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What is the difference between “behavior” and “behaviour”?
The Next CEO of Stack OverflowIs there any difference between these two sentences?What is the real or main difference between English and American speaking?What is the different between change and to change?Verb for when you want to make teaTuff time, tough time, difficult time?What is the common meaning and usage of “get mad”?Which one is true or better?(Bell pepper, capsicum, chilli, pepper) What's the difference?What is the right way of asking someone to give a more detailed explanation of what he just said (or wrote)?American pronunciation of (tall, taught, law, bought) vs (father, pasta, drop)
In the online version of Cambridge Dictionary, there are these definitions for the next two words:
Behaviour = the way that someone behaves
Behavior = a particular way of acting
What would be a difference between behavior and behaviour by some example?
american-english
add a comment |
In the online version of Cambridge Dictionary, there are these definitions for the next two words:
Behaviour = the way that someone behaves
Behavior = a particular way of acting
What would be a difference between behavior and behaviour by some example?
american-english
1
Related pages comparing the two: Grammarist, Grammar.com, Writing Explained and Wikipedia (which only briefly notes both versions). I found these by Googling "behavior and behaviour".
– NotThatGuy
yesterday
If you look at the 2 definitions, you will see that they come from different sources; this is why the definitions differ in their wording.
– Dancrumb
9 hours ago
1
The difference is roughly 3200 miles.
– Dunk
6 hours ago
add a comment |
In the online version of Cambridge Dictionary, there are these definitions for the next two words:
Behaviour = the way that someone behaves
Behavior = a particular way of acting
What would be a difference between behavior and behaviour by some example?
american-english
In the online version of Cambridge Dictionary, there are these definitions for the next two words:
Behaviour = the way that someone behaves
Behavior = a particular way of acting
What would be a difference between behavior and behaviour by some example?
american-english
american-english
edited yesterday
Peter Mortensen
27528
27528
asked 2 days ago
b2okb2ok
235211
235211
1
Related pages comparing the two: Grammarist, Grammar.com, Writing Explained and Wikipedia (which only briefly notes both versions). I found these by Googling "behavior and behaviour".
– NotThatGuy
yesterday
If you look at the 2 definitions, you will see that they come from different sources; this is why the definitions differ in their wording.
– Dancrumb
9 hours ago
1
The difference is roughly 3200 miles.
– Dunk
6 hours ago
add a comment |
1
Related pages comparing the two: Grammarist, Grammar.com, Writing Explained and Wikipedia (which only briefly notes both versions). I found these by Googling "behavior and behaviour".
– NotThatGuy
yesterday
If you look at the 2 definitions, you will see that they come from different sources; this is why the definitions differ in their wording.
– Dancrumb
9 hours ago
1
The difference is roughly 3200 miles.
– Dunk
6 hours ago
1
1
Related pages comparing the two: Grammarist, Grammar.com, Writing Explained and Wikipedia (which only briefly notes both versions). I found these by Googling "behavior and behaviour".
– NotThatGuy
yesterday
Related pages comparing the two: Grammarist, Grammar.com, Writing Explained and Wikipedia (which only briefly notes both versions). I found these by Googling "behavior and behaviour".
– NotThatGuy
yesterday
If you look at the 2 definitions, you will see that they come from different sources; this is why the definitions differ in their wording.
– Dancrumb
9 hours ago
If you look at the 2 definitions, you will see that they come from different sources; this is why the definitions differ in their wording.
– Dancrumb
9 hours ago
1
1
The difference is roughly 3200 miles.
– Dunk
6 hours ago
The difference is roughly 3200 miles.
– Dunk
6 hours ago
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
They mean the same thing; behaviour is the British English spelling; behavior is the American spelling. The definitions say the same thing in different ways.
12
It should be noted that this is very common - there are many words which end in "our" in British English and "or" in American English.
– Darrel Hoffman
yesterday
Right, Darrel, and I'd like to add that the words ‘motor’, ‘rotor’, ‘abhor’ are not among them. :)
– Artyom Lugovoy
8 hours ago
add a comment |
In fact, there is no difference between behaviour and behavior except spelling. The former is preferred in British and Commonwealth English, the latter is the American spelling.
The entries are confusing because there is no single "Cambridge Dictionary." Cambridge University Press actually publishes dozens of different dictionaries. Their website, however, searches them all at once, and returns definitions which may or may not be relevant to you.
When you look up behaviour, you are given entries from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus and the Cambridge Business English Dictionary. When you look up behavior, you are given the entry in the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, and from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary a pointer to the entry for behaviour. Because the target audience for each dictionary is different, you see slightly different entries, but this is a quirk of the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary failing to synonymize the spellings.
I commend you for doing your best with references, but would also recommend you limit searches to a learner's dictionary (e.g. Collins, Oxford, Macmillan, Cambridge, or Merriam-Webster) to avoid this happening in the future.
your Cambridge there is no IPA for US and because I stay with my Cambridge. Thank a lot for your excellent explanation to me.
– b2ok
2 days ago
All the learner's dictionaries listed above, except Macmillan, give IPA pronunciations for both US and UK. The Cambridge Learner's shows both pronunciations if they are different, but only shows only a single one if they are the same.
