Regional Spelling and Grammar Flashcards
Name the region(s):
-or endings
US
Name the region(s):
-our endings
UK, AUS
What is the UK/AUS variant of “color”?
“Colour”
What is the UK/AUS variant of “behavior”?
Behaviour
What is the UK/AUS variant of “flavor”?
Flavour
What is the UK/AUS variant of “labor”?
Exception?
Labour
Exception: The Australian “Labor Party.” In all other contexts, “labour” is the correct spelling of this word in Australian English.
Name the region(s):
-re endings
UK/AUS
Name the region(s):
-er endings
US
What is the UK/AUS variant of “fiber”?
Fibre
What is the UK/AUS variant of “theater”?
Theatre
What is the UK/AUS variant of “meter”?
Exception?
Metre
Exception: “Meter” is the standard spelling for electrical devices (e.g. a gas meter, electrical meter, etc.) in all dialects.
Name the region(s):
-ize endings
Note?
US
Note: Many -ize endings are acceptable in the UK as a secondary spelling. Check the stylesheet provided by the client. If there is no specification, use standard UK spelling.
Name the region(s):
-ise endings
UK/ AUS
What is the UK/AUS variant of “Familiarize”?
Familiarise
What is the UK/AUS variant of “realize”?
Realise
What is the UK/AUS variant of “recognize”?
Recognise
What is the UK/AUS variant of “capitalize”?
Capitalise
Name the region(s):
-yze endings
US
Name the region(s):
-yse endings
UK/AUS
What is the UK/AUS variant of “analyze”?
Analyse
What is the UK/AUS variant of “catalyze”?
Catalyse
What is the UK/AUS variant of “paralyze”?
Paralyse
Name the region(s):
-se endings
US
Name the region(s):
-ce endings
Note:
UK/AUS
Note: Often times the adjectival form of words that are spelled with the variant “-ce” revert back to the US spellings using “-s.”
What is the UK/AUS variant of “offense”?
Offence
What is the UK/AUS variant of “defense”?
Exception?
Defence
Exception: The adjectival form is “defensive” with an (s).
What is the UK/AUS variant of “criticize”?
Criticise
Name the region(s):
-og endings
US
Name the region(s):
-ogue endings
Note?
UK/AUS
Note: There are notable differences between how each region using terms ending in -ogue vs -ge.
What is the UK variant of “analog”?
Analogue
What is the AUS variant of “analog”?
“Analog” is the correct variant when used as an adjective, e.g., an analog clock.
“Analogue” is the correct variant when used to describe an equivalent stand-in.
What is the UK variant of “pedagog”?
Padagogue
What is the AUS variant of “pedagog”?
Pedagogue
What is the distinction between “dialog” and “dialogue” shared by US and AUS conventions?
How does the UK differ?
“Dialog” is used in technical/computing references, whereas “dialogue” is used in reference to a conversation.
UK uses “dialogue” for both.
Name the region(s):
Words that maintain the original greek -oe- or -ae-.
UK and sometimes AUS
Name the region(s):
Words that shorten the original greek -oe- or -ae- to -e-.
US and sometimes AUS
What is the UK variant of “Encyclopedia”?
Encyclopaedia
Does the AUS variant of “Encyclopedia” agree with US or UK English?
US (Encyclopedia)
What is the UK variant of “Maneuver”?
Manoeuver
Does the AUS variant of “Maneuver” agree with US or UK English?
UK (Manoeuver)
What is the UK variant of “pediatric”?
Paediatric
Does the AUS variant of “pediatric” agree with US or UK English?
UK (Paediatric)
Does US English prefer smelled or smelt?
UK/AUS?
Smelled
UK/AUS: Both are fine
Does US English prefer dreamed or dreamt?
UK/AUS?
Dreamed
UK/AUS: Both are fine
Does US English prefer burned or burnt?
UK/AUS?
Both are fine in all regions.
Name the region(s):
-able endings
US
Name the region(s):
-eable endings
UK/AUS
What is the UK/AUS variant of “likable”?
Likeable
What is the UK/AUS variant of “sizable”?
Sizeable
What is the UK/AUS variant of “check”?
