What language should I learn? British English vs American. American and British English: main differences

British version in English tends to retain pronunciation of many words French origin. Americans letters that are "unnecessary" are often "cut out" from words, and the pronunciation of words of French origin is generally not preserved in order to make the pronunciation more "American." Here are some examples:

British English American English
Color Color
Center Center
Honor Honor
Analyze Analyze
Fulfill Fulfill
Check Check
Tire Tire
Labor Labor
Favor Favor

To be sure which word to use, first of all, determine who you are addressing: American or British; and secondly, you need to agree on what variant of English you will conduct the conversation: in British English or . Otherwise, there is a chance that spelling and pronunciation will be questioned.

For example, the words "favour" (British English) and "labor" (American English) should not be used in the same document. Both British and American are considered correct, but American spelling and pronunciation are simplified.

Difference in pronunciation

There are dozens, if not hundreds various options English We cannot cover all types of accents, dialects and varieties of English in this article. So we will pay attention to only two main conversational options: American and British English. It is noteworthy that " standard pronunciation", also known as " royal pronunciation" or " Oxford English» is used by only about 5% of the UK population. This is because there are many dialects in the British Isles. If you go to the UK, you will notice that the differences in pronunciation from region to region are greater and wider than in the US, which is much larger than the UK. This may be due to the fact that the average American moves around more often than the British. . A dialect arises when people live together for a long time, and therefore the community has its own unique way communication. People in the southern United States have a distinct accent that differs from those who live in Boston, for example. But let's return to the main topic of this article, and let's focus our attention on some of the most important differences between British and American English:

The /r/ sound is not pronounced at the end of some British English words, for example “car”. /r/ is dropped as in New York and Boston dialect.

IN American English the difference between “can” and “can’t” is sometimes subtle, whereas in standard British English you can clearly see the difference.

Americans tend to pronounce words such as “reduce”, “produce”, “induce”, “seduce” (most verbs with “duce”) as /dus/, while in British English pronunciation/djus/.

Americans also tend to shorten words by omitting certain letters. The word “facts”, for example, sounds like “fax” in American English, where “t” is mute.

Sometimes in British English vowel sounds are dropped, as in the word “secretary”, where the /a/ sound is not pronounced.

The pronunciation of syllables in each variant sometimes changes. For example, with the word "advertisement"
/ad-ver-‘taiz-ment/ (American English)
/ad-ver-tIz-ment/ (British English)

Difference in vocabulary

There are some important differences in the dictionary, and this is important to consider depending on who you are talking to or having a conversation with (written or oral). Here are some examples: British English American English
Lift Elevator
Boot Trunk
Trousers Pants
Lorry TruckStreet language or "slang" is also different in each country.

I decided to write an article about this, but first I looked on the Internet and did not reinvent the wheel. Here, read what other researchers write about this! 🙂

But in the end I will still express my personal opinion, because you will be interested to know what a Russian American thinks about this after 8.5 years of living in Chicago.

Will they understand me in America if I studied British English? Let's try to figure out how British English differs from American English.

There are 4 main differences between British and American English.

differences in pronunciation
differences in vocabulary
differences in spelling of words
differences in grammar

Pronunciation– the pronunciation of vowels and consonants, as well as intonation and stress, are pronounced differently in British and American English (schedule in the British version begins with the sound w, and in the American version it sounds sk at the beginning of the word)

Lexicon- words have different meanings in American and British versions.

American version	Translation into Russian	British version
1st Floor	first floor	ground floor
2st Floor	second floor	1st floor
Administration	government	government
Apartment	apartment	flat
Appetizer	snack	starter
Assignment	homework assignment	homework
Auditorium	Assembly Hall	assembly hall
Baggage	baggage	luggage
Basement	basement	cellar
Bill	banknote	banknote
Billion	billion	milliard
Blue	sad	sad
Can	tin	tin
Checkers	checkers	drafts
Class	Course of Study	course
Closet	wardrobe	wardrobe
Cookie	cookie	biscuit
Corn	corn	maize
Couch	sofa	sofa
Druggist	pharmacist	chemist
Pool	billiards	billiards
President	chairman	chairman
Quiz	control, test	test, exam
Raisin	raisin	sultana
Reserve	order	book
Schedule	schedule	timetable
Sewer/soil pipe	sewer	drain
Shop	shop	store
Shorts	shorts	briefs
Shot	injection	jab
Sidewalk	sidewalk	pavement
Soccer	football	football
Streetcar	tram	tram
Tag	label	label
Taxes	taxes	\|rates
Term paper	course work	essay/projectlorry
Truck	truck	lorry
Two weeks	two weeks	fortnight
Underpass	underground crossing	subway

