Is It Labor or Labour? | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
Labor and labour are two ways of spelling the same noun, which refers to (physical) work or the process of giving birth. It can also be used as a verb meaning “make a great effort” or “endlessly discuss something.” The spelling depends on the type of English you use.
- In American English, “labor” is correct.
- In British English, “labour” is standard.
It’s important to choose one spelling and use it consistently. A QuillBot grammar check can help you with this.
Maddie knew she was in labor/labour when the contractions began to speed up.
Cleo and I labored/laboured to fix the broken wall.
Stop laboring/labouring the point! You’re driving me crazy!
Labor or labour is often preceded by an adjective (e.g., “manual labor/labour,” “hard labor/labour”).
Labored and laboring vs laboured and labouring
The same spelling difference applies to related forms of the word, such as the simple past tense or adjective labored or laboured and the present participle laboring or labouring.
- In American English, “labored” and “laboring” are correct.
- In British English, “laboured” and “labouring” are standard.
I’ve been laboring/labouring for forty hours and the baby still isn’t born.
Exception 1: Labor or Labour Party
In cases where labor or labour is used as part of the name of a political party or other organization, it functions as a proper noun, which means that, whatever variant of English you’re writing in, you should use the spelling that is used by the party itself.
- If you’re referring to the British Labour Party, the correct spelling is Labour (with a “u”).
- If you’re referring to the Australian Labor Party, the correct spelling is Labor (no “u”). This is unusual because the word is normally spelled “labour” in Australian English, but it’s the official name used by the party and should be written that way.
Australia: Did you vote Labor this year?
Exception 2: Laborious
Although labour is the correct spelling in British English, the related adjective laborious (not “labourious”) is the only correct form for both American and British English. This also applies to the adverb laboriously. They mean “tedious” and “in a way that takes a lot of effort.”
Matt laboriously transcribed the handwritten manuscript into a digital format.
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 labor or labour
- Is it child labour or labor?
-
Labor and labour are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you write “child labor.”
- In British English, you write “child labour.”
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behaviour or behavior,” “honor or honour,” “color or colour,” “favorite or favourite,” “favor or favour,” and “humor or humour.”
It’s important to choose one type of English and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
- Is it Labour Day or Labor Day?
-
Labor and labour are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, “Labor Day” is correct.
- In British English, “Labour Day” is standard.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behaviour or behavior,” “honor or honour,” “color or colour,” “favorite or favourite,” “favor or favour,” and “humor or humour.”
QuillBot’s grammar check tool can help ensure you’re using “Labor Day” or “Labour Day” consistently.
- Is it manual labour or manual labor?
-
Labor and labour are two spellings of the same noun. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, “manual labor” is standard.
- In British English, “manual labour” is correct.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behaviour or behavior,” “honor or honour,” “color or colour,” “favorite or favourite,” “favor or favour,” and “humor or humour.”
A QuillBot grammar check can help ensure you’re using one type of English consistently.
