Which English should you use on the Web? US or British?

IS IT envision or envisage? Centre or center? Check or cheque? Did you know European companies outside of the UK mostly prefer US spellings?

In Australia there’s a Labor Party, but they spell color with a “u”. Why do North Americans call it “gas” when it’s a liquid. It’s petrol, isn’t it?

From my perspective, being raised to use the British spellings and then moving to North America to settle in Canada, it’s half and half.

My kids use a lot of British spellings at school. But when I write here, I mostly just go by whatever the spell checker, which is set to US spelling, says it is.

Now that reminds me, half & half is also something we in North America put in our coffee.

The British just call it cream or single cream. And I think they prefer milk.

A wonderfully written and brilliantly informative article by David Bowen in the Financial Times discusses these questions and more.

Hey, stocks are on sale and we need something to lighten the mood.

See: Which English works on the web?

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