Offence and offense are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In British English, “offence” is the usual spelling, so it’s first offence.
- In American English, “offense” is standard, so it’s first offense.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as defence or defense, licence or license, and pretence or pretense.
It’s important to choose one spelling and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Continue reading: Is it first offence or first offense?
Offence and offense are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In British English, “offence” is the normal spelling, so it’s take offence.
- In American English, “offense” is standard, so it’s take offense.
The same distinction applies to similar words, such as defence or defense, licence or license, and pretence or pretense.
It’s important to choose one spelling and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Continue reading: Is it take offense or take offence?
Realise and realize are two spellings of the same verb. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In British English, you use “realise.”
- In American English, you use “realize.”
Canadian English usually follows the UK guidelines for spelling, but for words ending in -ize or -yze, it follows American guidelines. This means realize is standard.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as recognize or recognise, analyze or analyse, finalize or finalise, minimize or minimise, and organize or organise.
It’s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Continue reading: Is it realise or realize in Canada?
Realise and realize are two spellings of the same verb. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In British English, you use “realise.”
- In American English, you use “realize.”
Indian English generally follows the UK guidelines for spelling, so realise is standard.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as recognize or recognise, analyze or analyse, finalize or finalise, minimize or minimise, and organize or organise.
It’s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Continue reading: Is it realise or realize in India?
American English is used in the US, while British English is used in the UK. The main differences between American English and British English relate to:
- Spelling (e.g., “defense or defence,” “fulfil or fulfill,” “favorite or favourite”)
- Punctuation (e.g., use of the Oxford comma, use of dashes)
- Grammar (e.g., use of plural or singular verbs with collective nouns)
- Word choice (e.g., “elevator or lift,” “period or full stop”)
There are also many differences in pronunciation and colloquial language that are not relevant in the context of formal writing.
Continue reading: What is the difference between American English and British English?
Spelling in English was not standardized before the 18th century, meaning that many words had several different spellings. In 1755, Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language was published in the UK, standardizing spellings for the first time.
Meanwhile, Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language (the ancestor of Merriam-Webster) appeared in 1828 in the US. Webster disagreed with Johnson on various points of spelling, and Webster’s dictionary, not Johnson’s, was adopted as a guide to standard spelling for American English.
Neither Johnson nor Webster invented the spellings they recommended for British and American English; rather, they looked at the spellings that were in common use at the time and made decisions about which ones they regarded as most widespread and reasonable.
Different national variants of a language tend to develop differences because they evolve in isolation from each other over time. With modern globalization and American cultural influence, these differences are becoming smaller, although they still exist.
Continue reading: Why is American English different from British English?
Dreamed and dreamt are two spellings of the same verb. They’re both common, depending on the variant of English:
- Dreamed up is more common in American English.
- Dreamt up is more common in British English.
In both cases, the other variant of this past-tense verb is also considered acceptable. It’s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Continue reading: It is daydreamed or daydreamt?
Dreamed and dreamt are two spellings of the same verb. They’re both common, but dreamt is more common in British English (whereas dreamed is more common in American English).
It’s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Continue reading: Is it dreamed or dreamt in British English?
Dreamed and dreamt are two spellings of the same verb. They’re both common, depending on the variant of English:
- Dreamed is more common in American English.
- Dreamt is more common in British English.
In both cases, the other variant of this past-tense verb is also considered acceptable. It’s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Continue reading: Is it I dreamed or I dreamt?
Humor and humour are two spellings of the same noun or verb. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you use “humor.”
- In British English, you use “humour.”
Australian English mostly follows British English guidelines, so humour is correct.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behavior or behaviour,” “labor or labour,” “favor or favour,” “favorite or favourite,” “color or colour,” and “honor or honour.”
It’s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Continue reading: Is it humor or humour in Australia?
