Counselor or Counsellor | Definition & Spelling
In American English, consonants at the end of words do not double up when a suffix is added. This is true of counselor (counsellor in British English). This is the usual pattern of difference between the two language variants. For example, in American English, “travel” becomes “traveled” or “traveler,” whereas in British English, the consonant doubles up (e.g., “cancelled,” “labelled,” and “traveller”).
The company was lauded for its policy of providing time with a counselor/counsellor to any employee who needed it.
Janine found her job as a counselor/counsellor was rewarding and demanding in equal measure.
Counselor or counsellor
Counselor/counsellor is a noun that means “someone who gives advice” or, in American English, “a legal representative.” The spellings are not interchangeable. In American English, the correct spelling is counselor, and in British English, it is counsellor.
A guidance counselor is more likely to be called a careers advisor or careers counsellor in an English school.
A debt counselor/counsellor can help people who are struggling with their finances get straight.
- The judge asked the counsellor to approach the bench.
- The judge asked the counselor to approach the bench.
There is a possible further source of confusion with the different word councilor/councillor, a homophone with the meaning “member of a council” (e.g., “After serving for two years as a local councilor/councillor, David was elected to parliament”).
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 counselor or counsellor
- Is it councilor or counselor?
-
In American English, a councilor is someone who is a member of a council. A counselor is someone who gives counsel or advice or a legal representative.
In British English, these words are spelled councillor and counsellor, but the latter is not used to describe a legal representative or lawyer.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker has language settings to allow you to choose the correct region and make sure you have the correct spelling of councilor or counselor.
- How do you spell counselor in British English?
-
Counselor is spelled counsellor in British English. It has the same meaning of “someone who gives counsel or advice,” but it is not used in the UK to refer to a lawyer or legal representative.
In a British court, you will be represented by a “solicitor,” a “barrister,” or, in Scotland, an “advocate.”
You can set the language region of the QuillBot Grammar Checker to ensure you have the correct spelling of counselor or counsellor.
