Is It Labor or Labour? | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
- In American English, “labor” is correct.
- In British English, “labour” is standard.
A week's labor/labour should be enough to finish up the renovation.
Maddie knew she was in labor/labour when the contractions began to speed up.
Cleo and I labored/laboured to fix the broken wall.
Stop laboring/labouring the point! You're driving me crazy!
Labored and laboring vs laboured and labouring
- In American English, "labored" and "laboring" are correct.
- In British English, “laboured" and "labouring” are standard.
Are you feeling all right? You're breathing seems labored/laboured.
I've been laboring/labouring for forty hours and the baby still isn't born.
Exception 1: Labor or Labour Party
- If you’re referring to the British Labour Party, the correct spelling is Labour (with a “u”).
- If you’re referring to the Australian Labor Party, the correct spelling is Labor (no “u”). This is unusual because the word is normally spelled “labour” in Australian English, but it’s the official name used by the party and should be written that way.
UK: Did you vote Labour this year?
Australia: Did you vote Labor this year?
Exception 2: Laborious
My dad gave a laborious speech after I came home two hours late.
Matt laboriously transcribed the handwritten manuscript into a digital format.
Main differences between American and British English
Recommended language articles
Frequently asked questions about labor or labour
Is it child labour or labor?
Labor and labour are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you write “child labor.”
- In British English, you write “child labour.”
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behaviour or behavior,” “honor or honour,” “color or colour,” “favorite or favourite,” “favor or favour,” and “humor or humour.”
It's important to choose one type of English and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Is it Labour Day or Labor Day?
Labor and labour are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, “Labor Day” is correct.
- In British English, “Labour Day” is standard.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behaviour or behavior,” “honor or honour,” “color or colour,” “favorite or favourite,” “favor or favour,” and “humor or humour.”
It's important to choose one type of English and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
Is it manual labour or manual labor?
Labor and labour are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, “manual labor” is standard.
- In British English, “manual labour” is correct.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behaviour or behavior,” “honor or honour,” “color or colour,” “favorite or favourite,” “favor or favour,” and “humor or humour.”
It's important to choose one type of English and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.