– AndyB
9 hours ago
add a comment |
In short, they're the same word spelt differently in the US and the UK.
It's not very obvious because of the way Cambridge has laid out their pages.
behaviour
noun UK US behavior
behavior
noun [ C/U ] CDN BR behaviour
behavior
noun [ U ]
→ behaviour
Wiktionary's entries are much clearer:
behaviour
Alternative forms
behavior (US)
behavior
Alternative forms
behaviour (UK)
add a comment |
One is the canonical (i.e. so-called "British") spelling and the other is the (idiomatic) American variant.
Note that, in a linguistic sense, there is no such thing as "British" English, anymore than there is "Italian" Italian, or "Spanish" Spanish, "French" French, "Russian" Russian, etc. "British" English represents the canonical form of the language, and American English represents a 'topical' (albeit internationally exposed through modern technology) idiomatic variant, in a similar way that Latin American Spanish is a variant of the canonical form of Spanish that is spoken in Spain, or how "Canadian" French is a variant of the canonical form of French spoken in France, etc.
However, given the large number of users, and particularly the disproportionate use of "American" English in the context of software and the internet, it has become practical to disambiguate between the two in this manner, so I will maintain this artificial distinction below in that understanding. In fact, the use of "US localisation" in software is probably the biggest factor that has lead to the American variant getting broad international exposure. I still remember the time when, English started being separated to US vs UK English in software; I remember feeling rather bemused when I first saw this, but in reality, in the context of selecting the right keyboard, spell checker, currency, date format, units, etc, it made perfect sense. Nowadays though, it is almost seen as a 'competing idiom' to the canonical form (and, as you've seen in the comments in this thread, given the historical relationship that the US has had with Britain, many Americans have rather come to perceive their idiomatic use of the English language and the extent to which it deviates from "British" canonical English as a point of national pride).
In any case, the canonical 'British' spelling (despite the jokes in the comments) is typically the more 'correct' one in a linguistic sense, in that it is typically more faithful to the etymology of the word, preserving the historical links to the words from which they have been derived, underlying phonetic and grammatical rules, etc. This is particularly true with words borrowed from other languages, e.g. Greek and Latin.
'American' spelling, on the other hand, is effectively a more colloquial form, and it is typically more 'phonetic' than grammatical in nature, particularly in the case of loanwords. Consider, e.g. "doughnut vs donut", "organise vs organize", etc. Having said that, note that, occasionally Americans stick to the canonical form too (e.g. "advize" is not a common spelling, despite the typical '-ize' americanisation).
So, if you have a choice, I would go for the so-called 'British' spelling, since this is the canonical form of English. This is particularly true if used in an international setting, where, speaking / writing in "American" English might sound like an odd choice (in the same way that speaking "Indian" English as a non-Indian might sound like an odd choice). On the other hand, when dealing with contexts relating to the US in general, the US variant may be more appropriate; to some Americans, it may even seem 'unpatriotic' or 'conceited' to deviate from the US variant, so, really, it's a judgement call. In formal settings (e.g. academic journal writing), it is usually clear which is preferred from the relevant style manual used.
New contributor
3
This is very much not correct. I don't really know where to start, but there is literally no sense in which British English is 'more correct' than any other form of English. Likewise, many American words and phrases are older than the British English equivalents, and were preserved by the separation of North American and British populations. Furthermore, 'color' et al were common spellings before the standardization of spelling in Britain, and '-ize' has only recently become something Britons generally avoid. '-ize' and '-ise' are still both acceptable in British English.
– fred2
10 hours ago
2
It is far more important that someone be consistent in their choice of English variation than to choose one particular one over the other. If I see “colour” I expect that the grammar and vocabulary will be British. If the subsequent text uses American grammar or vocabulary, then I will view it as a mistake, where I wouldn’t if the “color” spelling were used. Students should learn whichever variation they have the best access to native speakers of.
– ColleenV♦
8 hours ago
@fred2 Apologies, I didn't mean to stir sentiment. I'm not implying 'British' English is somehow more noble. It's simply a matter of definition. 'English' is the language of England. Not to mention, within England there's a lot of regional dialects too, so the canonical version of English is that known as 'The Queen's tongue', which is what most people mean by 'British' English. Older origins are not relevant. I'm from Cyprus, which is closer to ancient Greek than modern Greek. But I would never claim the Cypriot dialect is canonical for that reason. Greek is the language spoken in Greece.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Similarly, if Americans decided to claim their language by the name Americanese, and call English "British Americanese", then Americanese would be the canonical language in America, and a variant in Britain. It's as simple as that.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Who you calling an idiomatic? And why do people who speak "proper" English actually sing in American? It makes American seem correct. But, alas, England was first so...there's that.
– Hannover Fist
6 hours ago
add a comment |
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4 Answers
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4 Answers
4
active
oldest
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active
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active
oldest
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They mean the same thing; behaviour is the British English spelling; behavior is the American spelling. The definitions say the same thing in different ways.
12
It should be noted that this is very common - there are many words which end in "our" in British English and "or" in American English.
