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American English: A Straightforward Guide
If you read any of our blog posts, you might have noticed words like color instead of colour or favorite instead of favourite. That’s because we write in American English – the version of English most people in the United States use. It’s not a fancy dialect, just a set of spelling rules, word choices and a relaxed tone that makes the text feel familiar to American readers.
How American English Differs from British English
The biggest difference is spelling. Words that end in -our in the UK drop the u in the US: colour becomes color. The same goes for honour → honor, labour → labor. Another common change is -ise versus -ize. You’ll see realise written as realize in American English.
Vocabulary also shifts. What the British call a flat, Americans call an apartment. A lorry is a truck, and a boot of a car is a trunk. These swaps are small, but using the right word helps avoid confusion and makes the writing feel natural to US readers.
Punctuation is a little tighter in the US. The period goes inside quotation marks, and the serial comma (the comma before “and” in a list) is often used in American style but optional in British style. For example: “apples, oranges, and bananas.”
Why It Matters for Furniture Content
Most of the furniture articles on this site target a global audience, but a big chunk of our traffic comes from the United States. Using American English makes those readers feel the content was written for them, not just translated. It also helps with SEO – Google matches the language style you use with the search terms people type. If someone in California searches for “best sofa color,” they’ll find a page that says “color” instead of “colour.”
When we talk about product specs, the language matters too. Describing a “metal frame” instead of a “metallic frame” aligns with the way US furniture retailers list items. It reduces any doubt a shopper might have when comparing our advice with local store listings.
Even small things like “floor plan” versus “floor‑plan” can affect readability. Keeping the language consistent throughout each article creates a smoother reading experience, so people stay on the page longer and are more likely to trust the advice.
In short, writing in American English isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about clear communication, better search visibility and respecting the reader’s expectations. Whether you’re choosing a sofa color, figuring out the best time to buy a desk, or just browsing for storage ideas, the language should help you understand the info fast.
Now that you know the basics, you can spot the differences the next time you read a post. If you ever write a review or comment, try using the US spelling and word choices – it will feel more familiar to the majority of our community.
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