Spelling (writing words)

The spelling of some words is different in American and British English.
For example:

Honor (br) – honor (am)
Color (br) - color(am)
center (br) –center (am)
dialogue(br) – dialog(s)
defense (br) – defense (am)
recognise(br) -recognize(am)

In American, the consonant at the end of a word is not doubled, whereas in British it is doubled.

travel, traveller, travelling (British) and travel, traveler, traveling (American)

Grammar

In British English Present Perfect used to express an action that happened in the recent past and affects the present.

For example:
I've lost my key. Can you help me look for it?

In American English we can say
I lost my key. Can you help me look for it? - which is unacceptable in the British version

The use of words also differs
already, just and yet.

In British English, just and already are placed only after have and are indicators of the Present Perfect tense.
For example:

I've just had lunch
I've already seen that film
Have you finished your homework yet?

In American English just a already can be used in the past tense (Past Simple)
American English:
I just had lunch OR I’ve just had lunch
I’ve already seen that film OR I already saw that film.
Have your finished your homework yet? OR Did you finish your homework yet?

Affiliation

There are 2 ways to show ownership in English. Have or Have got

Do you have a car?
Have you got a car?
He hasn't got any friends.
He doesn't have any friends.
She has a beautiful new home.
She's got a beautiful new home.

Both forms are correct and are used in both America and Britain, but the British prefer to use have got, while Americans tend to use have.

Using prepositions.

American English - on the weekend
British English - at the weekend
American English - on a team
British English - in a team
American English - please write me soon
British English - please write to me soon

And here is another funny picture with words that are completely different in these two languages for the same objects. Actually, there are many more, but these are the main, most popular words.

And in conclusion, my personal impression. Of course, the difference is obvious by ear. However, it looks like you're listening Kostromskaya rebuke. Everything is clear, but funny!

I note that many Russians here use the British version of the language, which they learned at school, college, and so on, in some courses there, before leaving.

This surprises absolutely no one. The main thing is that you convey your idea to your interlocutor. There is generally a very friendly attitude towards those who do not know the language very well, because in America EVERYONE is an emigrant!

The British and Americans are two nations that speak the same language, but in completely different ways. Of course, they will understand each other perfectly, as well as the fact that in front of them is a person from another continent.

Personally, it has always been easier for me to communicate with Americans, because... their speech is simple and understandable. The British, on the other hand, can jabber so much that only isolated fragments of phrases are heard. The differences between British and American dialects are not only in pronunciation. They are in grammar, vocabulary, and writing.

To stick to one option and, more importantly, to be understood correctly, you need to know which words differ in meaning and pronunciation in America and Great Britain. This is important not only for simple communication, but also in order to avoid awkward situations. For example, if a New Yorker tells a woman: “You have nice pants,” she could easily consider this an insult. In America the word pants means trousers, while in Britain it means underwear (underpants).

Let's see how American and British English differ point by point.

Why are there differences between American and British English?

To find the answer to this question, you should pay attention to the history of the United States.

We know that America and the USA in particular for a long time settled by people from European countries, the local population was oppressed in some places, simply exterminated in others, and along with the settlers, new languages settled in the territories.

The large-scale colonization of America by the British, the greatest wave of which occurred in the 17th century, brought English to America, which began to take root in the local languages and newcomers: German, French, Spanish.

To engage in production and establish trade, people vitally needed one language. It is not surprising that in America it was not the pretentious and sophisticated English that aristocrats used that took root, but the practical, accessible and understandable language of the people. Changes in priorities, exchange of experience between representatives of different nations, features of the local climate and nature led to a gradual modification of familiar English and the emergence of unique slang.

Differences in phonetics and pronunciation

American English is sharper and faster due to specific features in pronunciation. Let's consider the main characteristics of phonetics:

Americans often prefer the sounds [æ] to the sound [ɑː]. For example, fast, answer [ænsə];
in the sound [ju:] after consonants [j] almost disappears. US residents often pronounce words duty And student like [`du:ti ], ;
the sound [r] is pronounced regardless of its location in words;
Americans often do not pay special attention diphthongs, for example, the word fate may sound like .