– Darrel Hoffman
yesterday
Right, Darrel, and I'd like to add that the words ‘motor’, ‘rotor’, ‘abhor’ are not among them. :)
– Artyom Lugovoy
8 hours ago
add a comment |
They mean the same thing; behaviour is the British English spelling; behavior is the American spelling. The definitions say the same thing in different ways.
12
It should be noted that this is very common - there are many words which end in "our" in British English and "or" in American English.
– Darrel Hoffman
yesterday
Right, Darrel, and I'd like to add that the words ‘motor’, ‘rotor’, ‘abhor’ are not among them. :)
– Artyom Lugovoy
8 hours ago
add a comment |
They mean the same thing; behaviour is the British English spelling; behavior is the American spelling. The definitions say the same thing in different ways.
They mean the same thing; behaviour is the British English spelling; behavior is the American spelling. The definitions say the same thing in different ways.
answered 2 days ago
Michael HarveyMichael Harvey
17.8k12340
17.8k12340
12
It should be noted that this is very common - there are many words which end in "our" in British English and "or" in American English.
– Darrel Hoffman
yesterday
Right, Darrel, and I'd like to add that the words ‘motor’, ‘rotor’, ‘abhor’ are not among them. :)
– Artyom Lugovoy
8 hours ago
add a comment |
12
It should be noted that this is very common - there are many words which end in "our" in British English and "or" in American English.
– Darrel Hoffman
yesterday
Right, Darrel, and I'd like to add that the words ‘motor’, ‘rotor’, ‘abhor’ are not among them. :)
– Artyom Lugovoy
8 hours ago
12
12
It should be noted that this is very common - there are many words which end in "our" in British English and "or" in American English.
– Darrel Hoffman
yesterday
It should be noted that this is very common - there are many words which end in "our" in British English and "or" in American English.
– Darrel Hoffman
yesterday
Right, Darrel, and I'd like to add that the words ‘motor’, ‘rotor’, ‘abhor’ are not among them. :)
– Artyom Lugovoy
8 hours ago
Right, Darrel, and I'd like to add that the words ‘motor’, ‘rotor’, ‘abhor’ are not among them. :)
– Artyom Lugovoy
8 hours ago
add a comment |
In fact, there is no difference between behaviour and behavior except spelling. The former is preferred in British and Commonwealth English, the latter is the American spelling.
The entries are confusing because there is no single "Cambridge Dictionary." Cambridge University Press actually publishes dozens of different dictionaries. Their website, however, searches them all at once, and returns definitions which may or may not be relevant to you.
When you look up behaviour, you are given entries from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus and the Cambridge Business English Dictionary. When you look up behavior, you are given the entry in the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, and from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary a pointer to the entry for behaviour. Because the target audience for each dictionary is different, you see slightly different entries, but this is a quirk of the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary failing to synonymize the spellings.
I commend you for doing your best with references, but would also recommend you limit searches to a learner's dictionary (e.g. Collins, Oxford, Macmillan, Cambridge, or Merriam-Webster) to avoid this happening in the future.
your Cambridge there is no IPA for US and because I stay with my Cambridge. Thank a lot for your excellent explanation to me.
– b2ok
2 days ago
All the learner's dictionaries listed above, except Macmillan, give IPA pronunciations for both US and UK. The Cambridge Learner's shows both pronunciations if they are different, but only shows only a single one if they are the same.
– AndyB
9 hours ago
add a comment |
In fact, there is no difference between behaviour and behavior except spelling. The former is preferred in British and Commonwealth English, the latter is the American spelling.
The entries are confusing because there is no single "Cambridge Dictionary." Cambridge University Press actually publishes dozens of different dictionaries. Their website, however, searches them all at once, and returns definitions which may or may not be relevant to you.
When you look up behaviour, you are given entries from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus and the Cambridge Business English Dictionary. When you look up behavior, you are given the entry in the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, and from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary a pointer to the entry for behaviour. Because the target audience for each dictionary is different, you see slightly different entries, but this is a quirk of the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary failing to synonymize the spellings.
I commend you for doing your best with references, but would also recommend you limit searches to a learner's dictionary (e.g. Collins, Oxford, Macmillan, Cambridge, or Merriam-Webster) to avoid this happening in the future.
your Cambridge there is no IPA for US and because I stay with my Cambridge. Thank a lot for your excellent explanation to me.
– b2ok
2 days ago
All the learner's dictionaries listed above, except Macmillan, give IPA pronunciations for both US and UK. The Cambridge Learner's shows both pronunciations if they are different, but only shows only a single one if they are the same.
– AndyB
9 hours ago
add a comment |
In fact, there is no difference between behaviour and behavior except spelling. The former is preferred in British and Commonwealth English, the latter is the American spelling.
The entries are confusing because there is no single "Cambridge Dictionary." Cambridge University Press actually publishes dozens of different dictionaries. Their website, however, searches them all at once, and returns definitions which may or may not be relevant to you.
When you look up behaviour, you are given entries from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus and the Cambridge Business English Dictionary. When you look up behavior, you are given the entry in the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, and from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary a pointer to the entry for behaviour. Because the target audience for each dictionary is different, you see slightly different entries, but this is a quirk of the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary failing to synonymize the spellings.
