Neighbor or Neighbour | Definition, Spelling & Examples
Neighbor is a noun that refers to a person who lives very near you or a country that adjoins another. It is one of many words ending in “-or” in American English that are spelled differently in British English, where the ending is “-our.” Other examples include color/colour, favor/favour, and honor/honour.
The two spellings are quite distinct and not interchangeable. Neighbor is considered incorrect in British English, as is neighbour in American English.
Loving your neighbor/neighbour is not always that easy!
There was no sign of Mabel, and her next-door neighbor/neighbour hadn’t seen her all week.
Neighbor or neighbour
There is a clear distinction between neighbor and neighbour, and they can only be used in their correct context.
Neighbor is the correct spelling in American English, and in British English, it is neighbour.
Things have not always been peaceful between England and its northern neighbor/neighbour, Scotland.
Like any decent neighbor/neighbour would, Alice cleared old Mrs. Cortez’s pathway of snow every time it needed it.
Main differences between American and British English
American and British English are very similar, but there are a few main differences in spelling. Noah Webster, the first great American lexicographer, wanted to introduce distinctive American spellings, and he wanted them to reflect pronunciation and etymology more than the standard spellings of the time.
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 neighbor or neighbour
- Is it neighborhood or neighbourhood?
-
It depends on where your audience is! In American English, the correct spelling is neighborhood, and in British English, it is neighbourhood.
It is important to maintain consistency with how words are spelled, so if your document uses American English spellings, it should apply to all words.
You can check if you have the correct spelling of neighborhood or neighbourhood with the QuillBot Grammar Checker.
- Is it neighborly or neighbourly?
-
In American English, it is neighborly, and in British English, it is spelled neighbourly.
The two spellings of this adjective are not interchangeable—the American spelling is incorrect in British English and vice versa.
You can ensure you have the proper spelling of neighborly or neighbourly with the QuillBot Grammar Checker.
- How do you spell neighbor?
-
Neighbor is the correct spelling in American English. In British English, it is spelled neighbour. It is one of a number of words ending in “-or” in American English that are spelled “-our” in British English.
Other words include:
- color/colour
- favor/favour
- honor/honour
- behavior/behaviour
- savior/saviour
- armor/armour
You can check if you have the correct spelling of neighbor or neighbour with the QuillBot Grammar Checker.
