Center and centre are the same word. Center is the American spelling; centre is the spelling used in British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Irish English. Related forms follow the same split (centered/centred, self-centered/self-centred), but central is spelled the same everywhere.
Center/centre belongs to a larger -er/-re family: theater/theatre, meter/metre, liter/litre, fiber/fibre. That family has exceptions. Proper names keep their own spelling (Rockefeller Center, Ford's Theatre), British English uses meter for a measuring device, and words like acre and mediocre end in -re in American English too. The 30 questions below cover all of it, and each one names the variety of English so only one answer is correct.
Center or Centre Quiz: 30 Questions
Warm-up · center, centre and central
Core · the -er/-re family
Challenge · proper names and consistency
Answer key and explanationsOpen after you finish the quiz.
- 1. centerAmerican English spells the word center, with -er. Centre is the British and Commonwealth spelling.
- 2. centreBritish English uses centre, with -re. Center is the American spelling of the same word.
- 3. theaterAP style uses theater for general American use, keeping theatre only in proper names that use it. British English writes theatre.
- 4. metresFor the unit of length, British English writes metre and metres. American English writes meter for the unit.
- 5. literAmerican English writes liter for the unit of volume, in line with center and meter. British English writes litre.
- 6. fibreBritish English writes fibre, with -re, including in fibre optic. American English writes fiber.
- 7. centreCanadian English uses the -re spellings for this family: centre, theatre, metre. In this respect it follows British rather than American spelling.
- 8. centeredAmerican English adds -ed to center: centered, centering. Centerred doubles the r, which is wrong in every variety.
- 9. centredBritish English drops the final e of centre before -ed: centred, centring. Centered is the American spelling.
- 10. centralCentral is spelled the same in American and British English. The -er/-re difference applies to center/centre, not to central.
- 11. meterBritish English uses meter, with -er, for a measuring device (gas meter, parking meter) and keeps metre for the unit of length.
- 12. centimetresUnits built on metre keep the British -re: centimetre, kilometre, millimetre. American English writes centimeter.
- 13. somberAmerican English writes somber; British English writes sombre. It is one of the less common -er/-re pairs.
- 14. calibreBritish English writes calibre, with -re. American English writes caliber.
- 15. meagerAmerican English writes meager; British English writes meagre. The pattern matches center/centre.
- 16. acresAcre ends in -re in American English too. After c or g, -re keeps the hard sound, so acre, massacre, mediocre and ogre never switch to -er.
- 17. mediocreMediocre is spelled with -re in American and British English alike. Changing it to -er would make the c sound soft.
- 18. specterAmerican English writes specter; British English writes spectre. Both mean a ghost or a looming threat.
- 19. lustreBritish English writes lustre, meaning a soft shine. American English writes luster.
- 20. epicenterCompounds follow the base word. American English writes epicenter because it writes center; British English writes epicentre.
- 21. centredSelf-centred follows centred, the British past-participle form. American English writes self-centered.
- 22. massacreMassacre keeps -re in American English because of the c before it, like acre and mediocre. Massacer is not a spelling in any variety.
- 23. Rockefeller CenterProper names keep their official spelling whatever variety you write in. The New York complex is Rockefeller Center, so a British writer leaves it as Center.
- 24. Ford's TheatreThe official name is Ford's Theatre, with -re. American style keeps theatre in proper names that use it, even though the common noun is theater.
- 25. the Barbican CentreThe London venue's official name is the Barbican Centre. Proper names are not converted to American spelling.
- 26. The theatre is 200 metres from the city centre.British English uses -re in all three words: theatre, metres, centre. The mixed options combine British and American forms in one sentence.
- 27. The theater is 200 meters from the city center.American English uses -er in all three words: theater, meters, center. The first option is consistent British spelling.
- 28. thermometerThermometer is a measuring device, so it ends in -meter in British English too, like speedometer. Centimetre, theatre and fibre take -re in British English.
- 29. centreThe plural subject negotiations needs the plain verb form, and British English spells it centre. Centres would need a singular subject; center and centers are American.
- 30. Choose one variety, note exceptions such as proper names, and apply it consistentlyEither variety is acceptable, but mixing them in one document looks like an error. One documented choice, with proper names left as they are, keeps every author consistent.
The Rule: -er in US English, -re Elsewhere
Center and centre mean exactly the same thing: the middle point, or a place for an activity (a medical center, a sports centre). The only difference is regional. American English writes center; British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Irish English write centre.
The derived forms follow the same split. American English writes centered, centering and self-centered; British English drops the final e and writes centred, centring and self-centred. Central has no -er/-re ending to switch, so it is spelled the same everywhere.
- US: center, centered, centering, epicenter, self-centered.
- UK, Canada, Aus, NZ, Ireland: centre, centred, centring, epicentre, self-centred.
- Everywhere: central.
The Rest of the -er/-re Family
Center/centre is one of a group of words that American English respelled with -er, while British English kept the -re ending. If you know which variety you are writing, the same choice applies to all of them.
- theater / theatre
- meter / metre (the unit of length)
- liter / litre
- fiber / fibre
- caliber / calibre
- somber / sombre
- meager / meagre
- specter / spectre
- luster / lustre
Not every -re word switches. After c or g, American English keeps -re so the consonant stays hard: acre, massacre, mediocre, ogre.
Exceptions: Proper Names, Meters and Theatre
Proper names keep their official spelling regardless of the variety you write in. A British newspaper writes Rockefeller Center and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; an American guidebook writes the Barbican Centre. Some American venues also use -re in their names, such as Ford's Theatre in Washington, even though the general American noun is theater.
British English has its own -er exception: meter is used for a measuring device (a gas meter, a parking meter, a thermometer), while metre is the unit of length. American English writes meter for both. Some American writers also prefer theatre for the art form, but American style guides such as AP use theater except in proper names.
How to Stay Consistent
Pick one variety for the whole document and let it decide every word in the family: if you write center, also write theater, meter and fiber. Mixing city centre and theater in one paragraph is what readers notice, far more than the choice of variety itself.
Set your editor's spellchecker to the matching variety, and keep a short note of the exceptions your organization cares about, such as the official names of your own buildings, partners and venues.
- One variety per document.
- Proper names stay exactly as their owners spell them.
- Search for 'cent' and 'tre' before publishing to catch stray forms.
Keep practicing
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it center or centre in American English?
Center. American English uses center and its forms centered and centering. Centre appears in American writing mainly inside proper names, such as the name of a foreign venue.
Does Canada use center or centre?
Canadian English uses centre, along with theatre and metre, in line with British spelling. American proper names, such as Rockefeller Center, keep their own spelling in Canadian writing.
Is central spelled differently in British English?
No. Central is spelled the same in American and British English. Only center/centre and words built directly on it, such as centered/centred and epicenter/epicentre, change.
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