British or American English in academic writing is usually settled before you write a word: by the brief, by your university's guide, or by the journal. When none of them names one, the guides read for this article accept either and ask for one thing, that you keep to it. The differences run past spelling into quotation marks, full stops and dates.
EdCitation publishes this guide. It draws on the style guides of APA, MLA and Chicago, Oxford University Press and the University of Oxford, three other UK university guides, and the author pages of three journals, all read on 27 September 2026. Start with your brief: EdCitation's free Check your paper reads it into a checklist and shows the sentence each rule came from.
Indian, Nigerian, Singapore and other varieties are in world Englishes in academic writing; this guide is British against American only.
Should I use British or American English in my essay?
Use the variety your brief or university names; if none is named, pick one and keep it. The University of Hull's library tells its students that, studying at a UK institution, they should follow the English spellings and set the word processor to English UK (University of Hull Library, 2026). Liverpool Hope's APA guide for psychology students allows British or American English, provided it is consistent (Paramei & Cunningham, 2021).
MLA puts it by place: for a class in the United States American spelling makes sense, but in other contexts British spelling may be appropriate (Modern Language Association, 2018b). In our view that is the fairest reading of the silence: write the variety of the place you are marked in, unless you are told otherwise.
When nothing tells you
Some regulations name English and stop there. Look next at the department's handbook, then ask the module leader in writing. Consistency is the one rule every guide above agrees on.
What are the main British and American spelling differences?
The main differences are a handful of endings and punctuation habits; each row comes from a guide that states it.
| Point | British | American | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| -our and -or | colour, behaviour | color, behavior | University of Hull Library (2026) |
| -ise and -ize | organise (Oxford spelling: organize) | organize | University of Oxford (2026c); Oxford University Press (2014) |
| -yse and -yze | analyse, in every British style | analyze | Oxford University Press (2014) |
| -re and -er | centre, metre | center, meter | University of Oxford (2026c); University of Hull Library (2026) |
| -ce and -se | defence, licence (noun) | defense, license | University of Oxford (2026c) |
| Doubled l | travelled, traveller | traveled, traveler | University of Oxford (2026c) |
| ae and oe | paediatric, manoeuvre | pediatric, maneuver | University of Hull Library (2026) |
| Quotation marks | 'single', "double" inside | "double", 'single' inside | Oxford University Press (2014); University of Chicago Press (n.d.-c) |
| Full stop or comma at a closing quotation mark | Outside, unless it belongs to the quotation | Inside | University of Chicago Press (n.d.-c); American Psychological Association (2022b) |
| Titles | Dr, Mr, Mrs | Mr., Mrs., Ms. | Oxford University Press (2014); University of Oxford (2026a); University of Chicago Press (n.d.-a) |
| Dates | 11 November 1918 | November 11, 1918 | Oxford University Press (2014); Modern Language Association (2019) |
| A title in your reference list | As published | As published | Cite a source builds it from the record |
Noun and verb pairs
British English separates some nouns from their verbs where American English uses one form: practice is the noun and practise the verb, licence the noun and license the verb, while American English writes practice and license for both (University of Oxford, 2026c). The same guide keeps judgement for moral or academic senses and judgment for a legal decision.
Where the differences came from
Many go back to Noah Webster. Merriam-Webster (n.d.) credits his first dictionary with changing defence and offence to -se, dropping the second l from the past tense of travel and cancel, dropping the u from colour and humour, and dropping the k from publick.
Is -ize British? Oxford spelling explained
Yes, -ize is British too, in the house style called Oxford spelling. Oxford University Press uses -ize, -ization and -izing wherever British English allows the choice, but never turns -yse into -yze: analyse and paralyse stay as they are (Oxford University Press, 2014). Words such as exercise and compromise take -ise in every style.
The University of Oxford disagrees with its own press. Its style guide for staff asks for -ise, -yse and -isation, notes that this differs from the press, which prefers to reflect the Greek roots of such words, and says -ise is more common in British usage and needs fewer exceptions (University of Oxford, 2026c).
Nature shows Oxford spelling at work. Its formatting guide asks for spellings as in the Oxford English Dictionary, and the same page writes that contributions should be "organized" in a set sequence (Nature, n.d.). An -ize in a British journal is not an Americanism. We could not read the OED's own entry for the suffix, which needs a subscription.
Single or double quotation marks in the UK?
Single quotation marks are the usual British choice, with double marks for a quotation inside a quotation. Oxford University Press (2014) and the University of Oxford (2026b) both set it that way, and American style is the reverse.
Where the full stop goes
Chicago describes the British system as keeping inside the marks only punctuation that was in the original, which works best with single marks (University of Chicago Press, n.d.-c). APA places full stops and commas inside closing marks, single or double (American Psychological Association, 2022b). MLA does the same "by convention" and advises American rules for work prepared for US classes (Modern Language Association, 2018c). The serial comma, which Oxford University Press calls a hallmark of its house style, has a guide of its own: the Oxford comma debate.
