American and British English
American and British English spelling differences are one aspect of American and British English differences.
In the early 18th century, English spelling was not standardized. Differences became noticeable after the publishing of influential dictionaries. Current British English spellings follow, for the most part, those of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language (1755). Many of the new characteristic American English spellings were introduced, although not, for the most part, created, by Noah Webster in his American Dictionary of the English Language of 1828.
Webster was a strong proponent of spelling reform for reasons both philological and nationalistic. Many spelling changes proposed in the US by Webster himself, and in the early 20th century by the Simplified Spelling Board, never caught on. Among the advocates of spelling reform in England, the influences of those who preferred the Norman (or Anglo-French) spellings of certain words proved decisive. Subsequent spelling adjustments in the UK had little effect on present-day US spelling, and vice versa(反之亦然). While in many cases American English deviated in the 19th century from mainstream British spelling, on the other hand it has also often retained older forms.
The spelling systems of Commonwealth countries, for the most part, closely resemble the British system. In Canada, however, while most spelling is “British”, many “American” spellings are also used. Additional information on Canadian and Australian spelling is provided throughout the article.
