The key is to remain consistent in your choices throughout a single document. On the other hand, Canadians often follow the American convention of using – ize rather than – ise endings for words like theorize or hypothesize, but – ise would not be considered incorrect. The same is true of the – re/- er endings of words like centre/ center and theatre/ theater: Canadians generally prefer the British – re, but the American – er is acceptable. While Canadians generally prefer the British – our ending in words like honour and colour, for example, the American – or endings for these common words are also acceptable. In general, Canadians use both British and American spellings. Be consistent about using British or American spellings in your writing. These dictionaries give more information and often many more examples of words in context to help students select and use words appropriately. Most dictionaries identify all standard spellings, but Canadian dictionaries give preferred Canadian spellings before other variants.Īn English dictionary designed for English language learners, such as Longman’s Dictionary of Contemporary English or Oxford’s Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, can be very helpful for non-native speakers. Some of your instructors will have strong preferences about spelling conventions (preferring Canadian over American spelling, for example), while others will accept any standard spelling. There are many kinds of dictionaries available, both in print and online. Though memory aids are useful for memorizing difficult-to-spell words, good spellers never rely solely on memory: they depend on a reliable, up-to-date dictionary. But improving your English spelling is not impossible: with some patience, you will see a noticeable improvement in your spelling by using some techniques that good spellers use. Because English developed from several different language families, and because it so easily absorbs new words from other languages even today, the English language has many different ways to spell the same sound and many different ways to pronounce the same spelling. English spelling is notoriously difficult to master for native speakers and language learners alike.