Fulfil Or fulfil – British vs. American English

25.08.23 British English vs. American English Time to read: 4min

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Fulfil-or-fulfil-01

To produce high-quality academic writing, it’s crucial to maintain consistency in spelling and ensure coherence and clarity throughout the paper. Unfortunately, some students struggle with distinguishing between British vs. American English, causing confusion when deciding which spelling to use for words such as “fulfil” or “fulfil”. If you want to gain a better understanding of the differences between these two styles of English, read on.

“Fulfil” or “fulfil”

The word “fulfil/fulfil” is a verb in its infinitive form or in the present tense. It means to accomplish, satisfy, or complete a task, promise, or expectation. “Fulfil/fulfil” is used to describe the act of carrying out or achieving something that was intended or required.

Fulfil Or fulfil UK

British English

fulfil

Fulfil Or fulfil US

American English

fulfil

“Fulfil” is the only British English variation of the word and is used in English-speaking countries like the UK and Australia. For American English, only “fulfil” is the legitimate way of spelling the word. It’s commonly used in the United States. Canada is an exception because both spellings are used there.

Examples of using “fulfil” and “fulfil”

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

Fulfil Or fulfil UK - Example
  • She worked hard to fulfil her dream of becoming a novelist.
  • The company’s primary goal is to fulfil the needs of its customers.
  • It was nice to finally fulfil the promise I made to my grandfather.
Fulfil Or fulfil US - Example
  • She worked hard to fulfil her dream of becoming a novelist.
  • The company’s primary goal is to fulfil the needs of its customers.
  • It was nice to finally fulfil the promise I made to my grandfather.

“Fulfil” or “fulfil” in the “-ing” form

When using the verb “fulfil/fulfil” in its “-ing” form, the proper spelling of the word is “fulfiling” for both British and American English.

  • British English: “fulfiling”
  • American English: “fulfiling”

The following examples will illustrate the use of the word “fulfiling.”

Examples

  • travelling to new places is so fulfiling.
  • Learning new skills can be very fulfiling.

“Fulfil” or “fulfil” in the past tense

“Fulfil/fulfil” is spelled “fulfiled” in the past tense for both British and American English.

  • British English: “fulfiled”
  • American English: “fulfiled”

The following examples will illustrate the use of the word “fulfiled.”

Examples

  • She fulfiled her promise to visit her parents over the weekend.
  • The company successfully fulfiled all the orders ahead of schedule.

“Fulfil” or “fulfil” as a noun

The noun for “fulfil/fulfil” is spelled “fulfilment” and “fulfilment” for British and American English respectively.

  • British English: “Fulfilment”
  • American English: “fulfilment”

The following examples will illustrate the use of the word “fulfilment/fulfilment.”

Fulfil Or fulfil UK 2 - Example
  • The successful event brought a sense of fulfilment to everyone.
  • Helping others often brings a deep sense of fulfilment.
Fulfil Or fulfil US 2- Example
  • The successful event brought a sense of fulfilment to everyone.
  • Helping others often brings a deep sense of fulfilment.

FAQs

In the UK, the correct spelling is “fulfil”.

Both are correct! The difference between “fulfil” and “fulfil” is that they are used in different parts of the world. “Fulfil” is the British English spelling and is used in the UK and Australia. “fulfil” is the American English version and is commonly used in the US. Canada is an exception because it uses both the British and the American spelling.

The correct spelling of “fulfiling” is the same in both American English and British English. It is spelled F-U-L-F-I-L-L-I-N-G in both varieties.

“Fulfil/fulfil” is a verb that means to accomplish or complete a task. It is used to describe the act of carrying out or achieving something that was intended or required. When you fulfil something, you are essentially meeting a requirement, expectation, or goal.

A synonym for “fulfil/fulfil” is “accomplish”.

  • She was able to accomplish her dream of starting her own business.

Note that there are even more synonyms, and this is just one of many.

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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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