Some identical words are pronounced completely differently in the British and American versions. For example, the word schedule US residents pronounce it with a sound (at the beginning), and the British pronounce the sound [ʃ]. There are even more differences in pronunciation in the picture below:

People who study classical British English are aware of the meaning of intonation in phrases. It can be descending, ascending, sliding, stepped, etc. Americans don't give of great importance manner of pronunciation. Typically, a flat intonation scale and a falling tone are used.

It is worth noting that the peculiarities of American pronunciation do not necessarily need to be memorized. Once you are surrounded by native speakers, you will quickly begin to understand speech and learn to speak the same way as residents of the United States.

Differences in spelling

With regard to the spelling of British English and American English, it can be said that Americans adhere to a more economical and phonetic spelling.

Unpronounceable letters are skipped, and words are written closer to their sound. For example, US residents quite often omit the letter u from the end -our :
сolour – color (color)
labor – labor (work)
humor – humor (humor).
Compare also the words traveling, jewelry and program with their British equivalents - travelling, jewelery and program.
Some words that end in British -re, in the American "version" end with -er. For example, the word “theater”: theater (British) - theater (American).
Words that end with in Great Britain -ise, in the USA end with -ize. For example, the word “realize”: realise (British) - realize (American).
In the English language, new words regularly appear that are formed by compounding words (verbs and nouns). The difference is that the British use a participle for this purpose, while the Americans prefer not to bother and just connect two words. For example, a sailboat in the USA is called sailboat, In Great Britain - sailing boat.

Differences in vocabulary

Perhaps the differences in the lexical composition of American and British English can confuse a person even with an excellent level of knowledge.

Sometimes the same word can be translated differently in British and American English. The meanings of the same words in these two dialects may differ depending on the context or completely. Fortunately, misunderstandings between speakers of these two dialects are very rare - after all, the language is the same.

Examples of the most famous differences:

Aubergine (BE) - eggplant (AE) - eggplant
Milliard (BE) - billion (AE) - billion
Lift (BE) - elevator (AE) - elevator
Repair (BE) - fix (AE) - fix
Queue (BE) - line (AE) - queue
Pavement (BE) - sidewalk (AE) - sidewalk
To book (BE) - to reserve (AE) - order
Postal code (BE) - zip code (AE) - postal code
Hoover (BE) - vacuum cleaner (AE) - vacuum cleaner
Post (BE) - mail (AE) - mail
Underground (BE) - subway (AE)

In addition, to translate the same Russian words in British and American English, different words. For example, in the USA sweets are called candy, In Great Britain - sweets. In British English the word holidays most often used to refer to a long vacation or vacation. In the USA this word is in most cases replaced by the word vacation.

Look for even more differences in the names of items in the picture below.

click to enlarge

There is a difference in use prepositions:

On a team (AmE) - in a team (BrE)

On the weekend (AmE) - at the weekend (BrE)

Write smb (AmE) - write TO smb (BrE)

In American English you can safely omit on before the days of the week.

Colloquial/Slang Expressions

Also in American colloquial you can find the following forms:

Yep (yes) - yes

Nope (no) - no

Gonna (going to) - get ready

Wanna (want to) - want

Gotta (have got to) - must (do something)

Gotcha (got you) - got you

Gimme (give me) - give me

Lemme (let me) - let me

Differences in grammar

British English is quite famous. A huge number of words that can easily confuse not only a beginner is not the only feature of the language. In the USA, everything is much clearer and more concise. American English requires the use of simple tenses: Present, Future, Past Simple. Even present time Perfect, used to denote a completed action that has a result in the present, is successfully replaced by the Past Simple.

For example: I have cooked dinner. Let's eat together! (British)
I cooked dinner = I have cooked dinner. (American) I prepared dinner. Let's eat together.

Interestingly, even the adverbs just, already and yet in American English can be used with the Past Simple, contrary to the rules that we are used to learning.

Mary has just received your letter.(British)
Mary just received your letter. = Mary has just received your letter.(American)
Mary has just received your letter.

Let's look at other grammatical differences between American and British English:

1. Ownership designation. British English requires the use of a verb have got, Americans can easily replace it with the form have. For example, in the USA you can say: Have you got a laptop?, so Do you have a laptop?(Do you have a laptop?).

