I have a running argument going with my spell-check: it claims that I should write ‘behavior’ when I’m pretty sure ‘behaviour’ is the correct spelling. The issue is that the spell-check uses American spelling, and I’ve somehow gotten in the habit of using one or two British spellings. I correct myself and go with the American spelling in every writing project I take on, however.

Why American English?

There’s several reasons why I stick with American spellings for my work: most importantly, my clients are mostly based in the U.S. Those who are based internationally target American audiences over British. If they wanted to complete a project that targeted British readers, I’d probably find a British writer to take over the project. Not only do I know all the rules of British spelling, but I would probably create an international incident with my misuse of British slang.

But there is a sense that American English is becoming more correct, for lack of a better term, at least online. Most of the projects I come across that officially target both Brits and Americans use American spellings. And more and more of the internationally-based projects that I’ve encountered have focused on American readers and consumers over British. I don’t know if my experiences are universal, but the projects I see are trending that way.

What Spellings Should You Use?

I don’t categorically recommend going with American English for every online project you come across, despite the fact that most British English adherents can read and comprehend American English with little difficulty. Instead, the crucial issue for me is consistency. It is far more important to choose one variation and stick with it throughout the entirety of a project — as long as you don’t switch back and forth, you’ll be fine. And, if there are already established materials from your client, the decision may have already been made for you. In that case, it’s just a matter of sticking with whatever style is already in use.