Convert British to American
Bidirectional converter for spelling and vocabulary differences with change highlighting.
Ready to Convert
Paste text and click "Convert" to see American translations with changes highlighted.
Localize Your English Instantly
Writing for a global audience often means adapting your English to match local expectations. Whether you are a British author publishing in the US, or an American student submitting to a UK journal, using the correct spelling and vocabulary is crucial for professionalism.
The Convert British to American English tool is a powerful, bidirectional utility that automatically translates spelling variants (like colour/color, organise/organize) and swaps common vocabulary (like lorry/truck, flat/apartment). With intelligent case preservation and visual change highlighting, you can localize your content in seconds with confidence.
Features
Bidirectional Conversion
Switch easily between British → American and American → British modes.
Change Highlighting
See exactly what changed. Green for spelling, Purple for vocabulary swaps.
Spelling Only Mode
Toggle to only fix spelling without changing vocabulary terms.
Case Preservation
Respects capitalization: 'Colour' becomes 'Color', 'COLOUR' becomes 'COLOR'.
File Support
Upload .txt or .md files to convert entire documents at once.
100% Private
All processing happens in your browser. No data upload.
Common Use Cases
Publishing & Authors
Adapting a manuscript for a new market? Quickly generate a US or UK version of your book to match reader expectations and publisher guidelines without manual find-and-replace.
Content Localization
Marketing teams can repurpose blog posts, landing pages, and ad copy for different English-speaking regions. Ensure your "Labor Day Sale" doesn't become a "Labour Day Sale" accidentally.
Academic Writing
Students studying abroad or submitting papers to international journals must adhere to strict style guides. Avoid losing marks for "incorrect" spelling by converting your essay to the target dialect.
Software Localization
Developers can quickly generate locale files (en-US vs en-GB) for their applications. Convert UI strings like "Initialization" vs "Initialisation" or "Color Palette" vs "Colour Palette".
Conversion Examples
"The centre was filled with the odour of petrol from the lorry."
"The center was filled with the odor of gas from the truck."
How to Use
- Select Direction: Choose "British → American" or "American → British" using the toggle.
- Select Mode: Use "All" to include vocabulary swaps or "Spelling Only" for just spellings.
- Input Text: Paste your text or upload a file.
- Convert: Click the "Convert Text" button.
- Review: Check Green highlights for spelling and Purple for vocabulary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between British and American English?
The main differences lie in spelling (e.g., 'colour' vs 'color', 'centre' vs 'center', 'realise' vs 'realize') and vocabulary (e.g., 'lift' vs 'elevator', 'biscuit' vs 'cookie'). Grammar rules are largely the same, though some minor usage differences exist.
Can I only fix spelling without changing words?
Yes. Use the 'Spelling Only' toggle. This ensures that words like 'flavour' become 'flavor', but vocabulary words like 'flat' (apartment) or 'chips' (fries) remain unchanged.
Can I convert from American to British?
Yes. The tool is fully bidirectional. Use the toggle button at the top to switch between 'British → American' and 'American → British' modes depending on your target audience.
Will it ruin my formatting?
No. The tool preserves your original text structure, punctuation, and capitalization. It treats the text as a sequence of tokens, replacing only the specific words that need conversion while leaving everything else untouched.
Is it 100% accurate?
It is highly accurate for common spelling and vocabulary. However, English is context-sensitive. For example, 'check' can mean a bank cheque (British 'cheque') or to verify (British 'check'). The tool uses the most common mappings but manual review is always recommended for critical documents.
Does it support Canadian or Australian English?
This tool is specifically tuned for the UK/US axis. Canadian and Australian English often use a mix of British spellings ('colour') but sometimes American vocabulary ('truck' vs 'lorry'). Using the British setting is usually the closest starting point for these dialects.
How does detailed highlighting work?
When you convert text, changes are color-coded: Green for spelling changes, Purple for vocabulary swaps. Hovering over a highlighted word reveals the original word, allowing you to easily verify the changes made.
Is my text private?
Yes. The conversion happens entirely in your web browser using JavaScript. No text is ever uploaded to a server, ensuring complete confidentiality for your manuscripts or documents.
Can I process large files?
Yes, you can upload .txt or .md files directly. The tool processes them instantly client-side. There is no hard limit, but browser performance is best with files under a few megabytes (hundreds of pages).
Why is 'program' sometimes 'programme'?
In British English, 'programme' is used for TV shows or plans, while 'program' is strictly for computer code. In American English, 'program' is used for everything. This tool converts general usage to the target preference.