Fibre vs Fiber | Spelling & Explanation
Fiber is the American English spelling of the noun that refers to the threads that make up a fabric. In British English, it is spelled fibre. The meaning in both variants of the language is the same, even when applied to thoroughly modern uses like “fiberoptic/fibreoptic cable.”
Gone are the days of connecting to the internet via your phone line; optical fibre/fiber is the most popular choice now.
Carbon fibre/fiber is so strong and light that it can be found in everything from spacecraft to road bikes.
Fibre or fiber
Fibre/fiber can refer to spun threads of cotton, wool, or synthetic material that are used to make fabric for clothes or upholstery. It can also be a synonym for “roughage” in relation to dietary fibre/fiber, and it can be used to describe the makeup of muscles (e.g., “Slow-twitch muscle fibre/fiber is essential for good sprinting performance”).
You will also find fibre/fiber used figuratively to refer to a person’s character (e.g., “He felt her pain in every fibre/fiber of his being”).
Regardless of meaning, fibre is used in British English and fiber in American English.
The fibre/fiber in a rope is twisted together in order to increase its tensile strength.
The silk fibre/fiber of the silk moth’s cocoon is between 980 and 3,000 feet (300 to 900 m) long.
Fibres vs fibers
The plural form of fibre/fiber follows the same spelling as the singular: in American English it is spelled fibers, and in British English fibres is the correct spelling.
Fibreglass/fiberglass is a strong and versatile composite material of glass fibres/fibers held together by strong polyester resin or similar.
Muscle stiffness after exercise is caused by tiny tears in the muscle fibres/fibers.
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 fibre or fiber
- What does fiberous mean?
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Fiberous is a misspelling of the adjective fibrous, meaning “made up of fibre or fiber.” The misspelling probably arises because of the way the root word is spelled in American English (e.g., “fiber”).
The QuillBot Grammar Checker has selectable language regions to ensure you always have the right spelling of fibrous.
