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British Spellings Quiz
Based on the American spelling, guess the British spellings of these words.
Some of these are pronounced differently
Read me => Sometimes these words can be spelled the same in Britain. Guess the DIFFERENT spelling which is not used in the U.S.
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Last updated: January 28, 2022
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| First submitted | April 10, 2012 |
| Times taken | 94,164 |
| Average score | 70.0% |
| Rating | 4.04 |
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I respond with "Can't find a powerpoint"
He walks out and returns with powerpoint open with on his computer
That said, language is constantly deVELoping (not deveLOPPING) and my version of the Oxford guide is from 1983. Oh, and of course there are exceptions.
I hope I will learn to spell those words in the future.
In any case, they are not insurmountable differences, and I for one have never struggled to understand an American using different spellings and vernacular. That said, I am interested in phonetics and linguistics...
As stated above, all languages are dynamic and vowels shift, and the sound of consonants also change. The letters we have are not varied enough to represent subtle differences. The differences in US and UK orthography come down to exactly what point in the history of English we first (respectively) decided to fix them in stone. Plus, of course, spelling reform. If you think that words should be pronounced as they are spelled, you are not right. The word comes first and the orthography necessarily comes later, and the system is often found lacking and is quickly superannuated, because language usage CHANGES constantly
Didn't know what aeon was so I didn't know how we spell it 🤷
PS why don't you guys just spell it aloominum and have done with it haha
Sorry, but many American root forms are, more often than not, pedigreed back a millenium and a half before the traditional French versions, which later came in full vogue in 1800s England.
- William Shakespeare
Notably, here we see a different situation with the newer French spelling of lieutenant. Old French was leuftenant, which holds over in the current British pronunciation versus American.
Many modern editions of older English texts "correct" to modern British spellings, but writers including Shakespeare used older spelling forms as well as francophone versions.
For contemplation hee and valor form’d,
For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace,
Hee for God only, shee for God in him:
His fair large Front and Eye sublime declar’d
Absolute rule; and Hyacinthine Locks
Round from his parted forelock manly hung
Clust’ring, but not beneath his shoulders broad:
Shee as a veil down to the slender waist
Her unadorned golden tresses wore
Dishevell’d, but in wanton ringlets wav’d
As the Vine curls her tendrils, which impli’d
Subjection, but requir’d with gentle sway,
And by her yielded, by him best receiv’d,
Yielded with coy submission, modest pride,
And sweet reluctant amorous delay."
- John Milton, Paradise Lost
Here, we see one of the most cherished of all Englishman writers holding onto older English spellings in the mid-1600s. Among them, "valor", completely U-less.
Otherwise we're going to have a lot of Americans thinking that in the UK one might cheque the parking metre while making a racquet telling a storey, until your friends tyre of you and you kerb your behaviour.
For the most of the other words (in general, not this quiz specifically) I seem to have random preferences, though I am sure in many cases it stems from somewhere ( either some logic, or which I have encountered the most). Some just look odd to me.
Ow analyse and analyze is another one I think I mix, though seeing it written analyze looks weirder. I think lately I use analyse but might used to have used analyze more.. But now the more I look at it, analyze is starting to look less weird.
Well it still poses the same question, why do I find it a normal word and have seen the spelling quite a few times before. (Perhaps as much as eon, maybe even more, I think it might be more, or aeon just looks more pleasing to me, because looking at it atm, aeon looks better to me).
Maybe it is a matter of what you retain and I have a good memory for words (and like new and difficult ones, and etymology). Because when it comes to names I can read an article and forget names (especially famous people, sportspeople and politicians, I have no memory for those or the subjects in general). Of course names are words too, but then it is about what they refer to, and not if the word itself is interesting.
As Roxy7699 says, perhaps y’all declaring independence from England, over and over and over again?
I got 25 without really having to stop and think, could continu(e) typing. (The ones that gave me a tiny bit of trouble and had to skip initially were traveler, silly could ve gotten that one earlier, my first guess was travler and then moved on. Pediatric, also silly, I got the other "ae" ones without pausing, hm forgot which other two I think defence, ow yea and chilli, (too many options with that one)
I am neither from the US or UK btw. That helps and hinders.
And we write manoeuvre the same way in my country, well those who know how to spell haha. Not surprised that one scored low, because it is not an easy one to spell. Nor about behoove, since a lot of people won't know that word, in either "language". But am surprised about aeon.
Sometimes I feel like americans don't have access to internet or something, surely they could come across the same words as I do??