New Zealand English: Is our spelling different?

Is it colour or color? Behaviour or behavior?

Most New Zealanders know that New Zealand English (NZE) uses colour and behaviour, following British English (BrE) spelling.

So, are there any differences between NZE and BrE spelling?

It is probably not a surprise that the spelling of English words in New Zealand writing is virtually indistinguishable from that of BrE, just as most NZE grammar rules follow BrE. It is the vocabulary and the accent that distinguishes NZE the most from other forms of English.

However, there are a few small differences – though even then it would not be considered wrong to use the British English spelling variant:
​

• For words ending in -(e)ment as in lodg(e)ment, either spelling is acceptable in NZE, whereas     -ement is the preferred BrE spelling.
• When speaking of weights, NZE follows BrE with tonne. However in hyperbolic statements, ton and tons are commonly used (e.g. I have tons of lollies).
• In words that may be spelt with either an -ise or an -ize ending (such as organise/organize) NZE prefers -ise. This contrasts with BrE where -ise is also generally preferred, but for some, including the Oxford Dictionary, -ize is preferred.
• NZE prefers fiord over fjord, unlike most other English-speaking countries, although fjord is sometimes used.
• When spelling words with macrons borrowed from Māori, it makes sense that in NZE we tend to spell these words with macrons more often than in other countries, and there is a growing tendency to do so in New Zealand.
• NZE always uses jail rather than the historical gaol of BrE.
• Gram, kilogram and other similar metric derivatives are preferably spelled without the extra -me (ie. gram, not gramme), which is acceptable (but also becoming uncommon) in BrE. NZE does, however, follow BrE with the distinction between program (related to computers) and programme (for a concert or on TV).

 
One final note is that NZE writing does use American English (AmE) spelling when the word is part of a trademark – such as Cooper Tires or Colorsteel – or with American titles such as the FBI Medal of Valor. In addition, some newspapers (such as The New Zealand Herald) retain the American English spelling if the original article came from an American publication.

​What next?
If you have written a book in New Zealand English and this all sounds too overwhelming, I can help. 

I am a copy-editor and proofreader based in New Zealand. My business, Clearlingo Editing and Proofreading, caters to all writers of fiction and non-fiction books. I can discuss with you where your book is at and what you need to do next.

For more information on how I can help you make your book shine, please contact me on: www.clearlingo.co.nz/contact.

I would love to hear from you.​


External sources:
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-GriBook-_div2-N1097E.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_English#Spelling
Kennedy, G., Deverson, T. (2005) New Zealand Oxford Dictionary. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.

Related Articles:
New Zealand English: -ise vs -ize endings
New Zealand English: Single or double quote marks
New Zealand English: Punctuation inside or outside quotation marks?
New Zealand English: Using Māori words in English text
New Zealand English: Burned vs Burnt