2. Use will And shall . British English with first person subjects still uses the form shall. Most often used in American English will. (I shall call him later = I will call him later ).

3. Features of the subjunctive mood. American English requires the use of the subjunctive mood after many words: important, demand, advice, essential etc. In British English, the subjunctive mood is preferred exclusively in polite communication and correspondence.

4. Features of collective nouns. In British English they are used with singular verbs. and many more numbers. And the American English words require a singular form. For example: The family is going/are going to emigrate (British). The family is going to emigrate (American) (The family is going to emigrate).

5. Usage as if And like(as if, as if). In American English the more common word is like, in the British version its use may be considered an error. Americans can say how She smiled as if she knew something , so She smiled like she knew something (She smiled as if she knew something.)

6. Using adverbs. People who study American English are aware that adverbs can be placed before auxiliary and regular verbs in a sentence. In British, on the contrary, they are placed after verbs. If a British person tells you I am always busy on Monday, then the American will say I'm always busy on Monday. (I'm always busy on Mondays).

Which version of English is worth learning?

In fact, British and American English have many more similarities than differences. The differences between American and British English are often exaggerated. If you understand one option, you will understand the other.

There are opposing opinions about which language variant to focus on when learning English. Supporters of the American version talk about its wider distribution, modernity, simplicity and convenience.

However, if you are not going to live in the USA, then it is better to study British English. Let's list a few reasons in favor of this decision:

British English is universally recognized. This is what you need to study to pass most standardized international tests. You can rest assured that with your knowledge of British English you will be understood anywhere in the world.
British English allows you to develop a complete understanding of grammar. By learning complex rules, you can easily use various designs in any situation.
British English is more varied than American English. You have an excellent opportunity to significantly expand your vocabulary and make your speech much richer.

In contact with

English has long been the main world language. Therefore, it exists over a vast territory.

Like all widely spoken languages, it can sound different in different parts of the world. The two most famous varieties are American English and British.

So how different is the classic British version from the American one? And which one should you choose to study? Let's figure it out.

So, let's begin.

Difference between American and British English

The difference between these two varieties of English is not that bad.

Conventionally, three main types of differences can be distinguished:

1. Words

2. Spelling

3. Grammar

Let's take a closer look at each of them.

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Differences in word usage between American and British English

The most noticeable thing separating British and American English is words.

There are a number of everyday things that are called differently in the two countries. Let's look at the table.

American version		Translation	British version
Counter-clockwise	[,kaʊntər’klɑkwaɪz] [k'countekloquize]	Counterclockwise (about movement)	Anti-clockwise	[,ænti’klɒkwaɪz] [`enticlockwise]
Autumn, fall	[‘ɔ:təm], [`autumn], [foul]	Autumn	Autumn	[‘ɔ:təm] [`autumn]
Attorney	[ə’tɜ:rni] [at`yoni]	A lawyer who has the right to defend someone in court	Barrister	[‘bærɪstə(r)] [b`eriste]
French fries	[French French]	French fries	Chips	[chips]
Parking lot	[‘pɑ:rkɪŋ lɑt] [pa'kin lot]	Parking	Car park	[ka: pa:k]
Cookie	[‘kʊki] [k'uki]	Cookie	Biscuit	[‘bɪskɪt] [b`iskit]
Soccer	[‘sɑ:kər] [s`oke]	Football		[‘fʊtbɔl] [football]
Apartment	[ə’pɑ:tmənt] [ep`atment]	Apartment	Flat	[flat]
Highway	[‘haɪweɪ] [h`aiway]	Intercity highway	Motorway	[‘məʊtəweɪ] [m'euthaway]
Elevator	[elive'ate]	Elevator	Lift	[elevator]
Gasoline	[‘ɡæsəlin] [g`ezelin]	Petrol	Petrol	[‘petrəl] [p'etrol]
Queue	[cue]	Queue		[‘laɪn] [l`ain]
Garbage	[‘ɡɑ:rbɪdʒ] [g'abij]	Garbage	Rubbish	[‘rʌbɪʃ] [r'abish]
Faucet	[‘fɔsɪt] [f`osit]	Tap water)	Tap	[tap]
Flashlight	[‘flæʃlaɪt] [flashlight]	Flashlight	Torch	[accurate]
Subway	[‘sʌbweɪ] [s'abuey]	Metro	Tube	[tube]
Closet	["klɑ:zət] [cl`ozit]	Closet	Wardrobe	[‘wɔ:drəʊb] [u`odreub]
Candy	["kændi] [k`endy]	Candy	Sweets	[su`its]
Pants	[p`ants]	Pants, trousers	Trousers	["traʊzəz] [tr`auzes]

There is also a difference associated with words such as irregular verbs. Let's look at this.

