Neighbor or Neighbour | Definition, Spelling & Examples
Neighbor is a noun that refers to a person who lives very near you or a country that adjoins another. It is one of many words ending in “-or” in American English that are spelled differently in British English, where the ending is “-our.” Other examples include color/colour, favor/favour, and honor/honour.
The two spellings are quite distinct and not interchangeable. Neighbor is considered incorrect in British English, as is neighbour in American English.
Loving your neighbor/neighbour is not always that easy!
There was no sign of Mabel, and her next-door neighbor/neighbour hadn’t seen her all week.
Neighbor or neighbour
There is a clear distinction between neighbor and neighbour, and they can only be used in their correct context.
Neighbor is the correct spelling in American English, and in British English, it is neighbour.
Things have not always been peaceful between England and its northern neighbor/neighbour, Scotland.
Like any decent neighbor/neighbour would, Alice cleared old Mrs. Cortez’s pathway of snow every time it needed it.
Main differences between American and British English
American and British English are very similar, but there are a few main differences in spelling. Noah Webster, the first great American lexicographer, wanted to introduce distinctive American spellings, and he wanted them to reflect pronunciation and etymology more than the standard spellings of the time.
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 neighbor or neighbour
- Is it neighborhood or neighbourhood?
-
It depends on where your audience is! In American English, the correct spelling is neighborhood, and in British English, it is neighbourhood.
It is important to maintain consistency with how words are spelled, so if your document uses American English spellings, it should apply to all words.
You can check if you have the correct spelling of neighborhood or neighbourhood with the QuillBot Grammar Checker.
- Is it neighborly or neighbourly?
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In American English, it is neighborly, and in British English, it is spelled neighbourly.
The two spellings of this adjective are not interchangeable—the American spelling is incorrect in British English and vice versa.
You can ensure you have the proper spelling of neighborly or neighbourly with the QuillBot Grammar Checker.
- How do you spell neighbor?
-
Neighbor is the correct spelling in American English. In British English, it is spelled neighbour. It is one of a number of words ending in “-or” in American English that are spelled “-our” in British English.
Other words include:
- color/colour
- favor/favour
- honor/honour
- behavior/behaviour
- savior/saviour
- armor/armour
You can check if you have the correct spelling of neighbor or neighbour with the QuillBot Grammar Checker.