Cheque
What is the UK/AUS variant of “aluminum”?
Aluminium
What is the UK/AUS variant of “jewelry”?
Jewellery
What is the UK variant of “program”?
Exception?
Programme
Exception: Computer “program”
What is the AUS variant of “program”?
Exception?
Program (but “programme” is also acceptable).
Exception: Computer “program”
How does the UK/AUS spell “practice” when used as a noun?
When used as a verb?
When used as an adjective?
Noun: Practice
E.g., The doctor’s practice was busy today.
Verb: Practise
E.g., I practised all day.
Adjective: Practising
E.g. She is a practising doctor.
How does the UK/AUS spell “license” when used as a noun?
When used as a verb?
When used as an adjective?
Noun: licence
E.g., James Bond has a licence to kill.
Verb: licensed
E.g., James Bond is licensed to kill.
Which region(s) favors the double “l” in words with vowel suffixes?
UK/AUS
Although there are exceptions, British and Australian English generally favor doubling the -l- in words with vowel suffixes (e.g. traveller, labelled, channelling).
US English, on the other hand, typically prefers a single -l- (e.g. traveler, labeled, channeling).
Collective Nouns:
In standard English, collective nouns are usually assigned singular verbs. In which region are both singular and plural verbs acceptable?
Note?
UK
The band is going to the talent contest. vs. The band are going to the talent contest.
Note: This is more of a trend than a hard-and-fast rule. When you encounter it in UK text, leave a note.
Which vs. That:
In which region(s) are both “that” and “which” acceptable to use with a restrictive/essential clause?
In which region(s) is only “that” acceptable?
In which region(s) is “which” the correct choice for nonrestrictive/nonessential clauses?
UK/AUS
US
All
In which region(s) is there a distinction between “further” and “farther”?
In which region(s) is there not?
What is the preferred form in this/these regions?
US
UK/AUS
“Further”
What tense is used in UK/AUS when describing a past event that has consequences in the present?
What tense is used in the US when describing a past event that has consequences in the present?
Examples?
This distinction always applies to which three words?
UK/AUS English tends to use the present perfect tense.
E.g., I have eaten too much and now I feel ill.
Past simple is more common in US English.
E.g., I ate too much and now I feel ill.
Already, just, and yet.
UK/AUS English
I have just eaten.
I have already eaten.
I have not eaten yet.
US English
I just ate.
I already ate.
I did not eat yet.
UK/AUS English and US English differ in their use of the delexical verbs “have” and “take.” Which region prefers which term?
Examples?
Have is favored in the UK.
Take is preferred in the US
Examples:
US English
I am going to take a bath.
Do you want to take a look at the listings?
UK/AUS English
I am going to have a bath.
Do you want to have a look at the listings?
When is it appropriate to use “shall” instead of “will”?
An exception to the general rule?
Common use:
UK/AUS?
US
Traditionally, shall is used with first-person pronouns, while will is used with second- and third-person pronouns.
E.g., I shall go to the ball.
You will go to the ball.
He will go to the ball.
Exception: When used emphatically.
E.g., You shall go to the ball!
Common Use:
“Will” is more common in all contexts, especially in the US where “shall” is generally only used formal/ technical writing (e.g. legal documents).
In which region is the term “gotten” used and for what purpose?
US
In US English, “gotten” is used as a common past participle form of “got” when referring to a change of some kind:
An acquisition (e.g. We’ve gotten lunch)
Movement (e.g. She still hasn’t gotten up)
In the sense of “becoming” (e.g. He’s gotten fat).
How is the phrase “in the hospital” often written in UK/AUS English?
“in hospital”
E.g., Bobby’s in hospital.
How is the phrase “on the weekend” often written in UK/AUS English?
“at the weekend”
E.g., I’ll see you at the weekend.
How is the phrase “different than” often written in UK/AUS English?
Note?
“different to”
Note: “different from” is also acceptable in the UK and prefered in the US.
How is the phrase “in school/college/university” often written in UK/AUS English?
“at school”
Which region(s) tends to drop the word “to” when it follows “write” or “writing”?
US
E.g., Have you written Grandma?
Which region(s) tends to put the name of a river after the term “river”?
