1. Spelling of words ending in "our" in British English are "or" in American English. A representative list of such words is:

British
American
 
British
American
 
British
American
 
British
American

arbour
arbor
 
armour
armor
 
candour
candor
 
colour
color

ardour
ardor
 
clamour
clamor
 
enamour
enamor
 
behaviour
behavior

favour
favor
 
fervour
fervor
 
flavour
flavor
 
fervour
fervor

harbour
harbor
 
honour
honor
 
humour
humor
 
labour
labor

odour
odor
 
parlour
parlor
 
rancour
rancor
 
rumour
rumor

tumour
tumor
 
valour
valor







2. Many American words ending in "or" also end in "or" in British English. Some examples of this are:

actor
anchor
captor
censor
debtor
decor
donor

error
factor
jailor
manor
minor
pallor
pastor

razor
sector
terror
tremor
tutor
victor
visitor


3. The spelling of some American words ending in "er" such as center are spelled with "re" such as "centre." Some examples of this are:

British
American
 
British
American
 
British
American
 
British
American

fibre
fiber
 
centre
center
 
theatre
theater
 
calibre
caliber

metre
meter
 
louvre
louver
 
lustre
luster
 
litre
liter

sabre
saber










4. But beware of some French words that end in "re" that are the same in both British and American English. Some examples of these are:

genre
Notre
Entrée
émigré
cadre
lucre

5. Also beware of some Spanish words such as "hombre" and "padre" which are also exceptions to the rule. 6. The French word "cadre" requires special attention. It is a word that means the nucleus of a group that is intended to form a larger group. For many years the Chinese have pronounced it a "cotter." It is correctly pronounced as "ka dray." 7. One word that deletes the "o" and changes and the "re" is "manoeuvre" in British English and "maneuver" in American English.

American and British English Differences -- Page 3

8. Some other spelling differences are as follows:

British
American

British
American

British
American

British
American

cheque
check

plough
plow

storey
story

behove
behoove


9. The use of articles is different in the two languages. The American rules for the use of the articles "a," "an" and "the" and British English is somewhat different and allows the following "The man went to hospital to see nurse." American English would require the following "The man went to a/the hospital to see a/the nurse." The choice of "a" and "the" would depend on whether he wanted to see a particular nurse at a particular hospital or any nurse at any hospital.

10. Many British words ending in "ize" also appear as ending as "ise." Both are accepted as correct in British English while the "ize" is only acceptable in American English. A small representative sample is shown below. I have only included a small sample starting with the letters "a" through "g."

apologize
atomize
authorize
barbarize
bastardize
brutalize
cannibalize
canonize
capitalize

carbonize
categorize
cauterize
centralize
characterize
civilize
collectivize
colonize
conceptualize

containerize
emphasize
epitomize
equalize
familiarize
finalize
formalize
fossilize
galvanize


11. British English has some vocabulary differences from American English. Some representative examples are:

British
American
British
American
British
American
British
American
British
American

lorry
truck
lift
elevator
biscuit
cookie
petrol
gasoline
flat
apartment

post
mail
ring
call
packet
present
pillion
seat
crisp
potato chip

holiday
vacation
hired
rented
waggon
wagon
aeroplane
airplane
chaff
tease

billy
tin pan
barrister
lawyer
bonnet
hood
football
soccer
handbarrow
wheelbarrow

reck
care
pub
bar
nil
nothing
tyre
tire
snigger
snicker