American English vs. British English

American English is a dialect of the English language that is used in the United States. British English is a dialect of the English language that is used in Great Britain. Compared to British English, American English is more homogeneous.

There are two main differences between the two languages, as related to writing and editing, which are: spelling and word choice.

Spelling

Below are some common spelling differences between American and British English.

American English	British English
-or vs. –our
Color	Colour
Favorite	Favourite
Honor	Honour
-ze vs. –se
Analyze	Analyse
Criticize	Criticise
Memorize	Memorise
-ll vs. -l
Enrollment	Enrolment
Fulfill	Fulfil
Skillful	Skilful
-er vs. -re
Center	Centre
Meter	Metre
Theater	Theatre

Word choice

Below are some common word choice differences between American and British English.

American English	British English
Apartment	Flat
Argument	Row
Baby Carriage	Pram
Band-aid	Plaster
Bathroom	Loo or WC
Can	Tin
Cookie	Biscuit
Diaper	Nappy
Elevator	Lift
Fries	Chips
Gas	Petrol
Guy	Bloke, Chap
Highway	Motorway
Lawyer	Solicitor
Line	Queue
Mail	Post
Movie theater	Cinema
Pants	Trousers
Parking lot	Car park
Period	Full stop
Potato Chips	Crisps
Rent	Hire
Sidewalk	Pavement
Sweater	Jumper
Trash can	Bin
Vacation	Holiday

At the end of the day, Project Team Beta does not care whether or not you choose to write in American English or British English, unless your characters are American or British and are making word choices that are not in line with their nationality. In example, an American character would not go on holiday, and a British character would not rent an apartment.

We believe that, in most circumstances, the use of American English or British English is a stylistic choice that should be left up to the author. What we do care about, is that you use American English or British English consistently.

This article was adapted from: List of American vs. British Spelling by Susan Jones