Organisation vs Organization | Spelling & Examples
Organisation and organization are two ways of spelling the same noun, which refers to a business, the act of organizing, or a systematic arrangement. The spelling depends on the type of English you use.
- In British English, “organisation” is standard, unless you follow Oxford style guidelines. In that case, you should use “organization.”
- In American English, “organization” is the only correct spelling.
It’s important to choose one type of English and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
The organisation/organization provides aid to those affected by natural disasters.
As a manager, she oversaw the organisation/organization of the office.
The noun is often preceded by an adjective (e.g., “nonprofit organization/organisation”). The plural noun form is “organisations” or “organizations.”
Organised or organized
The spelling difference also applies to the past tense form of the verb organise or organize.
- In British English, “organised” is standard, unless you follow Oxford style guidelines. In that case, you should use “organized.”
- In American English, “organized” is correct.
Organised or organized can also be used as an adjective. In that case, it’s often preceded by an adverb that modifies it (e.g., “neatly organized/organised”).
The goal was to teach students how to keep their finances organised/organized.
The library was very organised/organized, making it easy to find your favorite books.
Organising or organizing
The same spelling difference also applies to the present participle and the identical gerund form organising or organizing.
- In British English, “organising” is standard, unless you follow Oxford style guidelines. In that case, use “organizing.”
- In American English, “organizing” is correct.
The library staff spent hours organising/organizing the books on the shelves.
Timothy was busy organising/organizing his closet when his grandmother called.
Organiser or organizer
The same spelling difference applies to the related noun organiser or organizer, which can either refer to someone who arranges an activity or something that’s used to keep things in order.
- In British English, “organiser” is standard, unless you follow Oxford style guidelines. In that case, use “organizer.”
- In American English, “organizer” is correct.
The wedding planner served as the chief organiser/organizer.
The kitchen organiser/organizer made it easy to keep pots and pans in order.
Main differences between American and British English
American and British English are very similar, but there are a few main differences in spelling. Some differences are:
| Difference | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -or vs -our | In American English, many Latin-derived words end in -or. | Behavior or behaviour Color or colour Favor or favour Flavor or flavour Favorite or favourite Honor or honour Humor or humour Labor or labour Neighbor or neighbour |
| In British English, these same words end in -our. | ||
| -er vs -re | In American English, some French, Latin, or Greek words end in -er. | Center or centre Fiber or fibre Theater or theatre |
| In British English, these same words end in -re. | ||
| -ize vs -ise | In American English, many Greek-derived words end in -yze or -ize. | Analyze or analyse Organization or organisation Realize or realise Recognize or recognise |
| In British English, these words end in -yse or -ise. | ||
| -ed vs -t | In American English, most verbs are regular and form their past tense with the suffix -ed. | Burned or burnt Dreamed or dreamt Kneeled or knelt Learned or learnt Smelled or smelt Spelled or spelt Spilled or spilt |
| In British English, some of these verbs are irregular and form their past tense with the suffix -t. | ||
| Single vs double consonant | In American English, many words are spelled with a single consonant. | Buses or busses Canceled or cancelled Counselor or counsellor Focused or focussed Labeled or labelled Modeling or modelling Traveling or travelling |
| In British English, these same words are often spelled with a double consonant. | ||
| Dropping vs retaining the “e” | In American English, “e” is often dropped when forming a noun from a verb | Acknowledgment or acknowledgement Aging or ageing Judgment or judgement |
| In British English, the “e” is often retained. | ||
| Different verb and noun spellings | In American English, most words have identical verb and noun spellings. | License or licence Practice or practise |
| In British English, some words have different spellings for the verb and noun forms. | ||
| Other spelling differences | There are many other spelling differences between the two English variants. | Airplane or aeroplane Aluminum or aluminium Check or cheque Cozy or cosy Defense or defence Dependent or dependant Enrollment or enrolment Fulfil or fulfill Gray or grey Jewelry or jewellery Karat or carat Mold or mould Offense or offence Pajamas or pyjamas Program or programme Skeptical or sceptical Tire or tyre |
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Frequently asked questions about organisation vs organization
- Is it international organisation or organization?
-
Organisation and organization are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In British English, you write “international organisation,” unless you follow Oxford style guidelines. In that case, you write “international organization.”
- In American English, you write “international organization.”
The same difference applies to words ending in -ize or -yze, such as recognize or recognise, analyze or analyse, finalize or finalise, minimize or minimise, and organize or organise.
It’s important to choose one type of English and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
- Is it organization or organisation in Canada?
-
Organisation and organization are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In British English, you use “organisation.”
- In American English, you use “organization.”
Canada largely follows the UK guidelines, but for words containing -iz-, they follow American guidelines. This means organization is standard.
The same difference applies to words that end in -ize or -yze, such as recognize or recognise, analyze or analyse, finalize or finalise, minimize or minimise, and organize or organise.
It’s important to choose one type of English and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
