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Lesson · Grade 5 · English Language Arts

Canadian and American Spelling: Two Ways, Both Correct

  • Grade 5
  • English Language Arts
  • 1 min 5 s
  • British Columbia
  • BC5-EN-28

One short note appears twice on a card, first in American spelling and then in Canadian spelling, and the five words that change are underlined and then coloured to show three patterns: keep the u (colour, neighbour), end in re (centre, theatre) and double the l (travelled). Boxes on the right list examples of each pattern in both varieties, and the video ends by saying both spellings are correct, so pick one and keep to it through the whole text.

Concept: Canadian and American spelling

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In one sentence

The question this lesson answers

Colour with a u, or color without: which spelling is right?

Here is a short note, written in American spelling.

Transcript

What the lesson says

Colour with a u, or color without: which spelling is right?

Here is a short note, written in American spelling.

Here is the same note in Canadian spelling.

Only five words changed, and every change follows a pattern.

First, Canadian spelling keeps the u in words like colour, neighbour and favourite.

Second, Canadian spelling puts the r before the e in words like centre and theatre.

Third, Canadian spelling doubles the l in words like travelled and cancelled.

Neither spelling is wrong, because each one is the standard in its own country.

The real rule is to pick one variety and keep to it through the whole text.

Use the variety your reader expects, and set your spell checker to match.

Canadian and American spelling are both correct, so pick one and keep to it.

Curriculum

Where this fits

British Columbia, Grade 5

English Language Arts, Language features, structures, and conventions: conventionsBC5-EN-28

Previous: Capital Letters in Titles and Headings

British Columbia, Grade 6

English Language Arts, Language features, structures, and conventions: language varietiesBC6-EN-21

Previous: Formal and Informal LanguageNext: Compound Sentences: Joining Two Ideas with a Comma and a Joining Word

British Columbia, Grade 7

English Language Arts, Language features, structures, and conventions: language varietiesBC7-EN-24

Previous: Formal and Informal LanguageNext: Simple Sentences: One Subject, One Verb, One Complete Thought

This lesson is also listed in Grade 6 and Grade 7.

The outcomes and strands follow the British Columbia curriculum.

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