Jewelry vs Jewellery: How to Use Them Properly

You write a product description of your online store, and it occurs to you, is it jewelry or jewellery? Both spelling versions look good and the spellcheck is not complaining. But when do you use them?

This article dissects the ways of using either spelling, why there is a difference and how you can be consistent while using the words in all your writings.

Let’s dive in.

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Key Takeaways

• Jewelry and jewellery are the American and British spelling of jewellery respectively.

• The two spellings are synonymous and mean the ornaments that are used to decorate oneself.

• The only difference in the spelling can be found in nouns. Words related to jewelry such as jeweler/jeweller are not an exception.

• In both forms, the word is never counted (one cannot say jewelleries or jeweleries).

• The Americans will say JOO-ul-ree, the British will say JOOL-ree.

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What’s the Difference Between Jewelry vs Jewellery

The difference between these two spellings does not exist. They are referring to the same thing: An item used to decorate oneself. It is a mere geographical difference.

In American English, it is spelled as jewelry and in British English it is spelled as jewellery. 

Quick Meaning

Both spellings are used to refer to ornamental items that individuals use to adorn themselves such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches, pins and cufflinks.

It could also be a plain piece of gold or a diamond necklace.

Also, those that are fastened upon clothes and not the body, such as decorative pins on the lapel, old-fashioned brooches, and decorative cufflinks, may be considered as jewelry since they serve no utilitarian purpose but as decoration. 

The jewelry or jewellery meaning includes the expensive jewelry of silver, gold, diamonds and gemstones, and the cheaper fashion jewelry of plated metals, plastic, or glass.

The word in the English language is utilized as a mass noun. You possess a piece of jewelry, or some jewelry, but never “jewelries.”

This rule of grammar applies in both the American and the British English in spite of the different spellings.

Jewelry or Jewellery: Which One to Use?

While it might be tricky figuring out the spelling to use, below are some tips that guide the use of each one:

Jewelry

Use “jewelry” when writing for American audiences. This is the standard spelling in:

• United States Publications and Businesses: American magazines, newspapers, and retailers, as well as companies, use jewelry. It is spelled as such in Tiffany & Co., Blue Nile, and all the jewelry stores in the US. In the American context, jewellery can indicate that you are unfamiliar with the conventions of the American language.

• US E-commerce Platforms: As an Amazon, Etsy or Shopify seller to American customers, add jewelry to your product descriptions. Both search and customers prefer the American spelling of the US target audience. Even the spellings of British words could damage your search ratings in US sites.

• American English Style Guides: AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style, and APA all set the correct spelling to be jewelry. This form must be used in academic papers, journals and professional writing in the US.

• Marketing to American Consumers: Ads, posts on social media, email messages, and web copywriting to American customers should always refer to jewelry. To Americans, this misspelling and deviation suggest a spelling mistake or foreign influence.

In American English, the word “Jewelry” is generally pronounced in three syllables as “JOO-ul-ree”, but is sometimes reduced to two syllables.

This pattern of pronunciation is also captured in the spelling, and this is one of the reasons why the Americans retained the simpler form.

Jewellery

Use “jewellery” when writing for British, Australian, New Zealand, South African, and most of the other Commonwealth audiences.

Specific examples include:

• Businesses and Media in the United Kingdom: The BBC, British Vogue and the jewelry retailers in the United Kingdom all adopt the use of the word “jewellery”. This is the only correct spelling when used in British English situations, and the use of “jewelry” appears Americanized and out of place.

• Markets in Australia and New Zealand: In these countries, the spelling rules are British. When you are targeting Sydney or Auckland audiences, you should use “jewellery.” Applying American spelling gives the impression that you have not localized your content appropriately.

• South African and Indian English: British spelling rules are largely preserved in former British colonies. In these markets, business writing, scholarly papers and consumer material must employ “jewellery.”

