# American English Reference for IELTS

This is a quick reference for commonly used **American English spellings and vocabulary** for IELTS Writing and Speaking. Use this to stay consistent with your American accent.

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## 1. Spelling Differences (AmE vs BrE)

| British English | American English |
|-----------------|----------------|
| colour          | color          |
| favourite       | favorite       |
| honour          | honor          |
| organise        | organize       |
| realise         | realize        |
| centre          | center         |
| metre           | meter          |
| travelled       | traveled       |
| cancelled       | canceled       |
| defence         | defense        |
| licence (noun)  | license        |
| jewellery       | jewelry        |
| aluminium       | aluminum       |
| tyre            | tire           |
| programme       | program        |
| manoeuvre       | maneuver       |
| cheque          | check          |
| plough          | plow           |

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## 2. Vocabulary Differences (AmE vs BrE)

| British English | American English |
|-----------------|----------------|
| flat            | apartment      |
| lift            | elevator       |
| holiday         | vacation       |
| boot (of car)   | trunk          |
| lorry           | truck          |
| biscuit         | cookie         |
| sweets          | candy          |
| tap             | faucet         |
| mobile phone    | cell phone     |
| petrol          | gas / gasoline |
| car park        | parking lot    |
| timetable       | schedule       |

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## 3. Useful Tips

1. **Be consistent:** If you use American spelling, use it throughout your essay or answers.  
2. **Vocabulary matters:** Use common American terms in both Writing and Speaking.  
3. **Pronunciation:** Make sure your accent matches your vocabulary choice.  

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**Note:** Both American and British English are accepted in IELTS, but consistency improves clarity and avoids confusion.


1. -our vs -or

BrE: colour, favour, honour

AmE: color, favor, honor

Rule: British English keeps the “u” in many words ending with -our.

2. -re vs -er

BrE: centre, metre, litre

AmE: center, meter, liter

Rule: British English usually uses -re; American English switches to -er.

3. -ise vs -ize

BrE: realise, organise, recognise

AmE: realize, organize, recognize

Note: Both spellings exist in BrE, but -ise is more common in the UK; AmE prefers -ize.

4. -ll vs -l in verbs

BrE: travelled, labelled, cancelling

AmE: traveled, labeled, canceling

Rule: British doubles the consonant in some verb forms; American does not.

5. -ogue vs -og

BrE: dialogue, catalogue, analogue

AmE: dialog, catalog, analog

6. -ce vs -se

BrE: defence, licence (noun)

AmE: defense, license

Tip: In BrE, “license” is the verb; “licence” is the noun. AmE uses “license” for both.