British vs. American English - Spelling Differences

source: Learn English with Let's Talk      2014年10月23日
There are some well-known spelling differences between British English and American English. Many of these spelling differences result from French influence on English. British English has a tendency to keep the spelling of many words of French origin. Americans try to spell words more closely to the way they sound phonetically and they tend to omit some letters.
The general spelling differences between British and American English are listed below.

British -our vs. American -or
Behaviour
Colour
Favourite
Flavour

Behavior
Color
Favorite
Flavor

British -re vs. American -er difference
centimetre
centre
kilometre
theatre

centimeter
center
kilometer
theater

British -ise vs. American -ize difference
apologise
civilise
criticise
organise

apologize
civilize
criticize
organize

British -ll vs. American -l difference
counsellor
travelling
quarrelling
fuelled

counselor
traveling
quarreling
fueled

British -ae vs. American -e difference
archaeology
orthopaedic
gynaecology
toxaemia

archeology
orthopedic
gynecology
toxemia

British -ogue vs. American -og difference
analogue
catalogue
dialogue
monologue

analog
catalog
dialog
monolog

British –ce vs. American -se difference
defence
licence
offence

defense
license
offense

It is useful to learn both British and American English forms, but a good recommendation is to aim for consistency in your spelling.