Tyre vs Tire | Spelling, Definition and Explanation
If you are writing the word that describes the inflated rubber donut-shaped item found on the wheels of cars, trucks, and bicycles, then the spelling will depend on the geographical location of your audience.
In American English the correct spelling is tire, while in British English it is spelled tyre.
For racing in dry weather, Formula One teams choose a tyre/tire that is completely smooth for improved grip.
It was typical, thought Emelia; she was in a hurry, and it was raining, so of course she got a flat tyre/tire!
Tyre or tire
Generally speaking, British Commonwealth countries favor the British English spelling of tyre, with the main exception being Canada, where the American English spelling of tire is the correct one.
A low-profile tyre/tire improves rolling resistance and cornering performance but sacrifices ride comfort.
A racing cyclist’s tubular tyre/tire (or “tub”) is held on to the wheel, rather scarily, by glue and nothing else!
In American English there is no spelling distinction, so readers have to use the context to determine what is meant by tire.
Tires or tyres
The same spelling difference between American English and British English exists with the plural form tyres/tires.
In many modern cars, a warning system will let you know of underinflation problems in any of your tyres/tires.
Disposing of worn tyres/tires is a significant problem, as they do not decompose, are very difficult to recycle, and every year we discard nearly 300 million of them!
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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