There are nearly 350 million native English speakers in the world. The American version of English is spoken by around 70 percent of those native speakers, while the other 30 percent speak UK English. Even more people, 1.5 billion, speak either US or UK English non-natively. To an untrained eye UK English and US English may seem very similar. While there are plenty of similarities, there are also significant differences to be aware of. Whether you’re taking a trip across the pond or trying to make sure you’re staying in line with style guidelines, here are a few of the key differences between the two.

Vocabulary

A big difference between British and American English is the vocabulary used. These differences in vocabulary can be found in simple, commonplace words like pants (called trousers in UK English) and can cause some confusion in everyday conversations. There are hundreds of words that mean something different depending on who you’re talking to or what country you’re in. Below are a few of the most common vocabulary differences between UK and US English.

While these words can get confusing, most Americans and Brits can understand each other with the help of context clues. Here is a more comprehensive list of vocabulary differences.

Spelling

If you’re an academic submitting to journals, you’re no doubt aware that while some words used in both UK and US English have similar meanings, the spelling can differ. Understanding the proper spelling for each country can help make sure you don’t get pulled up on this point. The main spelling differences in the two types of English include the following:

–er/re

The suffix –er in American English is often reversed in UK English. For example, center in US English becomes centre in UK English.

–nse/nce

Words that end with –nse in US English often take an –nce ending when spelled in UK English. For example, defense in the US would be defence in the UK, and license in the former becomes licence in the latter.

–ize/ise

Many people mistakenly think that –ize is the US spelling and –ise UK (e.g., organize vs. organise; legalize vs. legalise); however, the Oxford English Dictionary (widely considered to be the leading resource for British English) actually prefers –ize. In other words, in UK English either –ise or –ize is acceptable (though it’s vital to be consistent throughout your document), but in the US it’s always –ize.

–or/our

While American English ends many words with –or, British English adds an extra u into the mix. This makes words like color and humor in the US colour and humour in the UK.

Auxiliary Verbs

Another major difference between UK and US English pertains to auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs. These are used to add information, such as time and voice, to the main verb. One of the major auxiliary verbs that you will see in UK English, but rarely in US English, is the verb shall. In the UK, people use shall to express something they are going to do in the future, such as “I shall go home in 5 minutes.” While in the US shall is seen as a very formal way of speaking and is almost never used in conversation. Americans would be more likely to say something like, “I will go home in 5 minutes.”

Similarly, to express a lack of obligation in British English you might say “You needn’t write that essay,” where need and not are contracted to form the auxiliary verb needn’t. In American English, you would be more likely to contract do and not together to form don’t—“You don’t need to write that essay.”

Understanding the subtle differences between UK and US English can help to ensure you don’t fall foul of style preferences of your school, journal, or publisher. Our founder, Jinny, was born and raised in the UK but has lived in the US for many years, so we can definitely help to make sure you get it right!

Writing a dissertation or thesis is a mammoth challenge. Many students encounter writer’s block at some point during the writing process, which can induce frustration or even straight-out panic.

Writer’s block at this level has less to do with a lack of ability and more to do with perfectionism and procrastination. Overcoming writer’s block is definitely possible, especially once you understand what might be holding you back.

A great resource for those struggling with writer’s block is (surprise!) Understanding Writing Blocks by Keith Hjortshoj. In particular, Hjortshoj addresses the feeling of inadequacy that can cause an otherwise capable academic to freeze in his or her tracks:

“Writing blocks are most common among advanced undergraduates, graduate students, scholars, and other professional writers who are not supposed to need help with writing and do not need the kinds of writing instruction offered in the typical composition class.”

In other words, many students might feel ashamed that they’re having problems with writing and productivity. Sound familiar?

How about these situations?

• You don’t feel “ready” or “prepared enough” to write. You might not feel like you’ve read enough. For those in the sciences, you may not have ever had to write long papers, unlike your colleagues in the humanities.
• You might also feel a discrepancy between the standards you hold yourself to and your actual performance. Confronting this difference can be daunting, since it’s difficult to own up to one’s shortcomings.
• You’re finding it difficult to adapt to the style of writing or conventions within your field.
• You’ve had negative past writing experiences. Perhaps you’ve had teachers or peer editors who have been overly critical or have given you hurtful feedback.

Once you’ve figured out what feelings might be causing the block, what should you do to? Try one or two of these remedies.

1. Set goals and track yourself

Cutting overwhelming tasks down to size is an effective way to gain momentum. It sounds simple, but simple solutions aren’t necessarily easy to execute.

Consider dividing your writing into different types of tasks. Completing a chapter involves filling it with content, making your argument clear, fitting it into the outline of your entire paper, creating transitions, checking your citations and data, and editing. That’s too much for many people to do all at once. Instead, tell yourself, “For this chapter, I’ll get the basic content outline down; no editing, no argumentation” and move on from there.

2. Schedule time purely for writing

We’ve talked about creating a writing ritual before. It’s important to shield yourself from distractions, even from checking every single citation and figure as you go. Make time to just write, since ideas are useless if they reside only in your brain. If you’ve never done this before, don’t try to sit for two hours straight off the bat. Try for 30 minutes and build up from there.

