You’ve probably already noticed that English spelling and pronunciation is a little special. Some words like ‘thought’ and ‘would’ are filled with silent letters, while other words like ‘bologna’ and ‘colonel’ aren’t pronounced the way they’re written.

To make matters even more complicated, many English words are spelled differently within each English-speaking country. For example, the word ‘colour’ can be spelled as either ‘colour’ or ‘color’ depending on whether you’re in Britain or the United States.

As you begin your ESL education in Canada, you will learn a bit of both American and British spelling. This is because Canadian English is a unique combination of both. And with the help of our friendly and experienced instructors, you’ll be spelling English like a pro very quickly!

Why is Canadian Spelling Different?

Canadian spelling is the result of Canada’s long history with both England and the United States. When the United States became an independent country, Americans wanted to separate their identity—and spelling—from England. That’s why in 1828, Noah Webster published An American Dictionary of the English Language, which included new words like “skunk” and “squash,” but also spelled many common words differently than British dictionaries did.

Because Canada was still a British colony at the time, Canadians kept British spelling. However, due to Canada’s close proximity to the United States, Canadians also began to use the American-spelled versions of some words.

“Our” and “Re” Endings: What ESL Students Need to Know

When Noah Webster spelled American words differently, his decision wasn’t just political. American spelling often cuts out extra silent letters or chooses options that are closer to the way the word is pronounced out loud.

For example, in the British word ‘colour,’ the ‘u’ isn’t pronounced. That’s why American spelling changed it to ‘color.’ Another example is the word ‘centre’, which is pronounced ‘center’ in all English-speaking countries. To help the written word match the pronunciation, Americans spell it ‘center’.

In Canada, most words that end in ‘our’ and ‘re’ are spelled the British way. This includes the following:

• behaviour
• honour
• flavour
• humour
• metre
• lustre
• theatre

“Ce” Endings: What Students Learn in their ESL Programs

As you’ll soon learn at English as a second language school, some letters like ‘c’ can be pronounced in more than one way. In some cases, a ‘c’ is pronounced like a ‘k,’ and in other words, it’s pronounced like an ‘s’. That’s why American spelling changed some of these letters to help readers remember how to correctly pronounce each letter.

For example, words like ‘defence’ (British spelling) are spelled ‘defense’ (American spelling), and ‘offence’ (British spelling) are spelled ‘offense’ (American spelling). In this case, Canadian spelling also follows British rules.

“Ize” Endings: Is There a Standard for Students in ESL Programs in Canada?

Even though many Canadian words are spelled the British way, there are some cases where we opt for American spelling instead.

During your intensive English program in Canada, you’ll learn that Canadians spell the word ‘recognise’ (British spelling) with a ‘z’ instead of an ‘s.’ Other words ending in ‘ise’/ ‘ize’ that use American spelling in Canada include:

• capitalize
• categorize
• harmonize
• hypothesize
• legalize

Of course, if ever you’re unsure about how to spell a word, you can always ask your instructor. At CultureWorks, our patient instructors are more than happy to answer your questions in order to ensure you fully understand each English lesson in our ESL program.

Do you want to study English in Canada?

Discover the CultureWorks ESL program, and learn how we combine fun trips and activities with hands-on language learning.