‘Jewellery’ and ‘jewelry’ both refer to things like necklaces, bracelets, and rings. However, we only use the spelling ‘jewellery’ in British English.
So, do you ever need to use ‘jewelry’? And how can you be sure of avoiding errors when using this word in your writing? Let’s take a look.
‘Jewellery’ is a noun that refers to items of personal adornment, such as necklaces, bracelets and rings. We could use it in a sentence like this:
Barbara Cartland wore a lot of jewellery.
It comes from the word ‘jewel’, which refers to a precious stone (e.g. a diamond or ruby). However, we also use ‘jewellery’ for items that don’t feature any jewels (e.g. a wooden pendant or a gold ring).
British and American English agree on the spelling of ‘jewel’. But with ‘jewellery’ – and a range of words derived from ‘jewel’ – there is a transatlantic spelling difference, as shown below:
British English
American English
Jewellery
Jewelry
Jeweller
Jeweler
Jewelled
Jeweled
Jewelling
Jeweling
With all these words, we see how US English simplifies spellings. In most of these cases, Americans simply drop the extra ‘l’ from the UK spelling. But with ‘jewellery’, we have an extra ‘e’, too!
Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.
Generally, the only time you will need to use ‘jewelry’ is when writing for a North American audience. The same applies for the other US spellings above.
The basic distinction between these spellings is dialect:
If you struggle to tell these spellings apart, remember that the extra ‘l’ and ‘e’ in ‘jewellery’ match the first letters in London, England, where ‘jewellery’ is the standard spelling! And if you’d like any more help with the spelling in a document, we have proofreaders available 24/7.
Δ
3-minute read
Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...
2-minute read
If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...
5-minute read
Introduction If you’re involved with ecommerce, you’re likely familiar with the often painstaking process of...
Are you interested in learning more about the role of a content editor and the...
4-minute read
Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...
Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...