Jewelry or Jewellery | Spelling & Explanation

The noun that describes all manner of bracelets, broaches, and rings is spelled either jewelry or jewellery depending on the regional variation of English that you are using.

In American English, the correct spelling is jewelry, and in British English, it’s jewellery. People sometimes spell it “jewelery,” but this spelling isn’t commonly used in American or British English.

Jewelry or jewellery in a sentence examples
Sometimes, when chosen carefully, the simplest piece of jewelry/jewellery can have the most dramatic impact.

My friend Alya has turned making jewelry/jewellery from a hobby into a thriving business.

The Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, England, is the largest concentration of jewelry/jewellery businesses in Europe.

Jewelry or jewellery

The spelling of jewelry or jewellery is generally a simple question of geography between American English and British English. The exception is with Canada, where both spellings are permitted, but jewellery is more common.

In all cases, there is only a single “l” in the word “jewel.” The region also determines the related spelling of “jeweled/jewelled,” “bejeweled/bejewelled,” and “jeweler/jeweller.”

Jewelry or jewellery in a sentence examples
It can be difficult buying jewelry/jewellery for someone, but get it right, and it’s a present that lasts for their lifetime.

The jewelry/jewellery my mom inherited from her mother was as valuable as it was ugly, so she sold it.

I wear no jewelry/jewellery except my wedding ring and my silver wedding anniversary ring.

Note
In both American English and British English, the standard pronunciation is [joo-uhl-ree]. However, in the US (and to a lesser extent the UK) you will also hear [joo-luh-ree] which is one of the reasons the spelling can be problematic.

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 spelled with a double consonant.

Frequently asked questions about jewelry or jewellery

How do you spell jeweler?

How you spell “jeweler” depends on whether you are writing in American English or British English. In American English, the noun for the craftsperson who works with or sells necklaces, rings, and bracelets is jeweler. In British English, it is spelled jeweller. The same regional difference applies to jewelry or jewellery.

You can choose your language region in the QuillBot Grammar Checker to make sure you are spelling jeweler or jeweller correctly.

Is it jeweler or jeweller?

In American English, it is jeweler, and in British English, it’s jeweller. In both cases, the noun refers to a craftsperson who makes jewelry or jewellery or a shop where such items are sold.

The QuillBot Grammar Checker lets you select regional language settings to make sure you have spelled jeweler or jeweller correctly.

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Trevor Marshall, MSc

Trevor has a BA in English Literature & Language and an MSc in Applied Social Studies. He has been a teacher for 25 years, with 15 years experience teaching ESL alongside 1st language students.