Sacred Language: Stop Americanisms, Brits Plead

Have Brits had enough of Americanisms?
Have Brits had enough of Americanisms?

More than half of us find American spellings frustrating and think they are harmful for the British language.

Recent research by Oxford Home Schooling looked into the importance Brits place on British spellings, and our attitudes towards Americanisms being used in everyday life.

As a nation we are passionate that our own standards are taught from an early age with 85% of us stating it’s important for children to learn the importance of British spellings and over two thirds (67%) believing it’s unacceptable to use American spellings at school.

Other instances it’s considered unacceptable to use Americanisms are on CVs (71%), in newspapers (55%), at work (52%) and even on greetings cards (43%). 

The survey asked participants which spellings they make mistakes on, to create a list of the most difficult American spellings to identify. The top ten most unrecognisable are:


1. Encyclopedia (encyclopaedia)

2. Skillful (skilful)

3. Pretense (pretence)

4. Offense (offence)

5. Cozy (cosy)

6. Sulfate (sulphate)

7. Defense (defence)

8. Meter (metre)

9. Cesarean (caesarean)

10. Appetizer (appetiser) 


Just 10% of those polled correctly identified all the American spellings in the list. 

Men are more accepting than women of the move towards American spellings as we adopt more transatlantic traditions in our culture (15% vs 20%). This is despite men also being better at adhering to British spellings standards, with more women failing to recognise mistakes in words such as ‘pajamas’, ‘favorite’, ‘theater’ and ‘diarrhea’. 

The study found Brits feel TV shows, Facebook and Twitter, and American films, have had the biggest impact on our British spellings. With eight out of ten of Netflix’s most binged TV shows  originating from across the pond it’s little wonder their spellings and words are finding their way into our dialogue. 

Another study by Oxford Open Learning Trust , Oxford Home Schooling’s sister company, further explains why some of us struggle to spot American spellings. Those surveyed say they use auto-correct (58%) most often to avoid spelling mistakes compared to 45% that use a traditional dictionary, despite auto-correct recognising both American and British variations.
Dr Nick Smith, principal at Oxford Home Schooling, said: “It’s clear Brits feel passionate about teaching children the importance of British spelling standards, however many of them failed to spot American spellings themselves. 

“It’s relatively easy to brush up on spelling ability at any age through reading, lessons at school or distance learning as an adult.”

  • Emily Cleary

    After almost a decade chasing ambulances, and celebrities, for Fleet Street's finest, Emily has taken it down a gear and settled for a (slightly!) slower pace of life in the suburbs. With a love of cheese and fine wine, Emily is more likely to be found chasing her toddlers round Kew Gardens than sipping champagne at a showbiz launch nowadays, or grabbing an hour out of her hectic freelancer's life to chill out in a spa while hubby holds the babies. If only!

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