Spelling Variations in the English-Speaking World
In a comment on another blog, someone wrote the word “faeces” and another person asked if the first person had meant “feces.” This query brings up an interesting dilemma among those who write internationally: how to handle the incredibly different spelling rules for various English-speaking countries. I’m going to look specifically at Great Britain and America, as I am most familiar with the differences between these two countries’ spelling rules.
I hate to say it, but we Americans tend to over-simplify spellings. The British, by keeping “unnecessary” letters, tend to make analysis of words much easier. Take the “faeces/feces” query mentioned above.
In Britain, the rule has been that any word deriving from Latin and including the ligature “ae” should be spelled with the “ae,” even when the letters are pronounced with the long /e/ sound. In America, the spelling rule has evolved to the point that the silent “a” is usually dropped. Thus, the following words:
- faeces, feces
- anaesthetic, anesthetic
- aesthetic, esthetic
- Aetna, Etna
The only problem with this change of spelling is that it obscures the roots of the words, and, in fact, can even lead to mispronunciation.
Another difference between British and American spellings is the ubiquitous “U” debate. Americans drop the useless “u,” while the Brits keep it in. Thus, the following:
- honour, honor
- colour, color
- neighbour, neighbor
- rumour, rumor
- armour, armor
There’s no real problem here, unless you are unfortunate enough to learn the British spellings as “right” and then find yourself working for an American who thinks they are “wrong,” or worse, “pretentious.”
Finally, another familiar difference, the “er” or “re” ending debate. Americans tend to end words with the spelling “er,” but the British retain the “re” as correct. Thus:
- theatre, theater
- centre, center
Again, the only problem is when you are trained one way, but find yourself required to use the other.
The best rule for the writer is to use your native land’s spelling, unless you know that the majority of your audience is going to be from the opposite side of the fence.