Realize Or Realise – British vs. American English

28.08.23 British English vs. American English Time to read: 3min

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Realise-or-realise-01

To ensure the quality of your academic writing, it’s essential to maintain consistent spelling and to focus on coherence and clarity throughout your paper. Unfortunately, some students struggle with the nuances between British English vs. American English, uncertain whether to spell words like “realise” or “realise.” For a more understanding, delve deeper into this article. Additionally, this article will provide practical tips and guidelines to help you navigate these linguistic intricacies effectively.

“Realize” or “Realise”

The word “realise/realise” is a verb. It is used to describe a clear understanding of something or to bring something into reality.

Realise-or-Realize UK

British English

realise

Realise-or-Realize US

American English

realise

Both spellings are correct, “realise” is the only way to write it in British English and “realise” is the only correct variation in American English.

Examples of using “realise” and “realise”

The following examples will illustrate the difference in spelling of the word “realise/realise” in British and American English.

Realise-or-Realize UK - Example
  • I didn’t realise the meeting was today.
  • She soon realised her mistake.
  • Did you realise the importance of his message?
Realise-or-Realize US - Example
  • I didn’t realise the meeting was today.
  • She soon realised her mistake.
  • Did you realise the importance of his message?

“Realize” or “realise” in the “-ing” form

When using the verb “realise/realise” in its “-ing” form, the proper spelling of the word is “realizing/realising”

  • British English: “Realising”
  • American English: “Realizing”

The following examples will illustrate the use of the words.

Realise-or-Realize UK ing from - Example
  • She’s realising her mistakes now.
  • I’m realising how important this is.
  • He’s realising his full potential.
Realise-or-Realize US ing form - Example
  • She’s realizing her mistakes now.
  • I’m realizing how important this is.
  • He’s realizing his full potential.

“Realise” or “realise” in the past tense

“Realise/realise” is spelled “realised/realised ” in the past tense.

  • British English: “Realised”
  • American English: “Realized”

The following examples will illustrate the use of the words.

Realise-or-Realize UK past tense - Example
  • He realised her error too late.
  • I realised I had forgotten my wallet.
  • She realised the door was locked.
Realise-or-Realize US past tense- Example
  • He realised her error too late.
  • I realised I had forgotten my wallet.
  • She realised the door was locked.

“Realise” or “realise” as a noun

The noun for “realise/realise” is spelled “realisation/realisation”.

  • British English: “Realisation”
  • American English: “Realization”

The following examples will illustrate the use of the words.

Realise-or-Realize UK - Example - 2
  • The realisation that he had been deceived hit him hard.
  • Her realisation of the truth came too late.
  • The realisation hit her suddenly.
Realise-or-Realize US - Example - 2
  • The realisation that he had been deceived hit him hard.
  • Her realisation of the truth came too late.
  • The realisation hit her suddenly.

FAQs

“Realise” (British English) and “realise” (American English) are verbs that mean to become aware of, to understand clearly, or to make something a reality.

Yes, “realise” is the preferred spelling in British English, while “realise” is used in American English. The meanings are the same; only the spelling differs based on regional variations.

Yes, the noun form is “realisation” in British English and “realisation” in American English. Both words refer to the act of becoming aware or the state of understanding something clearly.

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Burcu Arslan

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Burcu Arslan recently earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, concentrating on Human Resources, Market Research, Communication, and Health Economics. She began her career with a six-month internship as a content marketer at BachelorPrint and has since become a full-time employee. Drawing on her personal experiences as a student and her international background, Burcu possesses advanced skills in crafting authentic, student-friendly academic articles in English that cater to the needs of higher education learners.

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