Is it thesis defense or defence?

Defence and defense are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.

  • In American English, “defense” is most common, so it’s thesis defense.
  • In British English, “defence” is standard, so it’s thesis defence.

The same difference applies to similar words, such as offence or offense, 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.