The words ‘curb’ and ‘kerb’ sound exactly the same. However, they’re spelled differently and mean different things. And to make things more confusing, ‘curb’ is used differently in American English.
All of which means that it’s easy to get ‘curb’ and ‘kerb’ confused. To ensure your writing is always error free, then, check out our guide to how to use these terms correctly in British English.
Curb (Limit or Restrain)
As a verb, ‘curb’ means ‘limit or restrain something’. For example:
Police have increased patrols to curb vandalism.
The term ‘curb’ can also be a noun that refers to a limit or restraint placed on something, although this is less common. For instance:
You need to put a curb on your bad behaviour.
In British English, then, ‘curb’ always refers to a limit or restraint.
Kerb (Pavement Edge)
The word ‘kerb’ is always a noun and refers to the raised edge of a pavement or path. For example:
I nearly tripped on the kerb while crossing the road.
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This spelling is standard in British English (and in most varieties of English outside of North America). However, it is never used in American English.
The Word ‘Curb’ in American English
American English uses the spelling ‘curb’ for both limitations and the edge of a pavement (or ‘sidewalk’ if we’re going full American English here). If we were writing for an audience in the US, then, we would say:
I nearly tripped on the curb while crossing the road.
You’ll often see ‘curb’ used like this online. However, this would be incorrect in British English, where ‘curb’ always refers to a limit or restraint.
Curb or Kerb?
If you’re using British English, or writing for a British audience, it’s important to distinguish between ‘curb’ and ‘kerb’. The key is that the raised edge of a pavement or path is known as a ‘kerb’ in the UK. ‘Curb’, meanwhile, is typically a verb meaning ‘limit or restrain’.
In American English, the spelling ‘curb’ is correct for both definitions.
Curb = Limit or restrain
Kerb (British) = Raised edge of path or pavement