Commonwealth English spelling
- noun
- UK
:
escritura de la Commonwealth
- The word "colour" is an example of Commonwealth English spelling as opposed to "color" in American English.
Examples
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Most textbooks in Australia follow Commonwealth English spelling for consistency with British usage.
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Teachers often explain the differences between American and Commonwealth English spelling to their students.
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I prefer Commonwealth English spelling over American spelling.
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Many schools teach Commonwealth English spellings in their curriculum.
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Most textbooks in Australia follow Commonwealth English spelling for consistency with British usage.
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Teachers often explain the differences between American and Commonwealth English spelling to their students.
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The word "colour" is an example of Commonwealth English spelling as opposed to "color" in American English.
Synonyms
1
3.2
The way English words are written in the United Kingdom and other countries, often different from American spelling
The spelling used in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, for example colour and centre
English spelling used in the UK, Ireland and many other countries, different from American spelling
The usual spelling and rules used in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, different from American spelling
The way words are spelled in the United Kingdom, for example colour and theatre
Surface Forms
Morphology
commonwealth + English + spelling
The phrase is compositionally built from 'Commonwealth' (countries in the Commonwealth) + 'English' (the language) + 'spelling' (letter arrangement), so its meaning — the variant of English spelling used in Commonwealth countries — is directly derivable from the parts. This regional-label + language + feature pattern is common cross-linguistically and therefore accessible to an average B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Commonwealth English spelling comes from the fact that many countries in the Commonwealth kept the same rules for English spelling after they stayed linked to the UK. So it now means the usual spellings used in the UK and most Commonwealth countries, for example 'colour' instead of 'color'.