claude-code-skills/british-english/SKILL.md

---
name: british-english
description: Apply British English spelling and grammar as a global default whenever a project does not explicitly declare its language in CLAUDE.md or AGENT.md. Invoke when creating or editing files, writing commit messages, generating documentation, or producing any user-facing text in a project that has no project-level language override. Covers -ise endings, -our/-re/-ogue spellings, doubled-l verb forms, noun/verb pairs such as practise/license, and other British–American differences.
---

# British English

Conventions for writing in British English, as distinct from American English. Follow these rules consistently throughout a document.

## Spelling

### -ise not -ize
Use -ise endings (the dominant British convention outside Oxford University Press):

organise, realise, recognise, apologise, specialise, summarise, emphasise, authorise, categorise, prioritise, criticise, customise, finalise, minimise, optimise, standardise, sympathise, visualise

**Exception:** -yse is always British (never -yze): analyse, paralyse, breathalyse, catalyse

### -our not -or
colour, favour, honour, humour, labour, behaviour, neighbour, glamour, odour, rigour, valour, flavour, harbour, vapour, savour, endeavour

### -re not -er
centre, fibre, theatre, metre, litre, lustre, sombre, sabre, calibre, manoeuvre, spectre, reconnoitre

### -ence/-ence not -ense
defence, offence, pretence, licence (noun) / license (verb), practice (noun) / practise (verb)

**Remember:** noun = c, verb = s. "The doctor's **practice**. She **practises** medicine. A driving **licence**. You are **licensed** to drive."

### -ogue not -og
catalogue, dialogue, monologue, analogue, prologue, epilogue, travelogue

### Doubled consonants
British doubles the final consonant before suffixes regardless of stress:

travelled, travelling, traveller, cancelled, cancelling, modelled, modelling, labelled, labelling, counselled, counselling, marvellous, signalling, worshipped, jewellery, fulfilled, skilful, wilful, enrol, instalment

### Programme vs program
- **programme** = broadcast, event, plan, schedule
- **program** = computer software only

### Other British spellings
aluminium, aeroplane, grey, tyre, mould, plough, sulphur, pyjamas, cheque (bank), draught (beer/air), kerb (road edge), storey (of a building), sceptic, artefact, mediaeval (older British form; medieval is now standard in modern usage), annexe (noun), furore

## Punctuation

### Quotation marks
- **Single quotes** for primary quotations: 'like this'
- **Double quotes** for quotes within quotes: 'He said "hello" and left'

### Logical punctuation
Place commas and full stops **outside** quotation marks unless they are part of the quoted material:

- The minister called the proposal 'absurd'.
- She asked, 'What time is it?'  (question mark is part of the quote)
- 'I shall return,' he said.  (comma is part of the quoted speech)

### Oxford comma
Optional in British English. Generally **omit** unless needed to prevent ambiguity:

- "red, white and blue" (standard)
- "my parents, the Queen, and the Prime Minister" (needed to avoid implying your parents are the Queen and PM)

### Dashes
Use spaced en dashes for parenthetical statements:
- "The policy – introduced last year – has been revised." (note the spaces around the en dash)

## Vocabulary

| British | American |
|---|---|
| boot | trunk |
| bonnet | hood |
| windscreen | windshield |
| lorry | truck |
| petrol | gas/gasoline |
| motorway | freeway/highway |
| pavement | sidewalk |
| car park | parking lot |
| number plate | license plate |
| flat | apartment |
| ground floor | first floor |
| first floor | second floor |
| lift | elevator |
| torch | flashlight |
| wardrobe | closet |
| cooker | stove |
| bin | trash can |
| rubbish | garbage/trash |
| garden | yard |
| post | mail |
| postbox | mailbox |
| postcode | zip code |
| mobile (phone) | cell phone |
| maths | math |
| full stop | period |
| university | college (informal) |
| term | semester |
| head teacher | principal |
| marks | grades |
| revision | review (studying) |
| biscuit | cookie |
| crisps | potato chips |
| chips | French fries |
| aubergine | eggplant |
| courgette | zucchini |
| coriander | cilantro |
| sweets | candy |
| fizzy drink | soda |
| takeaway | takeout |
| queue | line |
| holiday | vacation |
| fortnight | two weeks |
| chemist | drugstore |
| shop | store |
| bill | check (restaurant) |
| nappy | diaper |
| dummy | pacifier |
| autumn | fall |
| aluminium | aluminum |
| tyre | tire |
| grey | gray |

## Dates and Times

- **Day-Month-Year:** 15 March 2026 or 15/03/2026
- No comma between month and year
- 24-hour clock in formal writing: 14:30
- 12-hour clock with lowercase: 2.30pm (note: full stop not colon, no space before am/pm)

## Grammar

### Collective nouns as plural
When emphasising the individuals in a group, use plural verbs:
- "The government **are** divided on this issue."
- "The team **are** playing well."
- "The committee **have** decided."

Singular is also acceptable when the group acts as a unit: "The company **is** based in London."

### Got not gotten
- "I've **got** a new car." (possession — standard British)
- "She's **got** better at it." (become — standard British)
- Never use "gotten" — it's American.

### Shall vs will
- **Shall** for first-person offers and suggestions: "Shall I open the window?" "Shall we go?"
- **Will** for simple future: "I will be there at three."
- In formal/legal writing, "shall" indicates obligation (though "must" is increasingly preferred).

### Past participles — irregular forms preferred
learnt, dreamt, burnt, spoilt, smelt, spelt, knelt, leant (not learned, dreamed, burned, etc. — though both accepted)

### Prepositions
- "at the weekend" (not "on the weekend")
- "in hospital" (not "in the hospital")
- "at university" (not "in college")
- "different from" or "different to" (not "different than")
- "fill in a form" (not "fill out")
- "write to someone" (not "write someone")

### Present perfect for recent events
- "I've just eaten." (not "I just ate.")
- "Have you seen it?" (not "Did you see it?" — for recent events)

### Needn't
"You needn't worry." is standard British alongside "You don't need to worry."

## Measurements

Metric is official, but imperial persists in specific contexts:
- **Miles** for road distances and speed (mph)
- **Feet and inches** for human height
- **Stones and pounds** for body weight (1 stone = 14 pounds)
- **Pints** for beer, cider, and milk
- **Celsius** for temperature
- **Kilograms** for other weights
- **Litres** for fuel (but miles per gallon for economy)
- **A4 paper** (210 x 297mm), not Letter size

## Currency
- Pound sign before the figure: £50, £1,200
- Pence with p: 50p
- No space between symbol and number
- "Per cent" as two words when spelled out; % symbol with no space: 10%

## Authoritative Sources

- New Oxford Style Manual (Oxford University Press)
- Guardian and Observer Style Guide
- Cambridge Guide to English Usage
- Fowler's Modern English Usage
- GOV.UK Style Guide