2 DAY

BETTER WORD
CHOICE CHALLENGE
Do not mix British, American, and Australian English. The basic idea is to stick to a
single variant and make sure that the same word is represented in the paper only in
one of its variants (either British, American, or Australian). So, the rule is to use either
British, American, or Australian English, but not all of them at the same time.

Choose the one depending on the customer and set your spell-checkers to make
sure you do not switch between the variants.

Here are some typical spelling differences:

US UK AUSTRALIA
SPELLING
analyze analyse analyse
apologize apologise apologise
capitalize capitalise capitalise
categorize categorise categorise
characterize characterise characterise
colonize colonise colonise
endeavor endeavour endeavour
enroll enrol enroll
fulfill fulfil fulfil
globalize globalise globalise
honor honour honour
hypothesize hypothesise hyphothesise
inquire enquire enquire
install instal install
legalize legalise legalise
maneuver manoeuvre manoeuvre
maximize maximise maximise
minimize minimise minimise
mold mould mould
neutralize neutralise neutralise
optimize optimise optimise
paralyze paralyse paralyse
plow plough plough
practice practise practise
privatize privatise privatise
randomize randomise randomise
realize realise realise
recognize recognise recognise
 PAST US UK AUSTRALIA
VERB canceled cancelled cancelled

FORMS channeled
labeled
channelled
labelled
channelled
labelled
modeled modelled modelled
traveled travelled travelled

US UK AUSTRALIA
NOUNS
acknowledgment acknowledgement (either)
aluminum aluminium aluminium
artifact artefact artefact
behavior behaviour behaviour
caliber calibre calibre
center centre centre
color colour colour
cooperation co-operation (either)
councilor councillor councilor
counselor counsellor counselor
defense defence defence
estrogen oestrogen oestrogen
fetus foetus foetus
fiber fibre fibre
flavour flavour flavour
humor humour humour
judgment judgement judgement
labor labour labour
leukemia leukaemia leukaemia
license licence licence
liter litre litre
meter metre metre
neighbor neighbour neighbour
organization (either) organisation
paleontology palaeontology palaeontology

program programme program

(but program if computer-related) 

sulfur sulphur sulphur

theater theatre theatre
tire tyre tyre
vapor vapour vapour
 US UK AUSTRALIA
ADJECTIVES
aging ageing ageing
favorite favourite favourite
gray grey grey
livable liveable livable
movable moveable moveable
orthopedic orthopaedic orthopaedic
salable saleable saleable
skeptical sceptical sceptical
somber sombre Sombre

There are also differences in punctuation.

In American English, double quotation marks are used to enclose a quotation. If
there is another quotation inside the first quotation, use single quotation marks. In
British English, single quotation marks are used for enclosing a stand-alone
quotation.

Americans tend to treat collective nouns

as single units.
It is more common to use the singular verb unless you are definitely talking about
individuals. It means that in the USA, you would be more likely to hear “The faculty is
meeting today” than “The faculty are meeting today.” In British usage, however, it is
the opposite: it’s more common to use the plural verb (although the singular verb is
also used).
In fact, some sentences that are perfectly correct in Britain would be considered
incorrect in the USA. Take “Cambridge are winning the boat race.” Americans would
say “As an American, I would say, “Cambridge is winning”1.

Swaen, Bas. "The Differences between American-English and British-English When Writing Your
Thesis." May 27, 2016.
1.
https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/using-american-british-or-australian-spelling-within-yo
ur-thesis/.