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Language instructions
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The used language in Design inSite is British English.
Very often confusion in spelling rules and terms is due to the strong influence of American English.
In order to avoid confusion and allow not native English to be coherent with the language chosen, here follows a list of differences between American and British English, as well as a link to an on-line American-British / British-American dictionary.
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General
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Many spelling differences are the result of simplifying obsolete spellings that often come from other languages, such as French, Latin or Greek.
The following rules and examples give only an idea of the directions of these changes. Sometimes both American and British maintain the same spelling, or the direction might be the opposite of the shown; but these are exceptional cases.
Examples of these cases are (only one word indicates that the spelling is the same; two words, the first refers to American, the second to British): aesthetic; knelt and learned; gypsy; siphon; tyro and tiro; sepulchre; bolt; kilogram, programmer; dialogue; emphasize, finalize, normalize, surprise; practice and practise; install; cigarette; encase, enclose, ensure.
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Greek (classic) | | EXAMPLES | AMERICAN | BRITISH |
| -e-/-oe- | esophagus, fetus, homeopath
| oesophagus, foetus, homoeopath |
-e-/-ae- | anemia, cesium, pedagogy
| anaemia, caesium, paedagogy |
-r-/-rh- | eurythmy
| eurhythmy |
silent -ph- | apothegm
| apophthegm |
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Latin | | EXAMPLES | AMERICAN | BRITISH |
| -f-/-ph- | sulfate, sulfide, sulfur
| sulphate, sulphide, sulphur |
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Old/Middle English | | EXAMPLES | AMERICAN | BRITISH |
| -ed/-t | burned, dreamed, spelled
| burnt, dreamt, spelt |
-f-/-gh- and -ow/-ough | draft, draftsman, plow | draught, draughtsman, plough |
-i-/-y- | tire | tyre |
/-st | while | while (also whilst) |
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French | | EXAMPLES | AMERICAN | BRITISH |
| -er/-re | center, fiber, luster, meter, philter, theater
| centre, fibre, lustre, metre, philtre, theatre |
-or/-our | armor, behavior, color, favor, labor, neighbor, vapor | armour, behaviour, colour, favour, labour, neighbour, vapour |
-o-/-ou- | mold, molding | mould, moulding |
-m/-mme | program | programme |
-ck/-que | check | cheque |
-og/-ogue & -ege/-egue | catalog | catalogue |
-ction/-xion | connection, reflection | connection, reflection (-xion form also admitted) |
-ize/-ise | apologize, capitalize, characterize, equalize, organize, recognize | apologise, capitalise, characterise, equalise, organise, recognise |
-yze/-yse | analyze, catalyze, paralyze | analyse, catalyse, paralyse |
-se/-ce | defense, offense, pretense, vise | defence, offence, pretence, vice |
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Other | | EXAMPLES | AMERICAN | BRITISH |
| -er/-or | adapter
| adaptor |
-g-/-gg- | fagot, wagon | faggot, wagon (but also waggon) |
-ll-/-l- | distill, enrollment, fulfill, skillful | distil, enrolment, fulfil, skilful |
-l-/-ll- | canceled, chili, counselor, jewelery, metaled, traveler | cancelled, chilli, counsellor, jewellery, metalled, traveller |
-t-/-tt- | carburetor, clarinetist | carburettor, clarinettist |
-dg-/-dge- (& -g-/-ge-) | acknowledgment, aging, judgment | acknowledgement, ageing, judgement |
in-/en- | inquire, inquiry | enquire, enquiry |
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Variuos | | EXAMPLES | AMERICAN | BRITISH |
| hyphenation and spaces | ashtray, flower pot, lemongrass, neoclassical, preignition, ultrahigh
| ash-tray, flower-pot, lemon grass, neo-classical, pre-ignition, ultra-high |
| Punctuation | B.S., Jr, M.S., Sr
| B.Sc., Jnr., M.Sc., Snr. |
| Other |
airplane, aluminum, artifact, ax, chamomile, dependent (noun), gray, pajamas, polyethylene, skeptic, whiskey | aeroplane, aluminium, artefact, axe, camomile, dependant, grey, pyjamas, polythene, sceptic, whisky |
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Dictionary | American-British
British-American
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Copyright
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© Design inSite, 1997
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