Archive for the ‘spellchecker’ tag
American Versus British Spelling
American English is the mainstay of the United States. It is used throughout the U.S. in newspapers and printing and known by the abbreviation as AmE. In the United Kingdom, British English is used throughout England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. British English and American English are actually dialects of the English language that was brought to America by the British colonists as far back as 1607 in Jamestown.
When writing an article in America or in the United Kingdom, one must be aware of the differences in certain words and how they are used in a sentence. A spell check tool is a good help when using British English or American English, but one must differentiate between the two when searching the internet for spellchecking assistance. When writing in British English versus American English some words mean different things and usage in a sentence can leave questions for the reader.
Commonly used words that mean different things in American and British English:
American ~ British
apartment ~ flat
argument ~ row
baby carriage ~ pram
can ~ tin
chopped beef ~ mince
cookie ~ biscuit
corn ~ maize
gasoline ~ petrol
jello ~ jelly
jelly ~ jam
lawyer ~ solicitor
movie theater ~ cinema
napkin ~ serviette
pacifier ~ dummy
sausage ~ banger
truck ~ lorry
vacation ~ holiday
These words are just a sampling of some words in American English that mean one thing and in British English mean another or are words that do not even exist in the opposite language.
The above words have different uses in American English versus British English, but what about similar words that are spelled a slight bit differently. Here is a sampling of some familiar words that are pronounced the same but the spelling is different where American English is spoken and written versus British English.
American ~ British
color ~ colour
favorite ~ favourite
honor ~ honour
skillful ~ skilful
bank ~ banque
check ~ cheque
checker ~ chequer
analog ~ analogue
catalog ~ catalogue
license ~ licence
analyze ~ analyse
memorize ~ memorise
center ~ centre
theater ~ theatre
encyclopedia ~ encyclopaedia
maneuver ~ manoeuvre
aging ~ ageing
judgment ~ judgement
jewelry ~ jewellery
draft ~ draught
program ~ programme
tire ~ tyre
dreamed ~ dreamt
learned ~ learnt
As you can readily see; if you use American English, the British English versions seem incorrect and vice versa. But this is why it is imperative when using a spell check tool or performing any spellcheck operation, we must be sure that we are using the proper spellchecking program for the country for which we are writing. Improper spelling is the one thing that can detract from a great article or resume and turn them from your treasure to trash.