Color or colour? Honor or honour? Favor or favour? These spelling differences are among the most visible markers of British versus American English. But why did Americans drop that “u”? The answer involves a revolutionary printer, a new nation seeking linguistic independence, and a surprisingly contentious history of spelling reform.
The Man Behind the Change: Noah Webster
If one person can be credited with American spelling differences, it’s Noah Webster (1758-1843). A lexicographer, educator, and ardent American nationalist, Webster believed that the newly independent United States needed its own linguistic identity.
“As an independent nation,” Webster wrote, “our honor requires us to have a system of our own, in language as well as government.”
Webster published his first dictionary in 1806 and his masterwork, “An American Dictionary of the English Language,” in 1828. In these works, he systematically reformed American spelling, simplifying what he saw as unnecessary complexities inherited from British English.
The -OUR to -OR Change
The “-our” spelling in words like “colour,” “honour,” and “favour” came from French via Norman influence. When these words entered English after the Norman Conquest, they kept their French spelling.
But the Latin originals used “-or”: “color,” “honor,” “favor.” Webster argued that American English should return to these simpler, more logical Latin forms. Why keep a French “u” that added nothing to pronunciation?
Webster wasn’t just simplifying—he was making an ideological point. France had supported American independence, but Britain was the cultural enemy. Using Latin-derived spellings instead of French-influenced British ones asserted American identity.
Words That Changed
The -our/-or difference applies to:
Colour → Color
Honour → Honor
Favour → Favor
Labour → Labor
Behaviour → Behavior
Humour → Humor
Neighbour → Neighbor
Harbour → Harbor
Vigour → Vigor
Valour → Valor
All followed Webster’s reform in American usage.
Why Britain Didn’t Change
British English already had established conventions. The printing industry, the dictionary tradition (particularly Samuel Johnson’s 1755 dictionary), and institutional inertia favored existing spellings.
Johnson’s dictionary had actually been inconsistent on this point—he used “colour” but “error,” “honour” but “governor.” The British eventually standardized on “-our” for words from French and “-or” for words that came directly from Latin.
But there was no Webster figure pushing reform. No nationalist impulse demanded change. British English remained as it was.
Other Webster Reforms
The -our/-or change wasn’t Webster’s only spelling reform. He also championed:
-RE to -ER: Centre → Center, Theatre → Theater, Metre → Meter
The “-re” ending was French. Webster preferred the phonetically logical “-er.”
-CE to -SE: Defence → Defense, Licence → License, Offence → Offense
Again, simplification toward how words sounded.
-OGUE to -OG: Catalogue → Catalog, Dialogue → Dialog, Prologue → Prolog
These didn’t fully catch on even in America—”catalogue” and “catalog” both exist.
Double letters simplified: Traveller → Traveler, Cancelled → Canceled
British English doubles the consonant before “-ed” and “-ing” when the stress falls on the final syllable. Webster simplified.
-CK to -C: Musick → Music, Publick → Public
These changes predated Webster but he standardized them.
Changes That Didn’t Stick
Webster proposed many reforms that Americans rejected:
“Wimmen” for “women”: Webster wanted phonetic spelling. This one didn’t catch on.
“Tung” for “tongue”: Too radical.
“Bred” for “bread”: People weren’t ready.
“Thum” for “thumb”: The silent “b” stayed.
Webster learned that spelling reform has limits. Changes that seemed reasonable and logical were rejected if they looked too strange. The successful reforms were modest enough to be adopted without seeming radical.
The Adoption Process
Webster’s spelling reforms spread through education. His spelling books were enormously popular, used in American schools for generations. Children learned American spellings as the correct ones; British spellings seemed foreign.
As American publishing grew, it adopted Webster’s spellings. Newspapers, magazines, and books used American conventions, reinforcing them as standard.
By the late 19th century, American spelling was firmly established and distinct from British. The differences that seemed deliberate innovations in 1828 became simply “how Americans spell.”
Regional Complications
Not all English-speaking countries followed either American or British conventions:
Canada: Uses British spelling in many cases (colour, centre) but American in others. Geographic proximity to the US creates constant pressure.
Australia: Generally British spelling, though American influence is increasing.
New Zealand: British spelling standard.
Ireland: British spelling standard.
South Africa: British spelling standard.
India: British spelling standard (a legacy of colonialism).
The world divides roughly into British spelling territories (the Commonwealth) and American spelling territory (the US and areas of strong American influence).
Computer Age Complications
Digital technology has created new spelling challenges:
Spell-check: Microsoft Word and other programs require users to choose between US and UK English.
Internet: Global communication exposes everyone to both spellings.
American dominance: American tech companies often default to American spelling.
Mixed exposure: People increasingly see both spellings and may mix them unconsciously.
Does It Matter?
Is one system better than the other? Arguments exist on both sides:
For American spellings:
- Simpler, more logical
- Closer to pronunciation
- Fewer unnecessary letters
For British spellings:
In reality, neither system is more correct. Both are arbitrary conventions that developed historically. Americans spelling “color” and Britons spelling “colour” are both spelling English correctly—for their variety.
Modern Mixing
Increasingly, the boundaries blur:
British adoption of American spellings: Some British publications use American spelling under American ownership or influence.
Style guides: Many specify which system to use, but the existence of choices shows the competition.
Individual variation: Writers may use either spelling, sometimes inconsistently.
Global English: International English sometimes favors American spellings as more widely understood.
The Webster Legacy
Noah Webster succeeded in his core goal: giving American English a distinct identity. Americans grow up learning “color,” “honor,” and “center” as natural spellings. The British equivalents look foreign—slightly wrong, excessively ornamented.
This was exactly Webster’s intention. He wanted American children to feel that their language was theirs, not borrowed from Britain. The dropped “u” is a tiny assertion of independence repeated millions of times daily.
Conclusion
The missing “u” in American “color” isn’t random or careless. It’s the deliberate work of Noah Webster, who believed that a new nation needed its own language. His reforms simplified spelling while asserting American identity, distinguishing the former colony from its linguistic parent.
Today, most Americans don’t know why they spell “color” without a “u.” They simply do, because that’s how American English works. But every time they write that word, they’re participating in a 200-year-old project of linguistic independence—dropping a letter that a revolutionary lexicographer decided wasn’t needed.
The “u” in “colour” isn’t wrong. Neither is its absence in “color.” They’re parallel traditions, both legitimate, both English. But the difference between them tells a story of national identity, intentional reform, and the power of education and publishing to shape how millions of people write their language.
Webster would be pleased.
