Aeroplane vs Airplane | Difference & Spelling
In American English, the word for a winged airborne vehicle is spelled airplane, while in British English, it is aeroplane. Despite the popularity of the 1980 comedy film Airplane!, the American spelling of this noun has not caught on.
Convenient and relatively cheap aeroplane/airplane flights revolutionized the travel industry in the early 21st century.
Despite paying many multiples of the economy fare, first class aeroplane/airplane passengers still land at the same time as everyone else!
Airplane or aeroplane
You are unlikely to find the British English spelling aeroplane accepted in American English, but the American variant airplane is creeping into British usage. It is still much the safest option to use the spelling that is consistent with the rest of your document. If you are using American spellings (e.g., “recognize,” “color”), then airplane is the correct spelling. Likewise, if you opt for British spellings (e.g., “recognise,” “colour”), then use aeroplane.
Concorde was the fastest passenger aeroplane/airplane ever produced, regularly cruising at over Mach 2.0.
The noise produced by aeroplane/airplane engines, especially during takeoff, is a real problem for those who live near busy airports.
Main differences between American and British English
American and British English are very similar, but there are a few main differences in spelling. Five important differences are:
| Difference | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -or vs -our | In American English, many Latin-derived words end in -or. | Behavior or behaviour Labor or labour Favor or favour Favorite or favourite Color or colour Honor or honour |
| In British English, these same words end in -our. | ||
| -er vs -re | In American English, some French, Latin, or Greek words end in -er. | Theater or theatre Center or centre Meter or metre Liter or litre Saber or sabre Fiber or fibre |
| In British English, these same words end in -re. | ||
| -ize vs -ise | In American English, many Greek-derived words end in -yze or -ize. | Realize or realise Recognize or recognise Analyze or analyse Organize or organise Minimize or minimise Finalize or finalise |
| In British English, these words end in -yse or -ise. | ||
| -ed vs -t | In American English, most verbs are regular and form their past tense with the suffix -ed. | Learned or learnt Burned or burnt Kneeled or knelt Dreamed or dreamt Smelled or smelt Spelled or spelt |
| In British English, some of these verbs are irregular and form their past tense with the suffix -t. | ||
| Single vs double consonant | In American English, many words are spelled with a single consonant. | Modeling or modelling Traveling or travelling Canceled or cancelled Labeled or labelled Buses or busses Focused or focussed |
| In British English, these same words are often spelled with a double consonant. |
Frequently asked questions about aeroplane vs airplane
- Is airplane correct in British English?
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Airplane would be understood by users of British English, but it is likely to be considered an incorrect spelling or an “Americanism.” Although there is no difference in meaning between aeroplane and airplane, you should spell it to remain consistent with the spelling in the rest of your document.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker has selectable regional language options, so you can be sure you have the correct spelling of aeroplane/airplane.
- What is the difference between aircraft and airplane?
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An airplane (in British English, aeroplane) is one type of aircraft. But there are many other types, including helicopters, dirigibles, gliders, and microlights.
So, if you want to talk about flying vehicles in general, you could use aircraft, but for specific cases that are fixed-wing, powered aircraft, use airplane.