I commend you for doing your best with references, but would also recommend you limit searches to a learner's dictionary (e.g. Collins, Oxford, Macmillan, Cambridge, or Merriam-Webster) to avoid this happening in the future.
In fact, there is no difference between behaviour and behavior except spelling. The former is preferred in British and Commonwealth English, the latter is the American spelling.
The entries are confusing because there is no single "Cambridge Dictionary." Cambridge University Press actually publishes dozens of different dictionaries. Their website, however, searches them all at once, and returns definitions which may or may not be relevant to you.
When you look up behaviour, you are given entries from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus and the Cambridge Business English Dictionary. When you look up behavior, you are given the entry in the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, and from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary a pointer to the entry for behaviour. Because the target audience for each dictionary is different, you see slightly different entries, but this is a quirk of the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary failing to synonymize the spellings.
I commend you for doing your best with references, but would also recommend you limit searches to a learner's dictionary (e.g. Collins, Oxford, Macmillan, Cambridge, or Merriam-Webster) to avoid this happening in the future.
answered 2 days ago
chosterchoster
14.5k3664
14.5k3664
your Cambridge there is no IPA for US and because I stay with my Cambridge. Thank a lot for your excellent explanation to me.
– b2ok
2 days ago
All the learner's dictionaries listed above, except Macmillan, give IPA pronunciations for both US and UK. The Cambridge Learner's shows both pronunciations if they are different, but only shows only a single one if they are the same.
– AndyB
9 hours ago
add a comment |
your Cambridge there is no IPA for US and because I stay with my Cambridge. Thank a lot for your excellent explanation to me.
– b2ok
2 days ago
All the learner's dictionaries listed above, except Macmillan, give IPA pronunciations for both US and UK. The Cambridge Learner's shows both pronunciations if they are different, but only shows only a single one if they are the same.
– AndyB
9 hours ago
your Cambridge there is no IPA for US and because I stay with my Cambridge. Thank a lot for your excellent explanation to me.
– b2ok
2 days ago
your Cambridge there is no IPA for US and because I stay with my Cambridge. Thank a lot for your excellent explanation to me.
– b2ok
2 days ago
All the learner's dictionaries listed above, except Macmillan, give IPA pronunciations for both US and UK. The Cambridge Learner's shows both pronunciations if they are different, but only shows only a single one if they are the same.
– AndyB
9 hours ago
All the learner's dictionaries listed above, except Macmillan, give IPA pronunciations for both US and UK. The Cambridge Learner's shows both pronunciations if they are different, but only shows only a single one if they are the same.
– AndyB
9 hours ago
add a comment |
In short, they're the same word spelt differently in the US and the UK.
It's not very obvious because of the way Cambridge has laid out their pages.
behaviour
noun UK US behavior
behavior
noun [ C/U ] CDN BR behaviour
behavior
noun [ U ]
→ behaviour
Wiktionary's entries are much clearer:
behaviour
Alternative forms
behavior (US)
behavior
Alternative forms
behaviour (UK)
add a comment |
In short, they're the same word spelt differently in the US and the UK.
It's not very obvious because of the way Cambridge has laid out their pages.
behaviour
noun UK US behavior
behavior
noun [ C/U ] CDN BR behaviour
behavior
noun [ U ]
→ behaviour
Wiktionary's entries are much clearer:
behaviour
Alternative forms
behavior (US)
behavior
Alternative forms
behaviour (UK)
add a comment |
In short, they're the same word spelt differently in the US and the UK.
It's not very obvious because of the way Cambridge has laid out their pages.
behaviour
noun UK US behavior
behavior
noun [ C/U ] CDN BR behaviour
behavior
noun [ U ]
→ behaviour
Wiktionary's entries are much clearer:
behaviour
Alternative forms
behavior (US)
behavior
Alternative forms
behaviour (UK)
In short, they're the same word spelt differently in the US and the UK.
It's not very obvious because of the way Cambridge has laid out their pages.
behaviour
noun UK US behavior
behavior
noun [ C/U ] CDN BR behaviour
behavior
noun [ U ]
→ behaviour
Wiktionary's entries are much clearer:
behaviour
Alternative forms
behavior (US)
behavior
Alternative forms
behaviour (UK)
edited yesterday
Konrad Rudolph
34418
34418
answered yesterday
CJ DennisCJ Dennis
2,133718
2,133718
add a comment |
add a comment |
One is the canonical (i.e. so-called "British") spelling and the other is the (idiomatic) American variant.
Note that, in a linguistic sense, there is no such thing as "British" English, anymore than there is "Italian" Italian, or "Spanish" Spanish, "French" French, "Russian" Russian, etc. "British" English represents the canonical form of the language, and American English represents a 'topical' (albeit internationally exposed through modern technology) idiomatic variant, in a similar way that Latin American Spanish is a variant of the canonical form of Spanish that is spoken in Spain, or how "Canadian" French is a variant of the canonical form of French spoken in France, etc.