• Canadian English: Canada is complex because it is a blend of American and British rules. In this specific word, Canadians tend to choose the spelling “jewellery” more frequently, although “jewelry” is used as a result of American influence. You can consult the style guide of a particular publication or company in case of doubt.

• International Luxury Brands Targeting Commonwealth Markets: The American brands tend to localize their spelling even when they target the UK, Australia, or any other Commonwealth market. For example, Tiffany & Co. has adopted “jewellery,” not “jewelry” in order to suit the local taste.

In the pronunciation of British English, the word is frequently reduced to two syllables: “JOOL-ree” or “JOOL-er-ee,” perhaps explaining why British spelling preserves what is seemingly an additional letter, which represents a more complete pronunciation of the central syllable.

Undetectable AI’s AI Chat can create particular situations to assist you in choosing the spelling to use.

As an example, you could ask: “I am writing product descriptions in an online supermarket store, which delivers the products to the US and UK consumers, which spelling do I use?”

The chatbot will analyze your exact circumstances, take into account such things as your main market, where your brand is based, where the majority of money is earned, and suggest whether you should use jewelry, jewellery or keep having different versions of the spelling depending on markets.

When to Use Jewelry vs Jewellery

Here is a straightforward decision on when to use any of the spellings: 

1. Identify your Audience’s Location: Where do most of your readers, customers, or viewers live? If 70% are in the United States, use “jewelry.” If most are in the UK, Australia, or other Commonwealth countries, use “jewellery.” The majority determines your spelling choice.

2. Adhere to Organizational Standard: There are several style guides in most companies that outline the use of either American or British English in any part of the world. When your corporate communication is all in American English, then you will be using the term jewelry even when you are writing to customers in Britain. 

3. Meet the Publication Requirements: Academic journals, magazines, and newspapers have house styles. When you submit to a publication based in the United Kingdom, they will demand the use of jewellery. American publications require jewelry. Check submission guidelines before assuming which to use.

4. Consider Platform Conventions: Some platforms have dominant regional user bases. Some platforms have dominant regional user bases. The number of Instagram hashtags of jewelry (American spelling) is more than hashtags of jewellery, and this fact confirms that Instagram is biased towards Americans. LinkedIn, however, may demand that the spelling be changed to the location on your profile.

5. Localize for Separate Markets: In case you are working with the US and UK markets, you must make different versions of content and use the correct spelling in both of them. Huge international brands possess sub-variations of their sites. Tiffany.com is one example, and requires the use of jewelry, whereas tiffany.co.uk requires the use of jewellery. This approach respects the expectations of every audience.

Jewelry vs Jewellery Explained

The majority of differences in the spelling of American and British English have predictable occurrences. Ending words containing “or” and “our,” “ize” and “ise,” and “er” and “re.” When you are aware of the pattern, you can use it at all times. 

The jewellery or jewelry spelling is also a part of the wider process of American English simplifying doubled consonants that British English had not lost.

The same thing happens in such words as traveler/traveller and canceled/cancelled. The American version loses what appears to be an additional letter, whereas British spelling retains it.

Choosing Between Jewelry and Jewellery

The jewellery or jewelry controversy is not complex, as long as you realize that it depends on the region. Both spellings are correct, they only differ between the standards used by the different audiences. This is what determines the decision:

• Changes in Spelling: In Old French, it was spelled jewel or juel, changing to jewel in English. It was the root of the noun “jewelry/jewellery.” British English introduced new letters according to the French principles (the use of two Ls was more French and thus more elegant to British people). While the Americans simplified it as jewelry after Noah Webster‘s reforms that took away what he considered as unnecessary letters.

• Pronunciation Patterns: The simpler spelling is reflected in the enunciation of an American (JOO-ul-ree). The British accent, however, differs and a lot of the speakers pronounce it rather as (JOOL-er-ee) with a more pronounced middle syllable which the double-L spelling arguably reflects better.

