Aeroplane vs Airplane | Difference & Spelling
In American English, the word for a winged airborne vehicle is spelled airplane, while in British English, it is aeroplane. Despite the popularity of the 1980 comedy film Airplane!, the American spelling of this noun has not caught on.
Convenient and relatively cheap aeroplane/airplane flights revolutionized the travel industry in the early 21st century.
Despite paying many multiples of the economy fare, first class aeroplane/airplane passengers still land at the same time as everyone else!
Airplane or aeroplane
You are unlikely to find the British English spelling aeroplane accepted in American English, but the American variant airplane is creeping into British usage. It is still much the safest option to use the spelling that is consistent with the rest of your document. If you are using American spellings (e.g., “recognize,” “color”), then airplane is the correct spelling. Likewise, if you opt for British spellings (e.g., “recognise,” “colour”), then use aeroplane.
Concorde was the fastest passenger aeroplane/airplane ever produced, regularly cruising at over Mach 2.0.
The noise produced by aeroplane/airplane engines, especially during takeoff, is a real problem for those who live near busy airports.
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 |
Other interesting articles
If you want to know more about job applications, research, or idioms, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Job applications
Research
Frequently asked questions about aeroplane vs airplane
- Is airplane correct in British English?
-
Airplane would be understood by users of British English, but it is likely to be considered an incorrect spelling or an “Americanism.” Although there is no difference in meaning between aeroplane and airplane, you should spell it to remain consistent with the spelling in the rest of your document.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker has selectable regional language options, so you can be sure you have the correct spelling of aeroplane/airplane.
- What is the difference between aircraft and airplane?
-
An airplane (in British English, aeroplane) is one type of aircraft. But there are many other types, including helicopters, dirigibles, gliders, and microlights.
So, if you want to talk about flying vehicles in general, you could use aircraft, but for specific cases that are fixed-wing, powered aircraft, use airplane.
