Skeptical or Sceptical | Spelling, Definition & Examples
In American English, the correct spelling of the adjective is skeptical. In British English, there is no dominant spelling, although sceptical is probably more widely used in academic writing.
Although I was deeply skeptical/sceptical about it, the collagen drink had a near-miraculous impact on my arthritis.
It doesn’t pay to be too skeptical/sceptical, because it can suck all the joy out of your life.
Skeptical or sceptical
Skeptical/sceptical is an adjective that means you have a healthy distrust of information that is presented to you. Its antonym could be considered to be “gullible.” In American English, it is spelled skeptical. In British English, both spellings are equally common, but sceptical is more favored in academic texts.
It’s a small but very significant difference between being skeptical/sceptical and becoming cynical.
James had heard the excuses and promises before, and he was skeptical/sceptical that this time would be any different.
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 often spelled with a double consonant. |
Frequently asked questions about skeptical or sceptical
- How do I use skeptical in a sentence?
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You can use skeptical in a sentence to mean someone has a healthy distrust of what they hear or read. Some examples include:
- In the age of AI-generated text and images, we need to train our children to be more skeptical about what they read.
- Being skeptical about things that seem too good to be true is perfectly fine.
- Don’t let skeptical friends discourage you as you push toward your dream.
In British English, you can choose between skeptical and sceptical, as both spellings are permitted.
The QuillBot Paraphrasing Tool helps you to find new ways of expressing your ideas without repeating yourself.
- Is it skeptic or sceptic?
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In American English, skeptic is the correct spelling. In British English, you can spell it either skeptic or sceptic, although the latter is more favored in academic writing.
You can use the selectable language variants in the QuillBot Grammar Checker to make sure you have the correct spelling of skeptic or sceptic.
