This list is very much a work-in-progress. If you find any inaccuracies, or can think of any words or spellings that I have omitted, please email me at teacherkarenb @ hotmail.com. If you are looking for a specific word in Canadian or American English, please go to Edit, then Find.
Canadian English generally follows British spelling, but often the American alternative is possible too. The most commonly used spelling, where applicable, is marked with an asterisk (*). Australian English also generally follows the British tradition.
 |  |  |
British | Canadian | American |
acknowledgement | acknowledgement*, acknowledgment | acknowledgment, acknowledgement |
ageing, aging | aging*, ageing* | aging |
aeroplane | airplane | airplane |
aesthetics | aesthetics | aesthetics, esthetics |
aluminium | aluminum | aluminum |
| among, amongst | among*, amongst | among |
| amortise | amortize | amortize |
| anaemia | anemia | anemia |
anaesthesia | anaesthesia*, anesthesia | anesthesia |
| analogue | analogue | analogue, analog |
| analyse | analyze*, analyse | analyze |
| annex, annexe | annex | annex |
| apnoea | apnea | apnea |
apologise*, apologize | apologize | apologize |
archaeology | archaeology*, archeology | archaeology, archeology |
| armour | armour*, armor | armor |
| artefact | artifact | artifact |
| authorise*, authorize | authorize | authorize |
axe | axe | ax, axe |
| balk*, baulk | balk | balk |
| banister*, bannister | banister*, bannister | banister |
| behaviour | behaviour | behavior |
| behove | behoove | behoove |
| blonde (for female) | blonde*, blond* | blond, blonde |
| B.Sc. | B.Sc. | B.S. |
| burette | burette*, buret | buret, burette |
burnt, burned | burned*, burnt* | burned, burnt |
| bussed, bussing | bused, busing | bused, busing |
| Caesarean | Caesarian*, Cesarean, Cesarian | Cesarean, Caesarean |
| calibre | calibre | caliber |
cancelled | cancelled | canceled, cancelled |
| candour | candour | candor |
| capitalise | capitalize | capitalize |
| carburettor | carburetor*, carburettor | carburetor |
catalogue | catalogue | catalog(ue) |
| catalyse | catalyze*, catalyse | catalyze |
centre | centre | center |
cheque (noun, money) | cheque | check |
chequered | checkered | checkered |
| chilli*, chili | chili | chili |
| cigarette | cigarette | cigarette, cigaret |
| clamour | clamour | clamor |
| collectable *, collectible | collectible | collectible |
colour | colour*, color | color |
| connection*, connexion | connection | connection |
| convenor | convenor | convener |
cosy | cozy | cozy |
counsellor | counsellor*, counselor | counselor |
criticise*, criticize | criticize | criticize |
| curb (verb) | curb | curb |
| customize, customise | customize | customize |
| demeanour | demeanour | demeanor |
| dependant (a person who relies on another person, especially for financial support) | dependant | dependent |
defence | defence*, defense | defense |
| dialling, dialled | dialing, dialed; dialling, dialled | dialing, dialed |
dialogue | dialogue | dialog(ue) |
diarrhoea | diarrhea | diarrhea |
| dietician*, dietitian | dietitian*, dietician | dietitian*, dietician, |
| dispatch*, despatch | dispatch | dispatch |
doughnut | doughnut, donut | donut, doughnut |
Dr (A contracted form of a word, ending with the same letter as the full form, is not followed by a full stop). | Dr. | Dr. |
draught (current of air) | draft | draft |
dreamt, dreamed | dreamt*, dreamed* | dreamed, dreamt |
emphasise | emphasize | emphasize |
| encyclopedia*, encyclopædia | encyclopedia | encyclopedia |
| endeavour | endeavour | endeavor |
enquiry*, inquiry | inquiry*, enquiry | inquiry |
enrol | enrol | enroll |
favour | favour | favor |
| favourite | favourite | favorite |
fibre | fibre | fiber |
| fibre optics | fiber optics, fibre optics (used by the Canadian government only) | fiber optics |
| finalize, finalise | finalize | finalize |
flautist | flutist*, flautist | flutist |
flavour | flavour | flavor |
| focused, focusing or focussed, focussing | focused, focusing or focussed, focussing | focused, focusing |
| foetus*, fetus | fetus | fetus |
| forever*, for ever | forever | forever |
| fuelling | fuelling | fueling |
fulfil | fulfil | fulfill, fulfil |
| galvanise | galvanize | galvanize |
| gaol (old fashioned), jail* | jail | jail |
| gauge | gauge | gauge, gage |
| gemmology | gemmology | gemology |
