Is It Toward or Towards? | Spelling, Difference & Examples

Published on June 11, 2025 by Gina Rancaño, BA

Toward and towards are two ways of spelling the same preposition, which means “in contribution to,” “in the direction of,” or “in relation to.” The words are often used interchangeably, but there’s a difference in preference depending on whether you use British or American English.

In American English, “toward” is more common.
In British English, “towards” is more common.

It’s important to choose one spelling and use it consistently. The LanguageTool Grammar Checker can help you with this.

Examples: Toward or towards in a sentence

The hiker started walking toward/towards the summit of the mountain.

As the storm approached, people hurried toward/towards shelter.

The organization is moving toward/towards a more sustainable business model.

Working toward or towards
Main differences between American and British English

Working toward or towards

The phrase working toward or towards means “trying to achieve.” The same distinction applies to this phrase.

In American English, “working toward” is more commonly used.
In British English, “working towards” is preferred.

Examples: Working toward or towards in a sentence

The therapy sessions are helping Zoey in working toward/towards emotional healing.

The nonprofit organization is tirelessly working toward/towards eradicating hunger in the community.

The team is working toward/towards a more efficient and streamlined workflow.

Main differences between American and British English

American and British English are very similar, but there are a few main differences in spelling. Five important differences are:

Difference	Rule	Examples
-or vs -our	In American English, many Latin-derived words end in -or. In British English, these same words end in -our.	Behavior or behaviour Labor or labour Favor or favour Favorite or favourite Color or colour Humor or humour
-er vs -re	In American English, some French, Latin, or Greek words end in -er. In British English, these same words end in -re.	Theater or theatre Center or centre Meter or metre Liter or litre Saber or sabre Fiber or fibre
-ize vs -ise	In American English, many Greek-derived words end in -yze or -ize. In British English, these words end in -yse or -ise.	Realize or realise Recognize or recognise Analyze or analyse Organize or organise Minimize or minimise Finalize or finalise
-ed vs -t	In American English, most verbs are regular and form their past tense with the suffix -ed. In British English, some of these verbs are irregular and form their past tense with the suffix -t.	Learned or learnt Burned or burnt Kneeled or knelt Dreamed or dreamt Smelled or smelt Spelled or spelt
Single vs double consonant	In American English, many words are spelled with a single consonant. In British English, these same words are spelled with a double consonant.	Modeling or modelling Traveling or travelling Canceled or cancelled Labeled or labelled Buses or busses Focused or focussed

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Gina Rancaño, BA

Gina holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, as well as a certificate in professional and public writing from Florida International University. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading.

Spelling

Is It Toward or Towards? | Spelling, Difference & Examples

Table of contents

Working toward or towards

Main differences between American and British English

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Gina Rancaño, BA

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