British vs American English

British and American English share the same grammar and the vast majority of their vocabulary, but centuries apart have left hundreds of small differences in spelling and word choice. Colour becomes color, centre becomes center, and a lift in London is an elevator in New York.

This guide lays the two varieties side by side — the predictable spelling patterns (-our/-or, -re/-er, -ise/-ize) and the everyday vocabulary swaps for food, clothing, transport, and daily life. Neither version is 'more correct'; the key is to pick one and use it consistently.