However, given the large number of users, and particularly the disproportionate use of "American" English in the context of software and the internet, it has become practical to disambiguate between the two in this manner, so I will maintain this artificial distinction below in that understanding. In fact, the use of "US localisation" in software is probably the biggest factor that has lead to the American variant getting broad international exposure. I still remember the time when, English started being separated to US vs UK English in software; I remember feeling rather bemused when I first saw this, but in reality, in the context of selecting the right keyboard, spell checker, currency, date format, units, etc, it made perfect sense. Nowadays though, it is almost seen as a 'competing idiom' to the canonical form (and, as you've seen in the comments in this thread, given the historical relationship that the US has had with Britain, many Americans have rather come to perceive their idiomatic use of the English language and the extent to which it deviates from "British" canonical English as a point of national pride).
In any case, the canonical 'British' spelling (despite the jokes in the comments) is typically the more 'correct' one in a linguistic sense, in that it is typically more faithful to the etymology of the word, preserving the historical links to the words from which they have been derived, underlying phonetic and grammatical rules, etc. This is particularly true with words borrowed from other languages, e.g. Greek and Latin.
'American' spelling, on the other hand, is effectively a more colloquial form, and it is typically more 'phonetic' than grammatical in nature, particularly in the case of loanwords. Consider, e.g. "doughnut vs donut", "organise vs organize", etc. Having said that, note that, occasionally Americans stick to the canonical form too (e.g. "advize" is not a common spelling, despite the typical '-ize' americanisation).
So, if you have a choice, I would go for the so-called 'British' spelling, since this is the canonical form of English. This is particularly true if used in an international setting, where, speaking / writing in "American" English might sound like an odd choice (in the same way that speaking "Indian" English as a non-Indian might sound like an odd choice). On the other hand, when dealing with contexts relating to the US in general, the US variant may be more appropriate; to some Americans, it may even seem 'unpatriotic' or 'conceited' to deviate from the US variant, so, really, it's a judgement call. In formal settings (e.g. academic journal writing), it is usually clear which is preferred from the relevant style manual used.
New contributor
3
This is very much not correct. I don't really know where to start, but there is literally no sense in which British English is 'more correct' than any other form of English. Likewise, many American words and phrases are older than the British English equivalents, and were preserved by the separation of North American and British populations. Furthermore, 'color' et al were common spellings before the standardization of spelling in Britain, and '-ize' has only recently become something Britons generally avoid. '-ize' and '-ise' are still both acceptable in British English.
– fred2
10 hours ago
2
It is far more important that someone be consistent in their choice of English variation than to choose one particular one over the other. If I see “colour” I expect that the grammar and vocabulary will be British. If the subsequent text uses American grammar or vocabulary, then I will view it as a mistake, where I wouldn’t if the “color” spelling were used. Students should learn whichever variation they have the best access to native speakers of.
– ColleenV♦
8 hours ago
@fred2 Apologies, I didn't mean to stir sentiment. I'm not implying 'British' English is somehow more noble. It's simply a matter of definition. 'English' is the language of England. Not to mention, within England there's a lot of regional dialects too, so the canonical version of English is that known as 'The Queen's tongue', which is what most people mean by 'British' English. Older origins are not relevant. I'm from Cyprus, which is closer to ancient Greek than modern Greek. But I would never claim the Cypriot dialect is canonical for that reason. Greek is the language spoken in Greece.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Similarly, if Americans decided to claim their language by the name Americanese, and call English "British Americanese", then Americanese would be the canonical language in America, and a variant in Britain. It's as simple as that.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Who you calling an idiomatic? And why do people who speak "proper" English actually sing in American? It makes American seem correct. But, alas, England was first so...there's that.
– Hannover Fist
6 hours ago
add a comment |
One is the canonical (i.e. so-called "British") spelling and the other is the (idiomatic) American variant.
Note that, in a linguistic sense, there is no such thing as "British" English, anymore than there is "Italian" Italian, or "Spanish" Spanish, "French" French, "Russian" Russian, etc. "British" English represents the canonical form of the language, and American English represents a 'topical' (albeit internationally exposed through modern technology) idiomatic variant, in a similar way that Latin American Spanish is a variant of the canonical form of Spanish that is spoken in Spain, or how "Canadian" French is a variant of the canonical form of French spoken in France, etc.
However, given the large number of users, and particularly the disproportionate use of "American" English in the context of software and the internet, it has become practical to disambiguate between the two in this manner, so I will maintain this artificial distinction below in that understanding. In fact, the use of "US localisation" in software is probably the biggest factor that has lead to the American variant getting broad international exposure. I still remember the time when, English started being separated to US vs UK English in software; I remember feeling rather bemused when I first saw this, but in reality, in the context of selecting the right keyboard, spell checker, currency, date format, units, etc, it made perfect sense. Nowadays though, it is almost seen as a 'competing idiom' to the canonical form (and, as you've seen in the comments in this thread, given the historical relationship that the US has had with Britain, many Americans have rather come to perceive their idiomatic use of the English language and the extent to which it deviates from "British" canonical English as a point of national pride).