Difference between the use of irregular verbs in American and British English

A verb is a word that expresses an action (talk - talk, understand - understand, run - run).

In English, the past tense (talked, understood, ran) is usually formed with -ed (talked - talked). But there are times when instead of ed we simply have another word (understood - understood, ran - ran). Such verbs are called wrong, because they do not obey the general rule.

Among the irregular verbs there is a group of those that in the past tense end in -t (learn (study, recognize) - learnt (studied, recognized) and others). In American English, such verbs became regular (that is, they received the usual -ed instead of -t).

Besides words ending with -t, there are other differences between American and British irregular verbs, but there are not many of them. Let's take a look at them.

American English		British English Example		Translation
Learn-learned-learned	[len][lend][lend]	Learn-learn-learn	[linen][tape][tape]	Teach, study
Dream-dreamed-dreamed	[dream][dramd][dramd]	Dream-dreamt-dreamt	[dream][dream][dream]	Dream, see in a dream
Burn-burned-burned	[byon][bend][bend]	burn-burnt-burnt	[byon] [byont] [byont]	burn
Lean-leaned-leaned	[li:nd] [lin][lind][lind]	Lean-lean-lean	[lin][lint][lint]	Recline on something
Spill-spilled-spilled	[spild][spild][spild]	Spill-spillt-spillt	[spilt][spilt][spilt]	Shed
Get-got-got	[ɡɑt][ɡɑt] [get][goth][goth]	Get-got-gotten	[ɡɑt][ɡɑtn] [het][goth][gotn]	Receive
Prove-proved-proven	[pruv][pruvd][pruvn]	Prove-proved-proved	[pruv][pruvd][pruvd]	Prove

Spelling difference between British and American English

Surprisingly, great amount The differences have to do with spelling. Thanks for this should go to the American Noah Webster. It was he who, in the 18th century, decided to simplify the spelling of a number of words that seemed illogical to him. This was, among other things, a political step, because the United States had just declared its independence from Great Britain. From then on different sides oceans exist different variants spelling.

Some cases of distinctions are observed often enough to be remembered as rules:

1) British words ending in -our are almost always simplified to -or in American.

2) British words starting with -yse are always written as -yze in American.

American English	British English	Pronunciation	Translation
Color Flavor Humor Neighbor	Color Flavor Humor Neighbor	[‘kʌlə(r)], [k`ale] [‘fleɪvə(r)], [fl`eyvo] ["hju:mə(r)], [hyumo] ["neɪbə(r)], [n`eibo]	color taste (of food, drink) humor neighbour
Center Theater	Center Theater	[‘sentə(r)], [s`ente] [‘θɪətə(r)],	center theater
Catalog	Catalog	["kætəlɒɡ], [k`talog]	catalog
Analyze Paralyze	Analyze Paralyze	[‘ænəlaɪz], [`analayz] [‘pærəlaɪz], [`paralize]	analyze Paralyze, deprive movement

Difference between American and British grammar

Besides the difference in words, there are a small number of differences in grammar. There are not many of these nuances. Let's go through the most noticeable ones.

1) Words denoting groups of people.

Among the words denoting objects, people, animals (answering the questions “who?” and “what?”) there are those that denote groups of people: team (team), staff (workers in an organization), committee (committee) and many others.

In American English, such words always behave as if they were singular. Indeed, there may be many people, but there is only one group! In a sentence these words would behave like he/she/it (he/she/they).

Compare:

The committee has made a decision.
Committee He has made a decision.

It has made a decision.
He[the committee] made a decision.

The band is
Group

It is recording a new album right now.
She[the band] is recording a new album right now.

In British English such words would behave like plural. The logic is this: there may be only one team, but there are many people in it! British words like team, band, etc. will behave like we/you/they. Compare:

The committee have made a decision.
Committee He has made a decision.

They have made a decision.
They decided.

The band are recording a new album right now.
Group is recording a new album right now.

