Spelling Tips: Jewellery or Jewelry? | Proofed's Writing Tips (2024)

‘Jewellery’ and ‘jewelry’ both refer to things like necklaces, bracelets, and rings. However, we only use the spelling ‘jewellery’ in British English.

So, do you ever need to use ‘jewelry’? And how can you be sure of avoiding errors when using this word in your writing? Let’s take a look.

What Does ‘Jewellery’ Mean?

‘Jewellery’ is a noun that refers to items of personal adornment, such as necklaces, bracelets and rings. We could use it in a sentence like this:

Barbara Cartland wore a lot of jewellery.

It comes from the word ‘jewel’, which refers to a precious stone (e.g. a diamond or ruby). However, we also use ‘jewellery’ for items that don’t feature any jewels (e.g. a wooden pendant or a gold ring).

Spelling Tips: Jewellery or Jewelry? | Proofed's Writing Tips (1)

British vs. American English

British and American English agree on the spelling of ‘jewel’. But with ‘jewellery’ – and a range of words derived from ‘jewel’ – there is a transatlantic spelling difference, as shown below:

British English

American English

Jewellery

Jewelry

Jeweller

Jeweler

Jewelled

Jeweled

Jewelling

Jeweling

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MAANG TIKKA

With all these words, we see how US English simplifies spellings. In most of these cases, Americans simply drop the extra ‘l’ from the UK spelling. But with ‘jewellery’, we have an extra ‘e’, too!

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Generally, the only time you will need to use ‘jewelry’ is when writing for a North American audience. The same applies for the other US spellings above.

Summary: Jewellery or Jewelry?

The basic distinction between these spellings is dialect:

  • Jewellery is the standard spelling in British English.
  • Jewelry is the standard spelling in American English.

If you struggle to tell these spellings apart, remember that the extra ‘l’ and ‘e’ in ‘jewellery’ match the first letters in London, England, where ‘jewellery’ is the standard spelling! And if you’d like any more help with the spelling in a document, we have proofreaders available 24/7.

Spelling Tips: Jewellery or Jewelry? | Proofed's Writing Tips (2024)

FAQs

Spelling Tips: Jewellery or Jewelry? | Proofed's Writing Tips? ›

Jewelry is the standard spelling in American English

spelling in American English
American spelling avoids -ise endings in words like organize, realize and recognize. British spelling mostly uses -ise (organise, realise, recognise), though -ize is sometimes used.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › American_and_British_Engli...
. Jewellery is the standard spelling in British English.

Which is the correct spelling, jewelry or jewellery? ›

Simply put: jewellery is the British English spelling. jewelry is the American English spelling.

What is the correct way to write jewelry? ›

The most commonly used variations of this noun, meaning precious items of personal decoration, are jewellery and jewelry. The correct spelling in Australia and Britain is 'jewellery'. In American English, the correct spelling is 'jewelry'.

How to remember how to spell jewelry? ›

The primary difference between 'jewelry' and 'jewellery' lies in where you come from.. 'Jewelry' is the preferred spelling in American English, while 'jewellery' is the standard in British English.

Is jewelry Grammatically correct? ›

Both "jewelry" and "jewellery" are correct spellings of the word that refers to decorative, usually valuable, personal ornaments. The difference in spelling is due to the variation in English dialects.

How do you write jewelry in a sentence? ›

She applies her research to jewelry design applications. The system is aimed at supporting users during the design of jewelry. Therefore, we can use the golden ratio for evaluating the good proportion in jewelry design. As an economic commodity, jewelry carries political as well as economic significance.

What is the spelling of jewellery Oxford dictionary? ›

jewellery | jewelry, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary.

Why is jewelry spelled two different ways? ›

Then what is, after all, the difference between "jewelry" and "jewellery"? Why do we spell them differently? The answer is simpler than you might expect: it's the variations between British and American English. It's "jewellery" in UK and "jewelry" in the US.

Why is jewelry spelled differently? ›

It's just that “jewelry” is the American English spelling and “jewellery” is the British English spelling and also used in Australia. Canadian English uses both. So how you spell the word really just depends on where you live and how most people around you spell it.

What is the plural for jewellery? ›

The noun jewellery can be countable or uncountable.. In more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be jewellery.. Anway, in more particular contexts, the plural form can also be jewelleries e.g. in reference to various types of jewelleries or a collection of jewelleries.

What is the jewelry that spells words? ›

An acrostic ring is a Victorian romantic 19th century ring in which the initials of the precious stones mounted on the band spell out a word such as dearest or regards.

Is jewelry two syllables? ›

Both two and three syllables are acceptable for 'jewelry. ' Thinking of the word 'jewel' may help you say 'jewelry' in the way that's generally favored, as \JOO-ul-ree\ or \JOOL-ree.

Why is jewelry called jewelry? ›

In modern European culture the amount worn by adult males is relatively low compared with other cultures and other periods in European culture. The word jewellery itself is derived from the word jewel, which was anglicised from the Old French "jouel", and beyond that, to the Latin word "jocale", meaning plaything.

What is the meaning of jewelry in a sentence? ›

Jewelry is ornaments that people wear, such as rings, bracelets, and necklaces. It is often made of a valuable metal such as gold, and sometimes decorated with precious stones. Discover a full selection of fine watches and jewelry at these two Upper Manhattan stores.

Why is jewellery called jewellery? ›

In modern European culture the amount worn by adult males is relatively low compared with other cultures and other periods in European culture. The word jewellery itself is derived from the word jewel, which was anglicised from the Old French "jouel", and beyond that, to the Latin word "jocale", meaning plaything.

What's the correct pronunciation of jewellery? ›

The correct way to say jewellery is with a soft "juh" sound, followed by the short "ew" sound, and then a long "elle" sound. The emphasis should be placed on the second syllable, which is the "ew" sound. The "r" should be pronounced with a slight "h" sound.

Is it fulfil or fulfill? ›

The spelling tends to vary based on whether you're writing in UK or US English: In UK English, 'fulfil' (one 'l') is standard. In US English, 'fulfill' (double 'l') is more common.

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