Pink Elephant Blog
Licence to Fulfill (It’s British, Baby!)
Thank you to all the keen-eyed grammar enthusiasts who have pointed out that the theme of Pink23 – Licence to Fulfill – doesn’t use the American spelling. We’re grateful you’re keeping a close eye on us! (Now our editor is really sweating…)
We’ve deliberately used the British spelling, licence, because of the James Bond theme for Pink23 – our 26th International IT Service Management Conference and Exhibition being held at the incomparable Bellagio in Las Vegas from February 26-March 1, 2023. Take a look at all the fun 007-themed session tracks that cover a wide range of the most up-to-date ITSM (IT service management) topics.
The Difference between License (American) and Licence (British)
According to Licence vs. License | Grammarly English-grammar-lessons.co.uk, “In American English, the noun is spelled the same as the verb – license. But in British English, the noun is spelled licence, while the verb is spelled license. All the while, the meaning stays the same: permission, a permit, a document that states you are qualified or allowed to do something.”
Why There Are Common Differences in American and British Spelling:
Oxford internationalenglish.com explains the difference between American and British English is because “British English keeps the spelling of words it has absorbed from other languages, mainly French and German. Whilst American English spellings are based mostly on how the word sounds when it is spoken.” (Editor’s note: In American English, we replace ‘whilst’ with ‘while’…)
The website goes on to say, “English was introduced to what is modern-day America in the 17th century by the British settlers. Since then the language has evolved and has been influenced by the many waves of immigration to the USA.”
Let’s explore some spelling differences between American and British English…
A List of American and British Spelling Differences
One of the major differences between American and British spellings is the use of the ‘z’ in many American words where British English uses an ‘s’. Others contain extra letters – which no doubt relate the original spellings in the languages mentioned, above. Check out the website, tysto.com, to view various examples:
UK US
Aeroplane airplane
Ageing aging
Anaemic anemic
Analyse analyze
Organise organize
Programme program
Meanwhile, feel free to let us know if our editor slips up and misspells any words. She loves the book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves – it’s a must for any grammar enthusiast!
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