• 3-minute read
• 5th July 2021

Word Choice: Metre vs. Meter

The words ‘metre’ and ‘meter’ sound the same, but they can have different meanings depending on which dialect you’re using. Check out our guide below to see how to use these two words accurately in your writing.

Metre (Unit of Measurement or Poetry Term)

In British English and most other English dialects, ‘metre’ is a noun that refers to a metric unit of measurement of length equal to 100 centimetres:

The wall around the fortress was four metres high.

At 1.97 metres, my cousin Jim is an unusually tall man.

‘Metre’ can also refer to the rhythmic structure within a poem. Typically, this relates to the number of syllables within each line and how those syllables are stressed:

The metre of the poem stresses every other syllable in each line.

Poetic metre is often discussed in terms of ‘feet’, but these poetic feet shouldn’t be confused with the imperial unit of measurement!

Meter (Measuring Tool)

‘Meter’, meanwhile, is a noun that refers to a tool used to measure and record the quantity or rate of something, such as an electricity meter or a gas meter: 

We let the electrician into the house so he could read the electricity meter.

The taxi driver kept the meter running while Jane jumped out of the car.

‘Meter’ also appears as a suffix in the names of some measuring instruments, such as ‘thermometer’ (an instrument used to measure temperature) and ‘odometer’ (an instrument used to measure distance travelled by a vehicle).

For any instrument like this, then, the correct spelling will be ‘meter’.

Meter in American English

In American English, all the definitions above are spelled ‘meter’:

Tina had only walked about 100 meters when her ankle started to hurt.

Poetic meter is a key component of rhythm in writing.

We need to put another dollar fifty in the parking meter.

This is because US English favours ‘-er’ endings in certain words derived from French. We see the same thing in words like ‘center’ and ‘theater’.

Summary: Metre vs. Meter

Although these words sound the same, they can have different meanings depending on the context and English dialect used. In British English:

• Metre can refer to a unit of measurement (i.e. a length equivalent to 100 cm) or the rhythmic structure within a poem.
• Meter refers to tool for measuring the number or rate of something.

In American English, though, ‘meter’ is the standard spelling in all cases.

Hopefully, it should now be clear how to use ‘meter’ and ‘metre’ in your writing. However, if you would like help to check that your documents are error free, why not try our proofreading service? Sign up today for a free trial to find out more.