and American styles in spelling.
There was a time, and not many years ago, when a book published in Britain or America
had to be reprinted, one might almost say translated, to have any general sale in the other
country. That was due to the difference in spelling. In British print, for example, the reader
met up with apologise, visualise ; in American usage, words of this class ended in -ize. To-
day, the z forms are practically universal.
Such differences as still exist are of the simplest nature. An Englishman goes to the
theatre. The American, to the theater. One spelling preserves the French original; the other
goes by sound.
In America today there is a swing toward British pronunciations, correcting the speech-
carelessness of earlier times. The radio has played an important part in this change. An-
nouncers, skilled in diction and keen students of its niceties, are influencing popular prac-
tice.
In England, writers, editors, and publishers are adopting more and more American
spellings; the British dictionaries give preferential entry to many.
These two trends promote harmony in usage. They work together for good. They have
made it possible for all the English-speaking peoples to use on dictionary with satisfac-
tion.
In the making of this new dictionary, effort has been made to provide a simplified,
readily usable volume for those who desire (1) to speak the best English, (2) to understand
the printed word, and (3) to write with correct spelling, grammar, and choice of words.
In the subjoined list, Canadian readers will find examples of the principal differences be-
tween the British and American styles of spelling, many of which are included in the vo-
cabulary.
In making the list, it actually proved surprising to find how much searching had to be
done in the great British dictionaries to find more than a bare half-dozen classes of
words in which practice varies.
abridgement colour homoeopath sabre
accoutrements connexion homoeopathy sceptre
acknowledgement councillor honour spectre
aeon cyclopaedia inflexion skilful
aesthetic defence instalment smoulder
aestivate deflexion jeweller splendour
anaemia dolour jewellery theatre
apologise dolourous judgement tiro
apparelled dulness labour travelled
ardour empanel lustre traveller
axe empanelled metre tyre
behaviour encase mould valour
capitalise enrolment odourous vapourous
carburetter favour oecumenical vigour
centre favourite oesophagus vigourous
centred fibre offence visualise
centring fledgeling plough wilful
cheque focalise practise (v.) wilfulness
chequers fulfil pretence
clamour fulfilment pyjamas
clamourous grey quarrelled
The -ise words of this group are given in the traditional Brit. form, with s, but in the
leading British dictionary every one in the list appears with the z spelling.
In the ou, ll, s, and ss words, British tradition still prevails, but indicates change in
process by giving alternative forms, as colo(u)ration and enrol, enroll.
Instalment, skilful, and wilful are given without alternatives, while woolen (one l) is
given, but not woollen. It prefers jeweller and jewellery, but recognizes jewelry as a possibility.
The re form, as in theatre, holds firmly. England still likes the -ge forms, as in abridge-
ment, and the -ou spellings in words like mould. British usage holds to the diphthongs ae
and oe, as in aesthetic and homoeopath, and to such spellings as cheque, grey, inflexion.
Study of this list will demonstrate that the gap between British and American styles of
spelling is narrowing.
met up with apologise, visualise ; in American usage, words of this class ended in -ize. To-
day, the z forms are practically universal.
Such differences as still exist are of the simplest nature. An Englishman goes to the
theatre. The American, to the theater. One spelling preserves the French original; the other
goes by sound.
In America today there is a swing toward British pronunciations, correcting the speech-
carelessness of earlier times. The radio has played an important part in this change. An-
nouncers, skilled in diction and keen students of its niceties, are influencing popular prac-
tice.
In England, writers, editors, and publishers are adopting more and more American
spellings; the British dictionaries give preferential entry to many.
These two trends promote harmony in usage. They work together for good. They have
made it possible for all the English-speaking peoples to use on dictionary with satisfac-
tion.
In the making of this new dictionary, effort has been made to provide a simplified,
readily usable volume for those who desire (1) to speak the best English, (2) to understand
the printed word, and (3) to write with correct spelling, grammar, and choice of words.
In the subjoined list, Canadian readers will find examples of the principal differences be-
tween the British and American styles of spelling, many of which are included in the vo-
cabulary.
In making the list, it actually proved surprising to find how much searching had to be
done in the great British dictionaries to find more than a bare half-dozen classes of
words in which practice varies.
abridgement colour homoeopath sabre
accoutrements connexion homoeopathy sceptre
acknowledgement councillor honour spectre
aeon cyclopaedia inflexion skilful
aesthetic defence instalment smoulder
aestivate deflexion jeweller splendour
anaemia dolour jewellery theatre
apologise dolourous judgement tiro
apparelled dulness labour travelled
ardour empanel lustre traveller
axe empanelled metre tyre
behaviour encase mould valour
capitalise enrolment odourous vapourous
carburetter favour oecumenical vigour
centre favourite oesophagus vigourous
centred fibre offence visualise
centring fledgeling plough wilful
cheque focalise practise (v.) wilfulness
chequers fulfil pretence
clamour fulfilment pyjamas
clamourous grey quarrelled
The -ise words of this group are given in the traditional Brit. form, with s, but in the
leading British dictionary every one in the list appears with the z spelling.
In the ou, ll, s, and ss words, British tradition still prevails, but indicates change in
process by giving alternative forms, as colo(u)ration and enrol, enroll.
Instalment, skilful, and wilful are given without alternatives, while woolen (one l) is
given, but not woollen. It prefers jeweller and jewellery, but recognizes jewelry as a possibility.
The re form, as in theatre, holds firmly. England still likes the -ge forms, as in abridge-
ment, and the -ou spellings in words like mould. British usage holds to the diphthongs ae
and oe, as in aesthetic and homoeopath, and to such spellings as cheque, grey, inflexion.
Study of this list will demonstrate that the gap between British and American styles of
spelling is narrowing.
WEBSTER'S
New AMERICAN
DICTIONARY
COMPLETELY NEW AND UP TO DATE. PLANNED AND
WRITTEN BY MODERN EDUCATORS AND LEXICOGRAPHERS
ESPECIALLY TO SERVE THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
OF SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND SELF-EDUCATION AT HOME
Managing Editor
LEWIS M. ADAMS
Editor-in-chief
EDWARD N. TEALL, A.M.
C. RALPH TAYLOR, A.M.,
Author of Self-Education Department and Associate Editor;
Editor "The Home University Encyclopedia," "New American Encyclopedia,"
author of "Vital English"
Simplified Self-Education Treatises on:
GRAMMAR PUNCTUATION VOCABULARY TESTS
WRITING PRONUNCIATION WORDS MISPRONOUNCED
SPEAKING CAPITALIZATION DANGER FLAGS
Illustrated -- Self-Pronouncing -- Synonyms -- Antonyms
This Dictionary is not published by the original pub-
lishers of Webster's Dictionary, or by their successors
1959
B O O K S, I N C .
NEW YORK
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