Full stops after Dr and Mr
The two Oxfords disagree again: Oxford University Press (2014) gives a full stop to an abbreviation that cuts a word short (e.g.) and none to a contraction that keeps its first and last letters (Dr). The University of Oxford (2026a) drops full stops after every abbreviation, eg included. Chicago puts one even after Ms., following Merriam-Webster (University of Chicago Press, n.d.-a).
Dates and numbers
British style writes the day first with no commas, 11 November 1918 (Oxford University Press, 2014). MLA accepts both orders in prose, with commas only in the American one: September 4, 2018 (Modern Language Association, 2019). Oxford University Press (2014) also notes that a billion now means a thousand million, not the million million of older British practice.
What do APA, MLA and Chicago say about British spelling?
All three expect Merriam-Webster by default; MLA and Chicago say plainly that British spelling can be used.
APA 7
APA sends writers to Merriam-Webster, an American dictionary, and where it offers a choice asks for one spelling throughout (American Psychological Association, 2019). UK guides adapt it: Cambridge's Education Library tells APA 7 students to keep the source's spelling in quotations and in the reference list, giving colour/color as the example (University of Cambridge Education Library, 2026). Liverpool Hope exempts quotations, the names of established tests and references from the consistency rule (Paramei & Cunningham, 2021).
MLA 9
MLA's own publications follow Merriam-Webster's American spellings, and its system can be adapted to British spelling and punctuation, even for a whole thesis (Modern Language Association, 2018a, 2018b). Both answers date from the eighth edition. A British spelling in a quotation is not an error and needs no sic (Modern Language Association, 2026).
Chicago 18
Chicago allows regional spelling: unless your publisher expects otherwise, choose a good dictionary that matches the variety you write (University of Chicago Press, n.d.-b). EdCitation builds Chicago in its author-date form only.
What do journals ask for?
Journals range from one fixed variety to either, so read the instructions before the first draft.
- Nature: spellings as in the Oxford English Dictionary (Nature, n.d.).
- Biodiversity and Conservation, a Springer Nature journal: British or American spelling and terminology, followed consistently (Springer Nature, n.d.).
- The Lancet: no variety named that we found, but trial reports need a section headed "Randomisation and masking" (The Lancet, 2026).
How do I choose one variety and keep to it?
Decide once, set your tools to it, and leave other writers' words alone.
- Read the brief. EdCitation's Check your paper sets out its word limit, sources, citation style and format, each beside its sentence, and lists apart what no rule can test.
- Read the journal's instructions for a manuscript: the three above differ.
- Set the spellchecker. In Word, choose Review, Language, Set Proofing Language, and pick the variety; the same menu can detect the language automatically (Microsoft, n.d.), which is worth switching off if it keeps changing variety mid-document.
- Pick one dictionary: Merriam-Webster for American spelling, an Oxford dictionary for British, as Oxford University Press (2014) suggests to its authors.
- Search for the other variety. Find -ize, -yze, color or center in your own sentences before you hand in; a spellchecker set to the wrong variety passes them all.
- Leave quotations, names and titles alone: the World Trade Center keeps its -er.
- Build the reference list from the record with Cite a source, so a title keeps the spelling it was published with.
How spellcheckers came to work this way is told in spellcheck, autocorrect and the writing tools before AI.
Quoting a source in the other variety
Quote it exactly, spelling and all. Oxford University Press (2014) tells authors not to change a quotation's spelling, capitalisation or punctuation to match their own script. APA lets you swap single and double marks silently, but any other change must be shown (American Psychological Association, 2022a). A British behaviour in an American paper, or the reverse, needs no sic (Modern Language Association, 2026).
How does EdCitation help with British or American English?
EdCitation is the best tool for the one part of your paper that must not follow your variety: the references. Each is looked up in the publisher's record rather than written from memory, so a title keeps the spelling it was published with, as Oxford University Press and Cambridge's library ask, and no chatbot can promise that. We ran each tool on 27 September 2026 and quote what came back.
Check your paper on a brief of our own
Our own test brief, marked here as ours, asked for 2,000 words "(plus or minus 10%)", at least 10 sources with six since 2016, Harvard, "Use British English spelling throughout (for example, behaviour, organisation, programme), and put quotations in single quotation marks", Arial 11 pt, 1.5 spacing, 2.5 cm margins and a Word document. Check your paper returned "8 rules your paper can be checked against": word count "1,800 to 2,200 words", sources "At least 10 sources", source dates "At least 6 sources: 2016 or later", citation style "Harvard", font "Arial", font size "11 pt", line spacing "1.5 ×" and margins "0.98 in".
The spelling and quotation-mark sentence went, whole, under "What it asks you to do, which no rule can test", with the last sentence, "Submit a Word document." Keeping a variety is yours to check.
