Cosy or Cozy | Spelling, Definition & Examples
However you spell it, there is something comforting about the word cozy/cosy. How it is spelled depends on what geographical audience you are writing for.
- In American English, the correct spelling is cozy, and this is also true for India, most Caribbean varieties, the Philippines, and Canada.
- In British English it is spelled cosy, and this holds true for Ireland and the Antipodean variants of English.
Some people love the cozy/cosy feel of being inside when it’s wet and cold outside.
Looking through the frosted glass, shivering with the bitter cold, Sylvie thought that the warm fireside looked cozy/cosy and inviting.
Cozy or cosy
Cozy/cosy is an adjective that describes something that is warm, comforting, and snug (e.g., “The ski lodge was warm and cozy/cosy”). It can also be used figuratively to describe a relationship between people or entities, often implying an unfairly exclusive connection (e.g., “The council and the contractors had a cozy/cosy relationship that meant both parties did well from public contracts”).
Cozy/cosy can also be a noun (e.g., “An egg cozy/cosy is the perfect way to keep your breakfast warm”) and a verb (e.g., “It was dispiriting to see local businesses cozy/cosy up to the mayoral candidates”).
In American English, the word is spelled with a “z” (i.e., “cozy”). In British English, the word is spelled with an “s” (i.e., “cosy”).
Under the old system, school inspectors sometimes developed cozy/cosy relationships with the schools, thus undermining the reliability of their assessments.
Veronika couldn’t decide if the knitted egg cozy/cosy designs were cute or kitsch.
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 cosy or cozy
- Is it coziest or cosiest?
-
It depends whether you are using American English or British English. The American English spelling of the superlative form of cozier is coziest, and in British English it is spelled cosiest.
This is related to the spelling of the root word cozy/cosy, meaning “warm, comforting, and snug.”
The QuillBot Grammar Checker has selectable language regions, so you can always be confident that you have spelled coziest/cosiest correctly.
- Is it cosier or cozier?
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If you’re using American English spelling, then use cozier. For British English, then the comparative form of the adjective cosy is spelled cosier.
The root adjective is spelled cozy or cosy, depending on the variant of English. It’s spelled cozy in American English and cosy in British English. It means “warm, comforting, and snug.”
You can select your language region in the QuillBot Grammar Checker, so you can always be confident that you have spelled cozier/cosier correctly.