They are recording a new album right now.
They recording a new album right now.

2) Present Perfect

Present Perfect(have + third form of the verb) is a tense often used to show an action in the past that is important in the present and has an effect on it.

For example:

I have prepared my report. I"m ready to send it to you.
I have prepared my report. I'm ready to send it to you.

The preparation of the report happened in the past, but it is connected to the present, because right now I am preparing to send it.

In British English this happens every step of the way:

I"ve read
I read

Tom's dog has run
Tom's dog ran away. I help him look for her.

In the American version, the usual past tense can be used for such cases:

I read your book and I can give it back to you now.
I read your book and I can return it to you now.

Tom's dog ran away. I"m helping him to look for it.
Tom's dog ran away. I help him look for her.

The same goes for the words already, just and yet: in British English they are almost always used with the perfect. Americans can use them with the usual past tense.

British version:

I have already told you about it.
I'll tell you already about it told.

Have you prepared your presentation yet?
You already prepared your presentation?

I have just returned from work.
I only What back From the job.

Americanoption:

I already told you about it.
I'll tell you already about it told.

Did you prepare your presentation yet?
You already prepared your presentation?

I just returned from work.
I only What back From the job.

3) Affiliation

American English expresses ownership using a verb have("have"):

I have a friend in this city.
U me There is friend in this city.

Do you have a pen?
Do you have pen?

The British, in addition to have, also use the second option - have got:

I have got a friend in this city.
I have friend in this city.

Have you got a pen?
Do you have pen?

What to choose: American or British?

Everything here, as usual, depends on your goals. If you are moving to the USA or you have to fly to London several times a year for work, then the issue is resolved for you.

If you don’t yet know in which specific country you are going to use the language, then this is worth thinking about. Ideally, of course, it is better to know and understand both options - then you will definitely not be lost. Moreover, the differences between them, as you can see, are not so catastrophic. To simply sound “beautiful”, it is enough to choose one and strictly adhere to it, without mixing purely British words with purely American ones, for example.

In any case, you need to understand that we live in the era of television and the Internet: both the British and Americans are familiar with each other’s popular culture, they read the same books, watch the same films and TV series. IN big cities, no matter which option you use, you will most likely be understood. Even if there are any confusion, you can always try to explain a word differently.

There are 2 options for learning English: English (British) and American. They differ slightly from each other in grammar, vocabulary and idioms. Now in more detail about difference between American and English options.

Difference in grammar

The grammar of British English and American English is relatively the same, but there are the following differences:

The difference is primarily in the forms of the verbs. For example, the verb "to fit" in the British version will end in the past tense -ed - fitted, while in the American form its form will remain the same. American (fit) - British (fitted). In other words, American English is a little simplified than the British version of the language, although if we take the times, then the opposite is true.
In a sentence that translates into English as "I got to know her better. - I"ve gotten to know her well." Americans used the present completed tense, while the British took the simple past - "I"ve got to know her well." Americans are trying to simplify their speech and try to use the Present Perfect less. At school they study what happens with the marker words already, just, etc. The Present Perfect is mainly used. Americans prefer to translate sentences with such words using the simple past tense - Past Simple.
Simplification also occurs when translating the verb “to have”. For example, the British will say - I have got a family. (I have a family). Americans will remove the verb “get” from the sentence; it not only simplifies the sentence, but is also not translated in this case.
What happened was that even verbs with particles began to be read together, but a little differently. Americans will translate the beginning of the sentence “I must go” as follows: I gotta... This is not entirely clear, because everyone is used to hearing this translation: “I go to...” The same thing happened with the word “want”. Americans will say instead of want to - wanna.

Phonetic differences

The British often drop the "r" sound in words before a vowel. The Americans, on the contrary, are trying to highlight it. British pronunciation is characterized by long vowels.

Lexical differences

The vocabulary in the two versions is also different. Below is a comparison of the words used by Americans and British in Everyday life. The first option is American, the second is British.

apartment - apartment - flat;

autumn - fall - autumn;

film - movie - film;

schedule - schedule - timetable;

metro - subway - underground.

The spelling of words is also different

Often in one textbook the word "grey" is written, in another - with an "a". Where is the spelling correct? Where is the mistake? There are no mistakes! The first case is the British spelling of this word, in the second case the Americans tried and changed the vowel. This pattern can be seen in the word “favorite”: favorite - favorite and many others.