In any case, the canonical 'British' spelling (despite the jokes in the comments) is typically the more 'correct' one in a linguistic sense, in that it is typically more faithful to the etymology of the word, preserving the historical links to the words from which they have been derived, underlying phonetic and grammatical rules, etc. This is particularly true with words borrowed from other languages, e.g. Greek and Latin.
'American' spelling, on the other hand, is effectively a more colloquial form, and it is typically more 'phonetic' than grammatical in nature, particularly in the case of loanwords. Consider, e.g. "doughnut vs donut", "organise vs organize", etc. Having said that, note that, occasionally Americans stick to the canonical form too (e.g. "advize" is not a common spelling, despite the typical '-ize' americanisation).
So, if you have a choice, I would go for the so-called 'British' spelling, since this is the canonical form of English. This is particularly true if used in an international setting, where, speaking / writing in "American" English might sound like an odd choice (in the same way that speaking "Indian" English as a non-Indian might sound like an odd choice). On the other hand, when dealing with contexts relating to the US in general, the US variant may be more appropriate; to some Americans, it may even seem 'unpatriotic' or 'conceited' to deviate from the US variant, so, really, it's a judgement call. In formal settings (e.g. academic journal writing), it is usually clear which is preferred from the relevant style manual used.
New contributor
3
This is very much not correct. I don't really know where to start, but there is literally no sense in which British English is 'more correct' than any other form of English. Likewise, many American words and phrases are older than the British English equivalents, and were preserved by the separation of North American and British populations. Furthermore, 'color' et al were common spellings before the standardization of spelling in Britain, and '-ize' has only recently become something Britons generally avoid. '-ize' and '-ise' are still both acceptable in British English.
– fred2
10 hours ago
2
It is far more important that someone be consistent in their choice of English variation than to choose one particular one over the other. If I see “colour” I expect that the grammar and vocabulary will be British. If the subsequent text uses American grammar or vocabulary, then I will view it as a mistake, where I wouldn’t if the “color” spelling were used. Students should learn whichever variation they have the best access to native speakers of.
– ColleenV♦
8 hours ago
@fred2 Apologies, I didn't mean to stir sentiment. I'm not implying 'British' English is somehow more noble. It's simply a matter of definition. 'English' is the language of England. Not to mention, within England there's a lot of regional dialects too, so the canonical version of English is that known as 'The Queen's tongue', which is what most people mean by 'British' English. Older origins are not relevant. I'm from Cyprus, which is closer to ancient Greek than modern Greek. But I would never claim the Cypriot dialect is canonical for that reason. Greek is the language spoken in Greece.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Similarly, if Americans decided to claim their language by the name Americanese, and call English "British Americanese", then Americanese would be the canonical language in America, and a variant in Britain. It's as simple as that.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Who you calling an idiomatic? And why do people who speak "proper" English actually sing in American? It makes American seem correct. But, alas, England was first so...there's that.
– Hannover Fist
6 hours ago
add a comment |
One is the canonical (i.e. so-called "British") spelling and the other is the (idiomatic) American variant.
Note that, in a linguistic sense, there is no such thing as "British" English, anymore than there is "Italian" Italian, or "Spanish" Spanish, "French" French, "Russian" Russian, etc. "British" English represents the canonical form of the language, and American English represents a 'topical' (albeit internationally exposed through modern technology) idiomatic variant, in a similar way that Latin American Spanish is a variant of the canonical form of Spanish that is spoken in Spain, or how "Canadian" French is a variant of the canonical form of French spoken in France, etc.
However, given the large number of users, and particularly the disproportionate use of "American" English in the context of software and the internet, it has become practical to disambiguate between the two in this manner, so I will maintain this artificial distinction below in that understanding. In fact, the use of "US localisation" in software is probably the biggest factor that has lead to the American variant getting broad international exposure. I still remember the time when, English started being separated to US vs UK English in software; I remember feeling rather bemused when I first saw this, but in reality, in the context of selecting the right keyboard, spell checker, currency, date format, units, etc, it made perfect sense. Nowadays though, it is almost seen as a 'competing idiom' to the canonical form (and, as you've seen in the comments in this thread, given the historical relationship that the US has had with Britain, many Americans have rather come to perceive their idiomatic use of the English language and the extent to which it deviates from "British" canonical English as a point of national pride).
In any case, the canonical 'British' spelling (despite the jokes in the comments) is typically the more 'correct' one in a linguistic sense, in that it is typically more faithful to the etymology of the word, preserving the historical links to the words from which they have been derived, underlying phonetic and grammatical rules, etc. This is particularly true with words borrowed from other languages, e.g. Greek and Latin.
'American' spelling, on the other hand, is effectively a more colloquial form, and it is typically more 'phonetic' than grammatical in nature, particularly in the case of loanwords. Consider, e.g. "doughnut vs donut", "organise vs organize", etc. Having said that, note that, occasionally Americans stick to the canonical form too (e.g. "advize" is not a common spelling, despite the typical '-ize' americanisation).