3. When you see a gap in your research or become stuck, seek help

Many students with perfectionistic tendencies panic when they get stuck or find that their research is lacking. They might be reluctant to ask for help, but honestly, that’s what a good thesis or doctoral advisor is for. The sooner you reach out, the sooner you’ll resolve the problem. Additionally, don’t forget to ask your peers for help or advice. You might find that others are in the same boat and be able to identify ways to help each other.

4. Look at similar dissertations or papers

Speaking of looking to others for help, you might want to look at existing dissertations in your field. You’ll see where you’re doing well and what you could improve. In many cases, seeing finished products can boost your confidence by showing you that you aren’t as behind as you think. This tip is especially handy if you haven’t yet started and are looking to write your proposal, since you’ll see what’s manageable and what’s unwieldy in terms of scope.

5. Fight perfectionism by letting go

Perfectionism can paralyze you. You’re worried you won’t meet some standard and won’t begin out of fear. Or you might delay yourself with constant rewrites and re-reading, which can create a sense of hopelessness. However, realize that your thesis committee will question your arguments no matter how “perfect” your work is. You could improve your paper for a lifetime and still get a ton of questions and critiques. When you feel that a paper is 95% good enough, and your content, data, and arguments are solid, it’s time to let it go.

Are you writing your dissertation or thesis? Don’t let a fear of mistakes hold you back from getting it done. We LOVE editing undergrad and graduate work—the lengthier the better!

When you hear an expression and then learn what it means, it’s tempting to use it later on in your writing, especially if you’re trying to create a more natural tone. However, writing what you hear can lead to all sorts of newly minted expressions—such as “doggy-dog world,” instead of the correct “dog-eat-dog world” (a term that Cambridge Dictionary defines as being “used to describe a situation in which people will do anything to be successful, even if what they do harms other people”).

For people who speak and write English as a second language, learning how to use idioms and phrases correctly can be infuriating. It’s easier when you are a word-origin nerd like many of the team members at Stickler, but even people who grew up as native English speakers have a hard time using these expressions in their writing. Take a look at these seven mistakes and keep an eye out for them in your own work!

1. Incorrect: To give someone free reign
Correct: To give someone free rein

People use this phrase to describe a situation in which someone has the freedom to act and speak as they see fit. Naturally, the word reign comes to mind, since royal figures and rulers are able to do as they please. But the correct word, rein, should remind you of when people rode horses for transportation. When a rider would have to navigate steep and rocky paths, he would often loosen his grip on the reins in order for the horse to choose the path, since the horse would want to keep itself out of harm’s way anyway. If you’re referring to giving someone control over a situation, rather than total power over everything, giving them free rein makes much more sense.

2. Incorrect: Tongue and cheek
Correct: Tongue in cheek

This is one expression that’s easy to mislearn, since when it’s spoken aloud, and and in can sound quite similar. To say something in a tongue-in-cheek manner is to speak or write ironically or jokingly. An easy way to remember this expression is to actually try putting your tongue in your cheek. I don’t know about you, but it sort of makes me wink, and of course winking is a way of telling people that you are joking when you say something.

3. Incorrect: Pour over
Correct: Pore over

Many phrases are misused because they utilize little-known and rarely used definitions of common words. The archaic definition of pore as a verb is to “think intently; ponder”—in other words, meditate. When people are poring over documents or books, they are studying them carefully. Of course, “pour over” is a legitimate phrase in itself, but hopefully people aren’t pouring liquids all over their papers.

4. Incorrect: An escape goat
Correct: A scapegoat

In biblical Jewish tradition, the high priest would “place” the sins of the people on a goat on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). By sending this goat into the desert, the people were symbolically sending their sins away from them. This has made its way into modern usage, where the definition of a scapegoat today is someone who is blamed for other people’s mistakes or for things that go wrong, especially when it makes a difficult situation easier for a group to handle.

5. Incorrect: Mute point
Correct: Moot point

The word moot means “debatable, open to debate, doubtable.” It can also describe something that’s of little practical value or relevance. When someone makes a moot point, he is talking about a topic or thought simply to debate it, but ultimately whatever comes out of the conversation won’t have any practical use in the real world. Mute as an adjective means “silent, not speaking,” and is used to describe people rather than points.

6. Incorrect: For all intensive purposes
Correct: For all intents and purposes

When someone says “for all intents and purposes,” they mean “virtually” or “in effect.” This phrase is best understood with an example: “Even though Stacy is technically Adam’s assistant, for all intents and purposes, she makes the major decisions.” Put simply, Stacy is, in effect, the boss, even though her job title suggests otherwise.

The expression comes from old contract law and was meant to ensure that a stipulation would apply to all situations. In this sense, intensive doesn’t make sense because intensity or concentrating on a single topic has nothing to do with the validity of a situation.

7. Incorrect: I could care less
Correct: I couldn’t care less

This is a “favorite” of editors everywhere. If you could care less about a topic, it means that you do care about it somewhat and could take your concern down a few notches. If you couldn’t care less, that means you don’t care about the topic at all—and this is usually what people mean when they use this expression.

If you struggle with idioms and expressions, that’s totally understandable—but we can help!