| generalise | generalize | generalize |
glamour | glamour | glamour, glamor |
| gonorrhoea | gonorrhea | gonorrhea |
grey | grey | gray |
| gynaecology | gynecology*, gynaecology | gynecology |
haemorrhage | hemorrhage | hemorrhage |
harbour | harbour | harbor |
| harmonise*, harmonize | harmonize | harmonize |
haulier | hauler | hauler |
| homeopathy*, homoeopathy | homeopathy | homeopathy |
honour | honour | honor |
| humour | humour | humor |
| initialise | initialize | initialize |
| instalment | instalment*, installment | installment |
| jail*, gaol (old fashioned) | jail | jail |
jewellery | jewellery*, jewelry | jewelry |
judgment*, judgement | judgment*, judgement | judgment |
kerb (noun) | curb | curb |
| kilometre | kilometre | kilometer |
| label, labelled, labelling | label, labelled, labelling | label, labeled, labeling |
labour | labour | labor |
| lasagne | lasagna | lasagna |
leant, leaned | leaned | leaned |
learnt, learned | learned*, learnt* | learned |
| licence (noun) | licence | license |
| license (verb) | license*, licence | license |
litre | litre | liter |
| lustre | lustre | luster |
manoeuvre | manoeuvre*, maneuver | maneuver |
| marvellous | marvellous | marvelous |
| maximise*, maximize | maximize | maximize |
| meagre | meagre | meager |
metre (unit of length) | metre | meter |
| modelled | modelled | modeled |
| modelling | modelling | modeling |
mould | mould | mold |
| moustache | moustache*, mustache | mustache, moustache |
| mum, mummy | mum, mummy*, mom, mommy | mom, mommy |
neighbour | neighbour | neighbor |
| net, nett (amount of money) | net | net |
| ochre | ochre | ocher |
| odour | odour*, odor | odor |
| oedema, edema | edema | edema |
| oesophagus*, esophagus | esophagus | esophagus |
| oestrogen*, estrogen | estrogen | estrogen |
offence | offence*, offense | offense |
omelette | omelette*, omelet | omelet, omelette |
organisation*, organization | organization | organization |
| organise | organize | organize |
| optimise*, optimize | optimize | optimize |
| orientate | orient | orient |
| orientated | oriented | oriented |
| orthopaedic | orthopaedic*, orthopedic | orthopedic |
| pædiatrics | pediatrics | pediatrics |
| paedophile*, pedophile | pedophile | pedophile |
| paralyse | paralyze*, paralyse | paralyze |
parlour | parlour | parlor |
parallelling, parallelled | paralleling, paralleled | paralleling, paralleled |
peddler*, pedlar | peddler*, pedlar | peddler |
| penalise, penalisation | penalize, penalization | penalize, penalization |
pleaded | pleaded | pleaded, pled |
plough | plow*, plough | plow |
practise (verb) | practise*, practice | practice |
practice (noun) | practice | practice |
pretence | pretense*, pretence | pretense |
programme (TV), program (computer) | program*, programme | program |
pyjamas | pyjamas | pajamas |
| rancour | rancour | rancor |
realise*, realize | realize | realize |
| recognise*, recognize | recognize | recognize |
| rigour | rigour | rigor |
| rumour | rumour | rumor |
| sabre | sabre | saber |
| saleable | saleable | saleable, salable |
| saviour | saviour | savior |
savour | savour | savor |
sceptical | sceptical*, skeptical | skeptical |
| signalling | signalling | signaling |
skilful | skilful*, skillful | skillful, skilful |
| slipped disc | slipped disc | slipped disk |
smelt, smelled | smelled | smelled |
| snorkelling | snorkelling | snorkeling |
speciality | specialty*, speciality | specialty |
| standardise, standardisation | standardize, standardization | standardize, standardization |
sulphur | sulphur*, sulfur | sulfur |
theatre | theatre | theater |
theatregoer | theatregoer | theatergoer |
titbit | tidbit | tidbit |
| towards | toward*, towards | toward, towards (unusual) |
travelling | travelling | traveling, travelling |
| tumour | tumour | tumor |
tyre | tire | tire |
| valour | valour | valor |
| vapour | vapour | vapor |
vice (the device) | vice | vise, vice |
| vigour | vigour | vigor |
| visualise*, visualize | visualize | visualize |
| wagon*, waggon | wagon | wagon |
| woollen | woollen*, woolen | woolen |
| yogurt*, yoghurt, yoghourt | yogourt*, yoghurt, yogurt | yogurt*, yoghurt, yoghourt |
Please feel free to email me at teacherkarenb @ hotmail.com with any comments or queries.
©Karen Bond 2001-2009. All rights reserved.
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