Cite a source keeps a title's spelling
Given the DOI of a British-spelled article, Cite a source returned this APA 7 entry from Crossref's record, correct as it stands:
Michie, S., van Stralen, M. M., & West, R. (2011). The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science, 6(1), Article 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-6-42
Given the DOI of an American-spelled one, it returned this, equally correct; in Harvard the title came back in single marks, ‘The theory of planned behavior’, because quotation marks in a reference list belong to the reference style, not your variety:
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
So a British paper cites behavior as published, and an American one behaviour. Neither record was retracted.
What it costs
Find sources, Cite a source, Verify references and Check your paper are free, with no account. Mechanics QA, in Pro at $8 a month, checks a whole file by rule: formatting against APA 7, what was left in the file, citations, numbers, and language slips a spellchecker lets through. Theoretics QA, in Max at $24 a month, judges the paper against its own assignment. EdCitation never writes or rewrites a sentence of your paper, and no tool promises a mark (pricing).
Quick questions
Is it wrong to use American spelling at a UK university?
Not always: Liverpool Hope accepts either if consistent, while Hull's library asks for British spelling. Your brief or handbook decides.
Is -ize British or American?
Both. Oxford University Press uses -ize in British English, while the University of Oxford, Hull and Edinburgh write organisation; analyse keeps its s either way.
Do UK essays use single or double quotation marks?
British style usually uses single marks, with double marks for a quotation inside a quotation. APA and MLA ask for double marks, so a style named in your brief can decide.
Should I change the spelling in a quotation to match my essay?
No. Quote it as published; APA, MLA and Oxford University Press all keep the original spelling, and MLA says a British spelling needs no sic.
Can EdCitation tell which English my assignment wants?
EdCitation's free Check your paper finds the sentence in your brief about spelling and lists it among the things you check yourself, beside the rules it can test.
References
- American Psychological Association. (2019). Spelling principles. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/spelling-hyphenation/spelling
- American Psychological Association. (2022a, August). Changes to quotations. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations/changes
- American Psychological Association. (2022b, July). Quotations. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations
- The Lancet. (2026). Information for authors [PDF]. https://www.thelancet.com/pb-assets/Lancet/authors/tl-info-for-authors-1690986041530.pdf
- Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Noah Webster's spelling reform. https://www.merriam-webster.com/about-us/spelling-reform
- Microsoft. (n.d.). Check spelling and grammar in a different language. Microsoft Support. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/check-spelling-and-grammar-in-a-different-language
- Modern Language Association. (2018a, November 6). I am writing my thesis in British English. Can I still use MLA style? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/british-english-mla-style/
- Modern Language Association. (2018b, December 26). What is the MLA's stance on the use of British spelling? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/british-spelling-mla-style/
- Modern Language Association. (2018c, February 1). Why do periods and commas go inside quotation marks in MLA style? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/punctuation-and-quotation-marks/
- Modern Language Association. (2019, October 11). How should commas be used with dates in my prose? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/commas-with-dates/
- Modern Language Association. (2026, March 6). Should I use "sic" to mark British English in a US context? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/sic-for-british-english/
- Nature. (n.d.). Formatting guide. Springer Nature. https://www.nature.com/nature/for-authors/formatting-guide
- Oxford University Press. (2014). Oxford University Press Academic Division guide for authors and editors: Oxford Paperback Reference [PDF]. https://www.oxfordreference.com/fileasset/files/QuickReference_AuthorGuidelines.pdf
- Paramei, G., & Cunningham, R. (2021). APA style: A short guide to the 7th edition [PDF]. Liverpool Hope University. https://www.hope.ac.uk/media/gateway/library/documents/APA%20Style%207th%20Edition.%20Short%20Guide.%20.pdf
- Springer Nature. (n.d.). Submission guidelines. Biodiversity and Conservation. https://link.springer.com/journal/10531/submission-guidelines
- University of Cambridge Education Library. (2026). Formatting and presenting your work. Referencing guide: APA 7th. https://libguides.cam.ac.uk/educationreferencingAPA7th/formatting
- University of Chicago Press. (n.d.-a). Abbreviations [Q&A]. The Chicago Manual of Style Online. https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Abbreviations/faq0014.html
- University of Chicago Press. (n.d.-b). CMOS [Q&A]. The Chicago Manual of Style Online. https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/CMOS/faq0015.html
- University of Chicago Press. (n.d.-c). Quotations and dialogue [Q&A]. The Chicago Manual of Style Online. https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Quotations/faq0005.html
- University of Hull Library. (2026). English vs. American spellings. Grammar resource. https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/grammar/englishnotamerican
- University of Oxford. (2026a). Abbreviations, contractions and acronyms. University of Oxford style guide. https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/the-university/brand/style-guide/abbreviations
- University of Oxford. (2026b). Punctuation. University of Oxford style guide. https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/the-university/brand/style-guide/punctuation
- University of Oxford. (2026c). Word usage and spelling. University of Oxford style guide. https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/the-university/brand/style-guide/words