Is It Judgment or Judgement? | Spelling & Examples
Judgment and judgement are two ways of spelling the same noun, which means “opinion,” “the act of forming an opinion,” or “the ability to form an opinion.”
The spelling depends on whether you use British English or American English.
- In American English, “judgment” (with no “e”) is the only correct spelling.
- In British English, “judgement” (with an “e”) is the standard spelling, but “judgment” is used instead in legal contexts.
It’s important to choose one spelling and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
I don’t want to make a hasty judgment/judgement of someone’s parenting style.
We would have expected better judgment/judgement from you, Latifa.
Against my better judgment or judgement
The phrase against my better judgment or judgement is used to state that something you did wasn’t smart or wasn’t in line with your principles. The phrase can also be modified to refer to other people (e.g., “her better judgment”). The same spelling difference applies.
- In American English, “against my better judgment” (with no “e”) is correct.
- In British English, “against my better judgement” (with an “e”) is standard.
Against my better judgment/judgement, I lent him my car.
Sam started dating her again, against her better judgment/judgement.
Exception (British English): Judgment in legal contexts
Judgement is the standard spelling in British English, but in legal contexts, judgment (with no “e”) is used (i.e., to refer to the decision of a court or judge). This is recommended by style authorities such as Oxford style.
In American English, the latter spelling is always used, so no distinction is made between legal contexts and other uses.
The appellate court’s judgment overturned the previous ruling.
A judgment in a civil case may result in financial compensation for the injured party.
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.
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Frequently asked questions about judgment or judgement
- Is it judgement or judgment in AP style?
-
Judgment and judgement are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you use “judgment” (with no “e”).
- In British English, you use “judgement” (with an “e”).
AP style follows American English guidelines, so judgment (without an “e”) is correct.
It’s important touse one spelling consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
- Is it judgement-free or judgment-free?
-
Judgment and judgement are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you use “judgment” (no “e”), so judgment-free is correct.
- In British English, you use “judgement” (with an “e”), so judgement-free is correct.
It’s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
