There are several differences between British English and American English. American English spelling omits letters compared to British English: “-or” instead of “-our,” dropping silent “e,” and replacing “-ae” or “-oe” with “e.”
Only two letters differentiate the words access and excess. It doesn’t help that their pronunciations are somewhat similar, too. If you struggle with using access and excess correctly, we can help.
Whether you’re an English language learner or a native speaker, there’s one thing we all have to accept: English can be puzzling, and there’s no other way around it.
Except that there is. This blog post will teach you the difference between accept and except and fill you in on a secret that makes writing in English a breeze.
Principal can function as an adjective that means “most significant” or “main.” As a noun, it refers to someone in an authoritative position or someone who leads a school.
Principle can only ever function as a noun and means “a moral rule or strong belief that influences your behavior or actions.”
The constant arguing was the principal reason for our departure.
Before she became the principal, she was a teacher for 25 years.
Oxford spelling is the established spelling standard used by the Oxford University Press (OUP). It’s used for many British publications. It is characterized by the incorporation of typical British English spelling—except that it uses a “z” in “–ize” suffixes (e.g., organize instead of organise).
Alter is a verb that means “to change or modify.” Altar is a noun that refers to an elevated structure that is at the center of a religious ceremony or ritual.
He wanted to alter his truck to make it more elevated than normal.
For the sake of tradition, my family and I left roses at the altar at the church.
In American English, canceled and cancelled are acceptable, although canceled is more common. In British English, cancelled is the prominent, most widely used spelling.
Similarly, canceling is also more common in American English, while cancelling is more common in British English.
The noun cancellation (with two Ls) is the recommended spelling, regardless of which dialect you’re writing in.
Trial and error describes a process of trying things repeatedly, even when they go wrong, until you find the correct way of doing it. It underpins innovation, invention, and artistic endeavors, as well as many daily tasks—think of a child learning how to stand and walk, for instance.
