Is It Labor or Labour? | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
Labor and labour are two ways of spelling the same noun, which refers to (physical) work or the process of giving birth. It can also be used as a verb meaning “make a great effort” or “endlessly discuss something.” The spelling depends on the type of English you use.
- In American English, “labor” is correct.
- In British English, “labour” is standard.
It’s important to choose one spelling and use it consistently. A QuillBot grammar check can help you with this.
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!
Labor or labour is often preceded by an adjective (e.g., “manual labor/labour,” “hard labor/labour”).
Labored and laboring vs laboured and labouring
The same spelling difference applies to related forms of the word, such as the simple past tense or adjective labored or laboured and the present participle laboring or labouring.
- In American English, “labored” and “laboring” are correct.
- In British English, “laboured” and “labouring” are standard.
I’ve been laboring/labouring for forty hours and the baby still isn’t born.
Exception 1: Labor or Labour Party
In cases where labor or labour is used as part of the name of a political party or other organization, it functions as a proper noun, which means that, whatever variant of English you’re writing in, you should use the spelling that is used by the party itself.
- 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.
Australia: Did you vote Labor this year?
Exception 2: Laborious
Although labour is the correct spelling in British English, the related adjective laborious (not “labourious”) is the only correct form for both American and British English. This also applies to the adverb laboriously. They mean “tedious” and “in a way that takes a lot of effort.”
Matt laboriously transcribed the handwritten manuscript into a digital format.
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 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.”
QuillBot’s grammar check tool can help ensure you’re using “Labor Day” or “Labour Day” consistently.
- 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.”
A QuillBot grammar check can help ensure you’re using one type of English consistently.