Spelling

I am homeschooling my 15 year old son until we can get him into a local college this fall.  After being in school in the States for 8 months, I thought it would be sensible to review some British vs American spellings.  I've created a document showing many of the spelling changes between the two countries.  Some of it has been snagged from the net; some of it snagged from his GCSE study guides.

I'm not sure if it will be of help to anyone, but I've put a PDF version of the document on the net.  If you think it will be of use to you, by all means help yourself.

Oh, if you find any errors, please do let me know.  

Thanks for that!  Between that little sheet and setting my Word to UK spelling I should be okay!

A most useful list, Caitlinn!

The situation with regard to the -ize words is a complicated one, and many people assume that -ise is the accepted Brit fashion.  (MS spell-checkers make this assumption, whereas Macromedia give you the opportunity to set "UK English (-ise)" or "UK English (-ize)". The OED always prefers the -ize form, except where for linguistic/etymological/logical reasons it should be -ise (eg., promise), and if you look at the spelling I use in my other posts you will see I am loyal to this style, out of affection for my alma mater (or affectation?!)  The "other place" (that one in East Anglia) prefer the -ise forms, I think I've heard it said, but then they were always a weird lot!

An advantage of the -ise style is that you don't have to remember the exceptions to the rule.

One thing I find funny is the spelling "analyze".  Since it is from the Greek "analuo" and not "*analuso", it should surely always be "analyse".  If you think that "-ize" (from the Gr "-izo") has the effect of rendering something into something else (eg. "realize" makes something "real") the absurdity of "analyze" becomes apparent!)

There is another useful list of Am v. Brit spelling at

http://www.peak.org/~jeremy/dictionary/tables/spellcat.php

And there are some interesting discussions of -ise/-ise at:

http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutspelling/ize?view=uk

http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/13/messages/785.html

http://home.online.no/~shughes/a57998/izeise.html

and elsewhere if you google for "ize ise".

BTW, I think "arguement" is always wrong, or at least rare, even in Brit.  "Aging" seems to be a matter of taste.

Thank you Caitlinn this will surely come in handy for me.  I'm a secretary by trade and if I want to use my skills to work in Wales it can only help me to spell properly!  lol

goal for jail??? should ot not be gaol

Howard, thank you for the spelling background and additional links.  They are most helpful.  You certainly are a wealth of information!

Idgie, thanks for catching that mistake.  I obviously have too much football on the brain!    I've also corrected the PDF.

 Ta to both of you for the useful info and links!I think this might come in handy for me as well,when Iam able to go to Uni in the UK  

I obviously have too much football on the brain!    

Not possible to have *too* much football on the brain, dear Caitlinn!!!!!!  Remember what that famous Liverpool manager Bill Shankly said: "Football is not a matter of life and death.  It's more important than that."

very helpful caitlinn ....thanks.