Use these weird tricks to remember which words are American English and which are British English. Linguists HATE them!
Table of contents
Learned vs learnt
"Learned" is American English, "learnt" is British English.
Mnemonic: Englishmen like to drink tea, so the word ends in a t.
Source of the mnemonic: Learned or Learnt? on Grammarly
Words ending in "-er" vs "-re"
Many words end in "-er" in American English and in "-re" in British English.
Examples:
| American English | British English |
|---|---|
| center | centre |
| fiber | fibre |
| liter | litre |
| meter | metre |
| theater or theatre | theatre |
Note that in American English, theater is the standard spelling, but the -re spelling is also commonly used, especially in proper names (the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre).
Source of the rule and the quote: Words ending in "-re" and "-er" on Lexico
Mnemonic: in Am-er-ican English, many words end in "-er."
Source of the mnemonic: me!