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Can You Correctly Spell All Of These Incredibly British Words?

By: Zoe Samuel

3 min

Can You Correctly Spell All Of These Incredibly British Words?

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About This Quiz

As Oscar Wilde put it, the United States and the United Kingdom are "two countries divided by a common language." While both nations speak English, there are regional differences in how words are spelled that can bamboozle even the most enthusiastic pond-hopper. Many a business relationship, friendship and romance have been jeopardized by not understanding the correct idiom, misusing a word, or putting the date the "wrong" way round. Spelling is yet another minefield when it comes to communicating, with each nation firmly convinced that their way of doing it is the right one.

Of course, you would never be befuddled by something so simple as talking British - because either you are British or you've been there so many times (or simply watched so much "Downton Abbey") that you're essentially an honorary Brit. You know when to use an "s" instead of a "z," when to keep or dump a letter "u," and whether you need a single or a double "l." You can code-switch between these two great nations' dictionaries with the agility of a truly international traveler (or perhaps, traveller).

Still, since most people can't keep up with your expertise, it's very rare that you get to show it off - so click on through and prove your British cred once and for all!

Spell the missing word: the rainbow has seven ____.

Colors

Colours

Noah Webster, of dictionary fame, was probably responsible for this particular change, which also applies to words like vapor, honor, labor, etc.

Hughs

Shades

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What's the correct spelling for the paved area of a street that people walk on?

Sidewalk

Pavement

The pavement is the same thing as the sidewalk in U.K. English. The actual road area that the cars use doesn't have its own name, really. The Brits would say, "Walk on the pavement, not the road."

Pavemeant

Verges

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What is the metal called, whose symbol is AL?

Alluminium

Alum

Aluminum

Aluminium

Americans call it aluminum, Brits call it aluminium. It's mostly because discoverer Sir Humphry Davy couldn't decide between the two himself. Both are correct.

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How do you spell the word that describes the process of growing older?

Ageing

British English uses more letter E's in places like this.

Aging

Age-ing

Ageng

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What is the developmental stage after an embryo?

Foetus

The "oe" in the British version is called a diphthong, which is when a vowel sound starts as one vowel and moves to another.

Fetus

Zygote

Sygote

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What's the other name for a playbill?

Programme

Program used to be the commonly used one for both sides, but in the 1800s Brits adopted the French spelling.

Program

Proggram

Programm

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Where do actors perform on a stage?

Theater

Theter

Theatre

Theater, center, meter, etc., are all the American spellings, as they are a little easier and simpler, which happened when American English began to simplify and standardize. British spellings keep the -re ending.

Thaeter

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What does a data analyst do?

Analys data

Analyze data

Analyse data

American English prefers the -ize ending in words like scrutinize, standardize and analyze. British versions are all -ise. That means it is easier to play Scrabble in the U.K.!

Analysis data

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What's the bladed weapon they used to use to execute people?

Axe

An axe is the U.K. way of describing this weapon, but it's pronounced the same as the American ax.

Ax

Ask

Ahx

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What are the sparkly stones you put around your neck?

Jewelry

Jewellery

Jewellery is the U.K. spelling, but they still say it "jewel-ry," like Americans. Either way, diamonds are forever.

Jewellry

Joulery

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What's the breakfast food that Danon, Muller and Activia make?

Yoghurt

The Brits still have an extraneous H in their yoghurt, but they don't pronounce it - the word is said the same in each place.

Yogurt

Yogert

Yogart

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What's the rubber thing that goes on the wheel of your car?

Tire

Tir

Tyre

This is one where people in either place will understand the other one. They just spell it differently.

Tier

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When you have journeyed somewhere, is it correct in the U.K. to say you travelled, or you traveled?

Traveled

Travelled

The English keep the double L in words like travelled, marvelled, etc. Americans just have the one. But they say these words the same way.

Both are correct

Neither is correct

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Anymore: one word, two words, or not a correct construction at all?

One word

Two words

In American English, "I can't take this madness anymore" refers to time, and "I can't eat any more of these cookies" refers to number. In U.K. English, both versions would use two words.

Not correct in British English

Understood by Brits but they prefer to use "anyplace"

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If a thing is really heavy, it weighs a _____.

