Litre Or Liter – British English vs. American English

03.06.24 British English vs. American English Time to read: 2min

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Ensuring logical and clear academic writing requires consistent language use. However, students sometimes run into difficulties distinguishing between British English vs. American English, particularly in spelling variations like “litre” or “liter.” This can be extremely confusing for people who are not native English speakers. For a better grasp of these language variations, continue reading.

Index

“Litre” or “liter”

The word “litre/liter” describes a unit of volume equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters or 1 cubic decimeter (about 1.0567 quarts) and functions as a noun, grammatically. “Litre” is the spelling used in British English, while “liter” is the spelling used in American English.

British English

litre

American English

liter

The spelling “litre” is more common in British English, while “liter” is the preferred spelling in American English. There is no variability or alternative spelling for each English variant in this case; each spelling corresponds to its respective English style.

Examples of using “litre” and “liter” as a noun

The following example sentences will illustrate the difference in the spelling of the noun “litre/liter” in British and American English.

  • British English: Litre
  • American English: Liter
Litre-or-liter-noun-UK-flag
  • She bought a two-litre bottle of soda for the party.
  • The car’s fuel tank has a capacity of 60 litres.
  • The recipe calls for one litre of water to be added to the mixture.
Litre-or-liter-noun-US-flag
  • She bought a two-liter bottle of soda for the party.
  • The car’s fuel tank has a capacity of 60 liters.
  • The recipe calls for one liter of water to be added to the mixture.

FAQs

Both spellings are correct, but “litres” is the British spelling, and “liters” is the American spelling.

The only correct spelling in the UK is “litre.”

Canadians have a slight preference towards “litre,” however, they do use “liter” as well.

Yes, Americans use the measurement “liters” for volume. While the spelling differs, the actual unit of measurement is the same. Both “liters” and “litres” represent the volume equivalent to 1,000 cubic centimeters or 1 cubic decimeter. However, they also use the measurement “ounces.” One liter is approximately 33.814 fluid ounces.

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Lisa Neumann

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About the author

Lisa Neumann is studying marketing management in a dual program at IU Nuremberg and is working towards a bachelor's degree. They have already gained practical experience and regularly write scientific papers as part of their studies. Because of this, Lisa is an excellent fit for the BachelorPrint team. In this role, they emphasize the importance of high-quality content and aim to help students navigate their busy academic lives. As a student themself, they understand what truly matters and what support students need.

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Bibliography

Neumann, L. (2024, June 03). Litre Or Liter – British English vs. American English. BachelorPrint. https://www.bachelorprint.com/british-english-vs-american-english/liter-or-litre/ (retrieved 12/22/2024)

In-text citation

Parenthetical
(Neumann , 2024)
Narrative
Neumann (2024)

Bibliography

Neumann, Lisa. 2024. "Litre Or Liter – British English vs. American English." BachelorPrint, Retrieved June 03, 2024. https://www.bachelorprint.com/british-english-vs-american-english/liter-or-litre/.

In-text citation

Parenthetical
(Neumann 2024)

Bibliography

Lisa Neumann, "Litre Or Liter – British English vs. American English," BachelorPrint, June 03, 2024, https://www.bachelorprint.com/british-english-vs-american-english/liter-or-litre/ (retrieved December 22, 2024).

Footnotes

Short note
Neumann, "Shortened title."

Bibliography

Neumann, Lisa: Litre Or Liter – British English vs. American English, in: BachelorPrint, 06/03/2024, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/british-english-vs-american-english/liter-or-litre/ (retrieved 12/22/2024).

Footnotes

Full note
Neumann, Lisa: Litre Or Liter – British English vs. American English, in: BachelorPrint, 06/03/2024, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/british-english-vs-american-english/liter-or-litre/ (retrieved 12/22/2024).
Direct quote
Neumann, 2024.
Indirect quote
Neumann, 2024.

Bibliography

Neumann, Lisa (2024): Litre Or Liter – British English vs. American English, in: BachelorPrint, [online] https://www.bachelorprint.com/british-english-vs-american-english/liter-or-litre/ (retrieved 12/22/2024).

In-text citation

Direct quote
(Neumann, 2024)
Indirect quote
(Neumann, 2024)
Narrative
Neumann (2024)

Bibliography

Neumann, Lisa. "Litre Or Liter – British English vs. American English." BachelorPrint, 06/03/2024, https://www.bachelorprint.com/british-english-vs-american-english/liter-or-litre/ (retrieved 12/22/2024).

In-text citation

Parenthetical
(Neumann)
Narrative
Neumann

Bibliography

Number. Neumann L. Litre Or Liter – British English vs. American English [Internet]. BachelorPrint. 2024 [cited 12/22/2024]. Available from: https://www.bachelorprint.com/british-english-vs-american-english/liter-or-litre/


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