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Quizzes > English & Grammar

Recognised UK spelling: British vs American quiz

Quick quiz to test your British vs American spelling. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Lucas WolfUpdated Aug 23, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration invites quiz on American vs British English spellings against a sky blue backdrop.

This quiz helps you master recognised UK spelling versus American forms, one word at a time. Make quick choices, get instant feedback, and spot common UK spelling differences in everyday words. For more practice, try our British vs American English quiz, build accuracy with a correct spelling quiz, or have fun with a British slang quiz.

Which is the British English spelling of the word meaning 'hue or shade'?
Coler
Coulour
Colour
Color
British English retains the 'u' in words like colour, honour, and favour, whereas American English omits it. This difference dates back to Noah Webster's spelling reforms in the early 19th century. The British spelling 'colour' is standard in the UK, Canada, Australia, and other Commonwealth countries. .
Which spelling is American English for the venue where plays and performances are shown?
Theatre
Theatrer
Theater
Theetre
American English typically uses the '-er' ending in words like theater, center, and meter, contrasting with the British '-re' endings. Thus, 'theater' is the American spelling for the performance venue. .
Which is the British English spelling of the verb meaning 'to organize'?
Organys
Organise
Organize
Organizze
In British English, verbs ending in '-ize' in American English are often spelled '-ise', such as organise, recognise, and realise. While some UK publishers accept '-ize', '-ise' remains the common British form. .
Which is the American English spelling of the word meaning 'making a journey again'?
Traveling
Travellng
Travelling
Travelinng
American English uses a single 'l' in 'traveling' when forming the present participle, whereas British English doubles the 'l' to 'travelling'. This difference arises from divergent spelling conventions between the dialects. .
Which is the British English spelling of the word for the middle point?
Cyntre
Center
Centur
Centre
British English spells words ending in '-er' in American English as '-re', such as centre, theatre, and metre. The historical form comes from Old French, and the UK retains this spelling. .
Which is the American English spelling for the noun meaning 'protection against attack'?
Defence
Defencse
Defense
Defenze
American English favors the '-se' ending in words like defense, offense, and license (verb), whereas British English uses '-ce' in defence and offence. This convention was popularized by Noah Webster's American dictionary. .
Which is the British English spelling of the verb meaning 'to become aware of'?
Reallize
Realize
Realise
Realyze
British English commonly uses the '-ise' ending for verbs like realise, organise, and recognise, whereas American English uses '-ize'. While Oxford style allows both, '-ise' remains prevalent in the UK. .
Which is the American English spelling of the word for the place where prisoners are held?
Gaol
Jail
Geyl
Jaye
While 'gaol' is an older British variant, American English adopted the simpler spelling 'jail'. Over time, 'gaol' fell out of use in the US, but it still appears in some legal contexts in the UK. .
Which is the British English spelling of the word meaning 'giving approval'?
Favorable
Favorouble
Favouarable
Favourable
British English preserves the 'u' in words like favourable, honourable, and colour, whereas American English drops it. The British 'favourable' is the correct form in the UK. .
Which is the British English noun spelling for a document granting permission?
Licensce
Licenze
License
Licence
In British English, 'licence' is used as the noun meaning permission, while 'license' is the verb form. American English uses 'license' for both noun and verb. .
Which is the British English spelling of the term for a list of items, especially in libraries?
Catalogue
Catelogue
Cataloge
Catalog
British English often spells words ending in '-og' in American English as '-ogue', such as catalogue, dialogue, and monologue. The American form 'catalog' is considered a shortened variant. .
Which is the British English spelling of the rubber covering on a car wheel?
Tyreer
Tyre
Tire
Tyr
British English spells the rubber wheel covering as 'tyre', while American English uses 'tire'. This etymology stems from the practice of fitting iron tyres on wooden wheels, which evolved differently between the dialects. .
Which is the British English spelling of the chemical element with atomic number 13?
Alumunium
Aluminiam
Aluminium
Aluminum
Most English-speaking countries use 'aluminium', following the IUPAC naming convention. American English uses 'aluminum', a variant popularized by the American Chemical Society. .
Which is the British English spelling of the word meaning 'an account of past events'?
Rumor
Rummor
Rumeur
Rumour
British English retains the 'u' in words like rumour, honour, and labour, whereas American English omits it. The British form 'rumour' is standard in the UK and other Commonwealth countries. .
Which is the American English spelling of the farming implement used to turn soil?
P?aw
Plout
Plow
Plough
American English uses 'plow' for the agricultural tool, while British English spells it 'plough'. This difference illustrates broader patterns of spelling variance between the dialects. .
Which is the British English spelling of the noun meaning 'the act of registering or signing up'?
Enrollment
Enrollmeant
Enrollement
Enrolment
British English uses a single 'l' in 'enrolment', whereas American English doubles the 'l' as 'enrollment'. This divergence comes from different conventions on doubling consonants when suffixes are added. .
Which is the American English spelling of the medical specialty dealing with children?
Paedriatic
Pediatric
Pedriatic
Paediatric
American English often drops the 'ae' digraph in many medical terms, rendering 'pediatric' instead of the British 'paediatric'. The American Medical Association supports this spelling. .
Which is the British English spelling of the banking document used to withdraw money?
Check
Cheque
Cheeque
Cheq
British English spells the banking document as 'cheque', while American English uses 'check'. This distinction is important in financial contexts to avoid confusion with the verb 'to check'. .
Which is the American English spelling of the term for a powered flying vehicle?
Aeroplane
Airplain
Airplane
Aeroplain
American English uses 'airplane', whereas British English spells it 'aeroplane'. The American form simplifies the word by dropping the Greek-derived 'o' after 'aero'. .
Which is the British English spelling of the garment worn for sleeping?
Pajammas
Pijamas
Pyjamas
Pajamas
British English spells the nighttime clothing as 'pyjamas', using 'pyj-' instead of the American 'paj-'. The term originates from Hindi and was adopted into English during colonial times. .
Which is the British English spelling for the raised edge of a sidewalk?
Cyrb
Kerb
Curb
Kurb
British English spells the edge of a roadway as 'kerb', while American English uses 'curb'. Despite the same pronunciation, the spelling difference helps distinguish UK usage. .
Which is the British English spelling of the word referring to the unborn child in the womb?
Fetus
Fetuss
Foetus
Feotus
British English retains the classical Latin spelling 'foetus', whereas American English simplifies it to 'fetus'. The extra 'o' reflects the word's Greek origin. .
Which is the British English spelling of the chemical element with atomic number 16?
Sulphur
Sulfuur
Sulpur
Sulfur
British English spells the element as 'sulphur', preserving the 'ph' from the Greek 'sulfur'. American English standardised on 'sulfur' following early 20th century reforms. .
Which is the American English spelling for the person who travels, spelled in British English as 'traveller'?
Travellor
Travelor
Traveler
Traveller
American English uses a single 'l' in 'traveler', while British English doubles it to 'traveller'. This aligns with broader American conventions on consonant doubling. .
Which is the British English spelling for the color between black and white?
Graey
Grey
Gray
Gery
British English favours 'grey', whereas American English spells it 'gray'. Both forms are recognized, but the usage divides geographically. .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify US vs UK spelling differences -