Ton

Tonne

Yep, it's a tonne. There are extra letters because it's just so heavy (and French).

Tun

Tunn

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Of "story" and "storey," which do the Brits use?

They use both

A story is a tale. A storey is a floor of a building.

They use story

They use storey

They don't use either of these

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How might you describe a face that looks serious and a bit sad?

Somber

Sombre

Yep, it's sombre in the U.K. and somber in the U.S. Either way, it's gloomy.

Somba

Sombar

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What is the piece of paper you sign to pay a person?

Check

Chic

Cheque

It's a cheque in the U.K. and a check in the U.S. Both mean that money will change hands.

Chec

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What's another name for a code?

Cypher

Americans use cipher, but Brits use cypher. Solve that.

Cipher

Cypha

Cyfer

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What's the thing you use to churn up the soil in a field so you can sow seeds?

Plough

It's plough in the U.K., plow in the U.S. Brits also call the Big Dipper the Plough.

Plow

Plou

Plau

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What's the correct British spelling for a person who is not easily convinced of things, and generally assumes they are not true?

Sceptic

The American one is a skeptic, the British one is a sceptic. The American one is a little easier actually here, as it distinguishes itself properly from the use of SC as in school or science, by going with the unambiguous K.

Skeptic

Septic

Cynic

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What is the name for an Arab leader?

Sheik

Shaykh

Shake

Sheikh

The British use sheikh and the Americans sheik or sheikh. It's a homonym for shake, either way.

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If it's not digital, then its ________.

Analogue

Words like dialog and analog are simplified in U.S. English. In the U.K., they are dialogue and analogue.

Analog

Annalogue

Annalog

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If a garment is made of wool, then it's ______.

Woolly

The U.K. use woolly with a double L - literally putting the -ly suffix on the word wool. Some Americans prefer the double L version as well.

Wuly

Wooly

Wooled

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What do you call a fluffy egg dish commonly eaten at brunch?

Omlet

Omelette

The Americans simplified the British omelette to omelet.

Omelet

Omlette

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What do you call a really long time, sort of like an epoch?

Eon

Aeon

Americans have eon, Brits have aeon. But technically that should be æon - it's just that neither side still uses the æ, which used to be common.

Eyon

Ein

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What's the correct way to spell a slang word for a beverage?

Bevvy

The Brits have a double V in this one, which means it's a great Scrabble word that you should remember. Now bring me a bevvy, please.

Bevy

Behvy

Bervy

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What's it called when air leaks into or out of your house?

Draught

In the U.K., draught is for leaking air and draft is for when you get forced to be in the military.

Draft

Drought

Draphed

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If you're about to do something, and then hesitate, that means you ________.

Balk

Baulk

The U.K. has baulk, the U.S. has balk. They sound the same, though.

Bork

Ballk

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What is the big silver transport with wings?

Airplane

Heron

Aeroplane

The Brits call this an aeroplane, but they will definitely understand the American usage.

Airship

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If you drive your car carefully through a space, you _________.

Manover

Maneuver

Manoover

Manoeuvre

No one can spell this word in the best of circumstances, so they won't judge you if you get it wrong. British spelling here is the French version. American spelling flipped the ending, but also tidied up the middle by dumping the O.

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If someone is immediately appealing in a non-sexual way, they are _________.

Likeable

Brits use likeable, Americans likable. Either way, as long as you are it, no one will mind if you cannot spell it.

Likable

Likeble

Like-able

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What's the mythological animal with the body of a lion, and the wings and head of an eagle?

Griffin

Griphin

Gryphon

The U.S. spelling is griffin. Gryphon is now becoming old-fashioned, even in the U.K., so you can probably get away with using griffin in both.

Gryfin

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A football team has people who protect the goal, who are called what?

Defense

Defence

Offence, defence, etc., are all British words. Americans have offense and defense. Some words stayed the same in the U.S., though, like cadence and science.

Defens

Defenc

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Your computer has a hard drive, but it used to have a hard _______.

Disc

While sometimes you see "disc" for hard drives and "disk" for external drives, actually disc is the U.K. version and disk the U.S. version. Despite the common misconception that it came first, diskette is actually a later word - it's spelled the same in both places, as discette would be hard to read.

Disk

Diskette

Discette

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