UK/AUS
The River Thames vs. The Mississippi River
In which region(s) is the term “dove” not used?
UK/AUS
In which region(s) is the term “busted” not used?
UK/AUS
In which region(s) is the term “pled” not used?
UK/AUS
In which region(s) is the term “sawn” not used?
UK/AUS
In which region(s) is the term “waked” not used?
UK/AUS
In which region(s) is the term “stunk” not used in the simple past tense?
UK/AUS
In which region(s) is the term “proven” not used?
UK/AUS
Use of the Oxford comma is more common in what region(s)?
US
In British English, the first word after a colon is usually only capitalised if it is a proper noun or the first letter in an acronym
In British and Australian English, the usual practice is to use single quotation marks (otherwise known as inverted commas) for quotes and to use double quotation marks for quotes within quotes:
‘Are you quite sure,’ said Margaret, ‘that you know what a “McGuffin” is?’
But in American English, it is usually the other way round:
“Are you quite sure,” said Margaret, “that you know what a ‘McGuffin’ is?”
There is also a regional difference in how commas and full stops are used with quotation marks. In British and Australian English, they go inside quotation marks when they are part of the quoted material, but outside otherwise:
The briefcase in Pulp Fiction has been described as ‘the archetypal McGuffin’.
In American English, however, commas and full stops always go within quotation marks:
The briefcase in Pulp Fiction has been described as “the archetypal McGuffin.”
One exception to the general rule about comma and full stop placement in British and Australian English is dialogue in fiction. In these cases, punctuation is almost always placed inside quotation marks:
‘Of course I know,’ Harold snapped, ‘I’m an expert on McGuffins.’
In addition, spaced en dashes are sometimes used parenthetically or in place of a colon, especially in British English. For example, we could use dashes in the following:
Debbie Harry – most famous for fronting Blondie – has released five solo albums.
Debbie Harry has just announced her new live album – Dream Season.
These uses of en dashes are most common in UK/AUS English (with em dashes more common in the US).
Conventions differ over how to punctuate e.g. and i.e.
Generally, British English omits the comma:
Some countries are fussy about punctuation: e.g. the UK and Australia.
In American English, however, it is common to add a comma after e.g. and i.e.:
Other countries use punctuation more freely: e.g., the USA.
This term can be abbreviated to either v or vs, although v is more common in legal documents:
Donoghue v Stevenson set a vital precedent in English law.
In addition, you can add a full stop at the end of the abbreviated forms. This is more common in American English:
British and Australian English: The Vidal vs Buckley debates were famously heated.
American English: The Vidal vs. Buckley debates were famously heated.
The easy thing to remember is that initialisms (i.e. abbreviations pronounced letter by letter) are almost always capitalised in their entirety (e.g. BBC, NBC, TGIF). This is true regardless of dialect.
American English treats acronyms (i.e. abbreviations pronounced as a single word) in the same way. However, some British and Australian English style guides suggest only capitalising the initial letter of these terms:
British/Australian English: Unicef and Fifa are partnering on a new project.
American English: UNICEF and FIFA are partnering on a new project.
How you punctuate a truncated title (e.g. Mr, Mrs, Dr, Prof.) will depend on the dialect your client is using.
In American English, titles should always be followed by full stops:
Mrs. Jenner and Dr. Reed are plotting against Prof. Horton.
In British English, titles are only followed by full stops if they are missing the final letter of the full word:
Mrs Jenner and Dr Reed are plotting against Prof. Horton.
Here, for instance, we keep the full stop in Prof. because it is short for Professor. But we have removed it from Mrs and Dr as these abbreviations end with the same letter as the full words (i.e. Mistress and Doctor, respectively).
Whether to add a full stop after abbreviations of units of measurement depends on the system in question.
Imperial units (e.g. oz. or ft.) are generally followed by a full stop:
There was precisely 70 ft. between the checkpoints.
However, metric units of measurement (e.g. ml or cm) are not:
There was precisely 23.5 m between the checkpoints.
If you come across percentages while proofreading, you should know that per cent (two words) is traditional in British English, while percent (one word) is standard in American English.
What is the UK variant of “tire”?
Tyre
