Aluminum vs Aluminium | Spelling & Examples
It is generally the case that in American English, aluminum is the preferred spelling, and in British English (and most variants outside the North American continent), aluminium is favored.
This variation in spelling is perhaps one of the more striking differences between American English and British English. After all, this isn’t just a case of a verb ending but the actual name of one of the most widely used metals in the modern world.
The explanation of how we ended up with both aluminum and aluminium is quite complex. But the answer to how it is spelled is easy: in almost every situation, you are free to spell it either way, though aluminum is more common in American English and aluminium in British English.
Aluminum or Aluminium
Even though both the American English aluminum (pronounced [uh-loo-muh-nuhm]) and the British English aluminium (pronounced [al-uh-min-ee-um]) are acceptable spellings of the metal, it is best to use the preferred geographical variant for your audience. Whichever you choose, it is also important to be consistent and to check if your institution’s style guide requires a particular spelling (e.g., the APA Publication Manual requires the American spelling, aluminum).
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.
In British English, these same words end in -our. |
Behavior or behaviour Labor or labour Favor or favour Favorite or favourite Color or colour Honor or honour |
-er vs -re | In American English, some French, Latin, or Greek words end in -er.
In British English, these same words end in -re. |
Theater or theatre Center or centre Meter or metre Liter or litre Saber or sabre Fiber or fibre |
-ize vs -ise | In American English, many Greek-derived words end in -yze or -ize.
In British English, these words end in -yse or -ise. |
Realize or realise Recognize or recognise Analyze or analyse Organisation or organization Minimize or minimise Finalize or finalise |
-ed vs -t | In American English, most verbs are regular and form their past tense with the suffix -ed.
In British English, some of these verbs are irregular and form their past tense with the suffix -t |
Learned or learnt Burned or burnt Kneeled or knelt Dreamed or dreamt Smelled or smelt Spelled or spelt |
Single vs double consonant | In American English, many words are spelled with a single consonant.
In British English, these same words are spelled with a double consonant. |
Modeling or modelling Traveling or travelling Canceled or cancelled Labeled or labelled Buses or busses Focused or focussed |
Frequently asked questions about aluminum or aluminium
- Is aluminum the correct spelling in British English?
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Aluminum is recognized as a variant spelling of the more common aluminium in British English.
Although it can be spelled either way, it’s usually wisest to use the preferred geographical spelling for your audience. And remember to use the spelling required by your institution’s style guide.
For instance, the APA Publication Manual requires aluminum, except when quoting a source text, whereas the Chicago Manual of Style recommends spelling according to whether you are following American English or British English spellings.
With the QuillBot Grammar Checker, you can select your language region preferences, so you can ensure that you have the correct spelling of aluminum or aluminium.
- Is aluminium the correct spelling in American English?
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Although aluminium is recognized in dictionaries as a variant spelling of aluminum, some style guides (e.g., APA) require the more common American English spelling, aluminum.
Generally, aluminum is the standard spelling in North America, while aluminium is prevalent in the rest of the English-speaking world.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker lets you select your language region so you can check if you have the correct spelling of aluminum or aluminium.