If you refer to a Canadian person as being a mix of American and English, they will rightly object (albeit politely). But if you describe Canadian English in those terms, you wouldn’t be far from the truth! What does that mean in practice, though? Let us look at some of the spelling differences.
Canadian English favors a mix of British and American spelling. In Canada, for example, the word “favor” would be spelled “favour,” which is the same as in the UK.
Some key spelling conventions are summarized below. Canadian English:
We can compare some of these spelling conventions in different dialects below.
Canadian English
American English
British English
organize/analyze
organise/analyse
colour
color
centre
center
defence
defense
practice (noun)
practise (verb)
practice
(noun and verb)
traveller
traveler
anaesthetic
anesthetic
catalogue
catalog
As you can see, with most of the spellings above, Canadians follow the British example. However, there are also words where Canadian English matches the American English spelling instead. These include:
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Consequently, it is wise to check any term you’re unsure about when using Canadian English.
Hopefully this has helped you with the basics of Canadian-style spelling. But to make completely sure your writing is suitable for our northern neighbors (or, as a Canadian would say, “neighbours”), send us your document and select Canadian English as your preferred proofreading language.
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