同一個單詞在英式英語和美式英語中的拼法很可能不同。除個別特例之外，二者在拼法上的區別還是有規可循的。最常見的例子有，英國人把“纖維”這個單詞寫作 fibre，而美國人寫為  fiber；“組織、機構”在英式英語里是 organisation 而在美式英語中則是 organization 等。試做本集《英語小測驗》，挑戰你對兩種拼寫方法的掌握程度。

1. An American English speaker spells it ‘maneuver’. How would a British English speaker spell it?

a) maneuver

b) maneuvre

c) manoeuver

d) manoeuvre

2. Words that end in –ense (defense, license, offense, pretense) in American English are spelled how in British English?

a) They are the same

b) They lose the last ‘e’: defens, licens, offens, pretens

c) They are spelled with -ensse: defensse, licensse, offensse, pretensse

d) They are spelled with –ence: defence, licence, offence, pretence

3. An American English speaker spells it ‘mustache’. How would a British English speaker spell it?

a) moustache

b) musdash

c) moostash

d) moustashe

4. Which of these words is spelled incorrectly in American English, but correctly in British English?

a) behavior

b) armour

c) candor

d) dishonorable

5. The illness which causes a person to visit the toilet many times is spelled how in British English and American English?

a) British: diarrhea
American: diarrhoea

b) British: diarrhoea
American: diarrhea

c) British: dieuhrear
American: dierear

d) British: dieuhrear
American: dierear

6. The words analog, catalog and dialog are spelled in American English. How would a British English speaker spell them?

a) analoge, cataloge and dialoge

b) analogue, catalogue and dialogue

c) analogh, catalogh and dialogh

d) analogn, catalogn and dialogn

答案

1) d, 2) d, 3) a, 4) b, 5) b, 6) b.