So, if you have a choice, I would go for the so-called 'British' spelling, since this is the canonical form of English. This is particularly true if used in an international setting, where, speaking / writing in "American" English might sound like an odd choice (in the same way that speaking "Indian" English as a non-Indian might sound like an odd choice). On the other hand, when dealing with contexts relating to the US in general, the US variant may be more appropriate; to some Americans, it may even seem 'unpatriotic' or 'conceited' to deviate from the US variant, so, really, it's a judgement call. In formal settings (e.g. academic journal writing), it is usually clear which is preferred from the relevant style manual used.
New contributor
One is the canonical (i.e. so-called "British") spelling and the other is the (idiomatic) American variant.
Note that, in a linguistic sense, there is no such thing as "British" English, anymore than there is "Italian" Italian, or "Spanish" Spanish, "French" French, "Russian" Russian, etc. "British" English represents the canonical form of the language, and American English represents a 'topical' (albeit internationally exposed through modern technology) idiomatic variant, in a similar way that Latin American Spanish is a variant of the canonical form of Spanish that is spoken in Spain, or how "Canadian" French is a variant of the canonical form of French spoken in France, etc.
However, given the large number of users, and particularly the disproportionate use of "American" English in the context of software and the internet, it has become practical to disambiguate between the two in this manner, so I will maintain this artificial distinction below in that understanding. In fact, the use of "US localisation" in software is probably the biggest factor that has lead to the American variant getting broad international exposure. I still remember the time when, English started being separated to US vs UK English in software; I remember feeling rather bemused when I first saw this, but in reality, in the context of selecting the right keyboard, spell checker, currency, date format, units, etc, it made perfect sense. Nowadays though, it is almost seen as a 'competing idiom' to the canonical form (and, as you've seen in the comments in this thread, given the historical relationship that the US has had with Britain, many Americans have rather come to perceive their idiomatic use of the English language and the extent to which it deviates from "British" canonical English as a point of national pride).
In any case, the canonical 'British' spelling (despite the jokes in the comments) is typically the more 'correct' one in a linguistic sense, in that it is typically more faithful to the etymology of the word, preserving the historical links to the words from which they have been derived, underlying phonetic and grammatical rules, etc. This is particularly true with words borrowed from other languages, e.g. Greek and Latin.
'American' spelling, on the other hand, is effectively a more colloquial form, and it is typically more 'phonetic' than grammatical in nature, particularly in the case of loanwords. Consider, e.g. "doughnut vs donut", "organise vs organize", etc. Having said that, note that, occasionally Americans stick to the canonical form too (e.g. "advize" is not a common spelling, despite the typical '-ize' americanisation).
So, if you have a choice, I would go for the so-called 'British' spelling, since this is the canonical form of English. This is particularly true if used in an international setting, where, speaking / writing in "American" English might sound like an odd choice (in the same way that speaking "Indian" English as a non-Indian might sound like an odd choice). On the other hand, when dealing with contexts relating to the US in general, the US variant may be more appropriate; to some Americans, it may even seem 'unpatriotic' or 'conceited' to deviate from the US variant, so, really, it's a judgement call. In formal settings (e.g. academic journal writing), it is usually clear which is preferred from the relevant style manual used.
New contributor
New contributor
answered 10 hours ago
Tasos PapastylianouTasos Papastylianou
1152
1152
New contributor
New contributor
3
This is very much not correct. I don't really know where to start, but there is literally no sense in which British English is 'more correct' than any other form of English. Likewise, many American words and phrases are older than the British English equivalents, and were preserved by the separation of North American and British populations. Furthermore, 'color' et al were common spellings before the standardization of spelling in Britain, and '-ize' has only recently become something Britons generally avoid. '-ize' and '-ise' are still both acceptable in British English.
– fred2
10 hours ago
2
It is far more important that someone be consistent in their choice of English variation than to choose one particular one over the other. If I see “colour” I expect that the grammar and vocabulary will be British. If the subsequent text uses American grammar or vocabulary, then I will view it as a mistake, where I wouldn’t if the “color” spelling were used. Students should learn whichever variation they have the best access to native speakers of.
– ColleenV♦
8 hours ago
@fred2 Apologies, I didn't mean to stir sentiment. I'm not implying 'British' English is somehow more noble. It's simply a matter of definition. 'English' is the language of England. Not to mention, within England there's a lot of regional dialects too, so the canonical version of English is that known as 'The Queen's tongue', which is what most people mean by 'British' English. Older origins are not relevant. I'm from Cyprus, which is closer to ancient Greek than modern Greek. But I would never claim the Cypriot dialect is canonical for that reason. Greek is the language spoken in Greece.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Similarly, if Americans decided to claim their language by the name Americanese, and call English "British Americanese", then Americanese would be the canonical language in America, and a variant in Britain. It's as simple as that.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Who you calling an idiomatic? And why do people who speak "proper" English actually sing in American? It makes American seem correct. But, alas, England was first so...there's that.
– Hannover Fist
6 hours ago
add a comment |
3
This is very much not correct. I don't really know where to start, but there is literally no sense in which British English is 'more correct' than any other form of English. Likewise, many American words and phrases are older than the British English equivalents, and were preserved by the separation of North American and British populations. Furthermore, 'color' et al were common spellings before the standardization of spelling in Britain, and '-ize' has only recently become something Britons generally avoid. '-ize' and '-ise' are still both acceptable in British English.
