¶ The Library

Spelling

The young-learner edition — same rules, smaller steps, friendlier examples.

29 articles For readers 11–18 See the adult edition

Young LearnersUK & US

In this pillar

Every young-learner article

Start here One Language, Two Spellings 2 min read Why English spelling is such a maze — and the map that gets you through it

Advice/Advise & Practice/Practise (Regional Split) 3 min read Advice or advise, practice or practise — same sound, different spelling, and here's which one you need.
Affect or Effect? 3 min read The classic mix-up — one's the action, one's the result; here's the one-second test to pick right
Catalogue or Catalog? UK vs US 4 min read Catalogue or catalog? The extra letters British spelling keeps and American trims — and when each fits.
Centre or Center? UK vs US 3 min read Centre or center? The same word flipped across the Atlantic — the rule, and which one your teacher expects.
Clothing Vocabulary (Trousers or Pants?) 3 min read Trousers or pants, trainers or sneakers — the clothing words that mean different things in Britain and America.
Colour or Color? UK vs US 4 min read Colour or color? The most famous British–American spelling split — where the u goes, and which to use when.
Complement/Compliment, Principal/Principle, Stationary/Stationery 3 min read A nice compliment, a matching complement — three lookalike pairs, and a memory trick for each
Everyday Vocabulary (Holiday or Vacation?) 4 min read Holiday or vacation, autumn or fall — the everyday words that change between British and American English.
Fewer or Less? 3 min read The "10 items or less" sign is technically wrong — here's the count-it test for fewer versus less
Food & Shopping Vocabulary (Crisps or Chips?) 4 min read Crisps or chips, biscuit or cookie — the food words where Britain and America don't mean the same thing.
Home & Household Vocabulary (Flat or Apartment?) 4 min read Flat or apartment, tap or faucet — the household words that swap from one side of the Atlantic to the other.
How Words Are Built: Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots 3 min read Long words stop being scary once you see the pieces — how prefixes, roots and suffixes snap together to make meaning
Learnt or Learned? Got or Gotten? Irregular Past Forms 3 min read Learnt or learned? Got or gotten? The past-tense forms where British and American English part ways.
Organise or Organize? UK vs US 4 min read Organise or organize? The s-or-z question — which side prefers which, and why both can be right in Britain.
Paediatric or Pediatric? -ae- and -oe- Words 4 min read Paediatric or pediatric? The -ae- and -oe- letter pairs British spelling keeps and American simplifies.
Spelling Strategies That Work in Both UK & US 4 min read Tricks that make spellings stick — sound it out, find the word inside, and habits that work whichever side you're on
Spelling Systems — UK vs US at a Glance 3 min read Colour or color, organise or organize — the six real British–American spelling patterns, in one place.
The -er Family: Center, Theater, Meter (US) US4 min read Center, theater, meter — the American -er spellings, and the British -re words they come from.
The -ise Family: Organise, Realise (UK, + the Oxford -ize nuance) UK4 min read Organise or organize? The British -ise ending, when to use it, and why Oxford allows -ize too.
The -ize Family: Organize, Realize (US) US4 min read Organize, realize, recognize — the American -ize endings, and the single rule behind them.
The -og Family: Catalog, Dialog (US) US4 min read Catalog, dialog — the trimmed American spellings, and the longer British -ogue they shorten.
The -ogue Family: Catalogue, Dialogue (UK) UK4 min read Catalogue, dialogue — the full British -ogue ending, and the shorter American versions.
The -or Family: Color, Favor, Honor (US) US4 min read Color, favor, honor — the American spellings that drop the British u, all from one simple rule.
The -our Family: Colour, Favour, Honour (UK) UK4 min read Colour, favour, honour — the British -our words, and the American -or spellings that drop the u.
The -re Family: Centre, Theatre, Metre (UK) UK4 min read Centre, theatre, metre — the British -re endings, and why they flip to -er in America.
Their, There or They're? 4 min read "Their going over there" gets circled in red — the three sound-alikes, each with a quick check to get it right
Transport Vocabulary (Lift or Elevator?) 3 min read Lift or elevator, petrol or gas — the getting-around words that change between Britain and America.
Travelling or Traveling? Double-L & Consonant Doubling 4 min read Travelling or traveling? One l or two — the double-letter rule where British and American spelling split.