• Differences in Search Behavior: Google Trends indicates that the search for jewelry is more popular in the United States, and the search for jewellery is common in the UK, Australia and Canada. The SEO strategy is influenced by knowing the jewelry or jewellery spelling that your audience will be using. In case you are targeting British customers, your site must adopt jewellery in search words as they will do.

• Professional Terminology: The maker or vendor of such items is a jeweler in American English and a jeweller in British English. It also has similar words, e.g., jewelry box vs. jewellery box, jewelry store vs. jewellery shop. One should be cautious to make sure that there is uniformity in all the related terms. 

• Industry Standards: Industry location answers the is it jewellery or jewelry question. The Gemological Institute of America employs jewelry. The British Jewellers Association has been using jewellery. The professional bodies of certification, trade organizations and the industry journals all have their regional conventions.

Our AI Humanizer explains such differences and ensures explanations remain natural and easy to understand.

It is also capable of putting formal definitions in a conversational format, so that readers do not get the impression that they are reading a grammar textbook. 

When trying to explain why your US-based shop employs the term jewelry but your UK clients may seek out jewellery, humanized language will make it feel like a learning tool as opposed to an instructional one.

Also, our AI Detector ensures that your explanation sections do not sound artificial but natural. There is a possibility of falling into the trap of delivering impersonal educational speech when writing about grammar and spelling.

Tips for Consistent Spelling

As a newbie in the international writing space, it’s easy to think readers won’t care about one letter difference. But that one letter gives them the clue as to whether you are aware of your market, or not.

The difference between looking smooth and careless is frequently reduced to whether you have hit every single instance of the incorrect form of spelling.

The following are the effective strategies to make sure that you do it right: 

1. Set your Language Preferences Correctly

Language settings are available in word processors, email clients and content management systems. You can choose yours to be either US English or UK English. This causes autocorrect to work in your favor rather than working against you. 

When you are writing to American audiences, turn it to US English so that “jewellery” is marked as an error. When writing to the British, one should write in UK English to ensure that words like “jewelry” are rectified.

2. Use Find-and-Replace for Document-wide Changes

In case you find yourself halfway through a document and you notice that you have been spelling a word incorrectly, do not make corrections manually.

Locate jewellery and substitute it for jewelry ( and vice versa). This captures all events and related terms such as the jewels or jewelry-making.

3. Create Style Guides for your Organization

Always document the spelling your organization uses if you write jewelry-related blog posts regularly. New writers and team members can refer to this instead of guessing.

Include examples of related terms: “jewelry box” or “jewellery box,” “fine jewelry” or “fine jewellery,” “jewelry designer” or “jewellery designer.”

4. Run Grammar Checks Before Publishing

Good grammar checkers identify spelling inconsistencies in documents. They put a flag up in case you have used both jewelry and jewellery in a single piece.

They also scan for inconsistencies in related words. For instance, when you spell jewelry, it ensures that you spell jeweler and not jeweller.

5. Train your Autocorrect with Custom Dictionaries

In case you use the British spelling on a regular basis and your computer is set to US English (or the other way round), you should add your preferred spelling to your custom dictionary.

This avoids the occurrence of red underlines and incorrect corrections incessantly. The majority of word processors will allow the addition of words, which will not be recognized as mistakes.

Try out our AI Detector and Humanizer right below!

Final Thoughts

Using jewelry or jewellery depends on knowing your audience. American readers expect “jewelry,” while British and Commonwealth readers expect “jewellery.”

If you’re managing content at scale or working with AI-generated text, maintaining this consistency manually becomes tedious. 

Undetectable AI’s Grammar Checker catches these regional variations automatically, the AI Humanizer keeps your tone natural while enforcing correct spelling, and the AI Detector ensures everything reads authentically human.

Stop worrying about spelling inconsistencies. Try Undetectable AI for free and handle regional spelling differences effortlessly.

Ensure every piece of writing is consistent and human-sounding with Undetectable AI’s smart spelling and tone tools.