Is It Judgment or Judgement? | Spelling & Examples
Judgment and judgement are two ways of spelling the same noun, which means “opinion,” “the act of forming an opinion,” or “the ability to form an opinion.”
The spelling depends on whether you use British English or American English.
- In American English, “judgment” (with no “e”) is the only correct spelling.
- In British English, “judgement” (with an “e”) is the standard spelling, but “judgment” is used instead in legal contexts.
It’s important to choose one spelling and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
I don’t want to make a hasty judgment/judgement of someone’s parenting style.
We would have expected better judgment/judgement from you, Latifa.
Against my better judgment or judgement
The phrase against my better judgment or judgement is used to state that something you did wasn’t smart or wasn’t in line with your principles. The phrase can also be modified to refer to other people (e.g., “her better judgment”). The same spelling difference applies.
- In American English, “against my better judgment” (with no “e”) is correct.
- In British English, “against my better judgement” (with an “e”) is standard.
Against my better judgment/judgement, I lent him my car.
Sam started dating her again, against her better judgment/judgement.
Exception (British English): Judgment in legal contexts
Judgement is the standard spelling in British English, but in legal contexts, judgment (with no “e”) is used (i.e., to refer to the decision of a court or judge). This is recommended by style authorities such as Oxford style.
In American English, the latter spelling is always used, so no distinction is made between legal contexts and other uses.
The appellate court’s judgment overturned the previous ruling.
A judgment in a civil case may result in financial compensation for the injured party.
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 |
Other interesting articles
If you want to know more about job applications, research, or idioms, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Job applications
Research
Frequently asked questions about judgment or judgement
- Is it judgement or judgment in AP style?
-
Judgment and judgement are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you use “judgment” (with no “e”).
- In British English, you use “judgement” (with an “e”).
AP style follows American English guidelines, so judgment (without an “e”) is correct.
It’s important touse one spelling consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
- Is it judgement-free or judgment-free?
-
Judgment and judgement are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you use “judgment” (no “e”), so judgment-free is correct.
- In British English, you use “judgement” (with an “e”), so judgement-free is correct.
It’s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