    Spot recognised spelling UK forms and their American counterparts, such as "colour" vs "color," to sharpen your regional spelling awareness.

  2. Apply correct British or American spellings -

    Use quiz feedback to confidently apply the right spelling variant in your writing, whether adhering to UK or US conventions.

  3. Analyze your spelling accuracy -

    Review your quiz results to pinpoint common errors and understand where you need more practice on US UK spelling differences.

  4. Understand key spelling rules -

    Learn the historical and linguistic principles behind recognised spelling UK and American variants to reinforce your editing skills.

  5. Enhance professional writing precision -

    Integrate correct regional spellings into your documents and communications, improving clarity and credibility for international audiences.

Cheat Sheet

  1. -our vs -or Endings -

    In the UK, many words end in "-our" (colour, humour), whereas US usage drops the "u" (color, humor). A handy mnemonic is "U in honour keeps British spelling in the tour." According to the Cambridge Dictionary, this distinction is crucial for recognised spelling uk and US UK spelling differences.

  2. -ise vs -ize Suffixes -

    British English typically favours "-ise" (organise, realise), while American English uses "-ize" (organize, realize). Note that the Oxford English Dictionary accepts both, but the majority of UK institutions stick to "-ise," reflecting recognised spelling uk standards. Try the rhyme "I see 'ise' in the British eyes!" to remember this rule.

  3. Doubling the Final Consonant -

    In British vs American spelling, verbs like "travel" double the "l" when adding endings (travelling, traveller), while American English simplifies to "traveling" and "traveler". The University of Oxford style guide confirms this pattern under US UK spelling differences. Visualize a train making two stops to recall the extra "l" in British forms.

  4. Theatre vs Theater & Centre vs Center -

    Many nouns swap the "re" in UK English (theatre, centre) to "er" in US English (theater, center). The British Council highlights this as a consistent British vs American spelling pattern. Picture the British "re" performing an encore on stage to lock in "theatre" spelling.

  5. Spelling Quiz Practice -

    Active recall through a spelling quiz reinforces US UK spelling differences - test yourself on color vs colour or realize vs realise. Research from the Journal of Educational Psychology shows that quiz-based learning boosts retention by up to 30%. Incorporate daily mini-quizzes to sharpen your recognised spelling uk mastery.

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