– fred2
10 hours ago
2
It is far more important that someone be consistent in their choice of English variation than to choose one particular one over the other. If I see “colour” I expect that the grammar and vocabulary will be British. If the subsequent text uses American grammar or vocabulary, then I will view it as a mistake, where I wouldn’t if the “color” spelling were used. Students should learn whichever variation they have the best access to native speakers of.
– ColleenV♦
8 hours ago
@fred2 Apologies, I didn't mean to stir sentiment. I'm not implying 'British' English is somehow more noble. It's simply a matter of definition. 'English' is the language of England. Not to mention, within England there's a lot of regional dialects too, so the canonical version of English is that known as 'The Queen's tongue', which is what most people mean by 'British' English. Older origins are not relevant. I'm from Cyprus, which is closer to ancient Greek than modern Greek. But I would never claim the Cypriot dialect is canonical for that reason. Greek is the language spoken in Greece.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Similarly, if Americans decided to claim their language by the name Americanese, and call English "British Americanese", then Americanese would be the canonical language in America, and a variant in Britain. It's as simple as that.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Who you calling an idiomatic? And why do people who speak "proper" English actually sing in American? It makes American seem correct. But, alas, England was first so...there's that.
– Hannover Fist
6 hours ago
3
3
This is very much not correct. I don't really know where to start, but there is literally no sense in which British English is 'more correct' than any other form of English. Likewise, many American words and phrases are older than the British English equivalents, and were preserved by the separation of North American and British populations. Furthermore, 'color' et al were common spellings before the standardization of spelling in Britain, and '-ize' has only recently become something Britons generally avoid. '-ize' and '-ise' are still both acceptable in British English.
– fred2
10 hours ago
This is very much not correct. I don't really know where to start, but there is literally no sense in which British English is 'more correct' than any other form of English. Likewise, many American words and phrases are older than the British English equivalents, and were preserved by the separation of North American and British populations. Furthermore, 'color' et al were common spellings before the standardization of spelling in Britain, and '-ize' has only recently become something Britons generally avoid. '-ize' and '-ise' are still both acceptable in British English.
– fred2
10 hours ago
2
2
It is far more important that someone be consistent in their choice of English variation than to choose one particular one over the other. If I see “colour” I expect that the grammar and vocabulary will be British. If the subsequent text uses American grammar or vocabulary, then I will view it as a mistake, where I wouldn’t if the “color” spelling were used. Students should learn whichever variation they have the best access to native speakers of.
– ColleenV♦
8 hours ago
It is far more important that someone be consistent in their choice of English variation than to choose one particular one over the other. If I see “colour” I expect that the grammar and vocabulary will be British. If the subsequent text uses American grammar or vocabulary, then I will view it as a mistake, where I wouldn’t if the “color” spelling were used. Students should learn whichever variation they have the best access to native speakers of.
– ColleenV♦
8 hours ago
@fred2 Apologies, I didn't mean to stir sentiment. I'm not implying 'British' English is somehow more noble. It's simply a matter of definition. 'English' is the language of England. Not to mention, within England there's a lot of regional dialects too, so the canonical version of English is that known as 'The Queen's tongue', which is what most people mean by 'British' English. Older origins are not relevant. I'm from Cyprus, which is closer to ancient Greek than modern Greek. But I would never claim the Cypriot dialect is canonical for that reason. Greek is the language spoken in Greece.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
@fred2 Apologies, I didn't mean to stir sentiment. I'm not implying 'British' English is somehow more noble. It's simply a matter of definition. 'English' is the language of England. Not to mention, within England there's a lot of regional dialects too, so the canonical version of English is that known as 'The Queen's tongue', which is what most people mean by 'British' English. Older origins are not relevant. I'm from Cyprus, which is closer to ancient Greek than modern Greek. But I would never claim the Cypriot dialect is canonical for that reason. Greek is the language spoken in Greece.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Similarly, if Americans decided to claim their language by the name Americanese, and call English "British Americanese", then Americanese would be the canonical language in America, and a variant in Britain. It's as simple as that.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Similarly, if Americans decided to claim their language by the name Americanese, and call English "British Americanese", then Americanese would be the canonical language in America, and a variant in Britain. It's as simple as that.
– Tasos Papastylianou
8 hours ago
Who you calling an idiomatic? And why do people who speak "proper" English actually sing in American? It makes American seem correct. But, alas, England was first so...there's that.
– Hannover Fist
6 hours ago
Who you calling an idiomatic? And why do people who speak "proper" English actually sing in American? It makes American seem correct. But, alas, England was first so...there's that.
– Hannover Fist
6 hours ago
add a comment |
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1
Related pages comparing the two: Grammarist, Grammar.com, Writing Explained and Wikipedia (which only briefly notes both versions). I found these by Googling "behavior and behaviour".
– NotThatGuy
yesterday
If you look at the 2 definitions, you will see that they come from different sources; this is why the definitions differ in their wording.
– Dancrumb
9 hours ago
1
The difference is roughly 3200 miles.
– Dunk
6 hours ago