Jewelry vs. Jewellery: Understanding the Spelling and Usage Differences

May 16, 2025
Jewelry vs. Jewellery: Understanding the Spelling and Usage Differences

Jewelry vs. Jewellery: Understanding the Spelling and Usage Differences

Jewelry vs. Jewellery: What’s the Difference?

The words “jewelry” and “jewellery” both refer to things like rings, necklaces, and bracelets that people wear to look nice. However, the difference between them is mostly about where you are in the world.

History of the Words

Both words come from an old French word “jouel” and have been used for a long time to describe pretty things we wear. Over time, different places started spelling it differently.

How to Use Each Word

If you are in the United States, you will most often see the word spelled as “jewelry.” If you are in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or other places that use British English, you will probably see it spelled as “jewellery.”

Trick to Remember the Difference

A trick to remember is: “Jewelry” has one less “L” and “E” than “jewellery,” just like “America” has one less letter than “England.”

Example Sentences with “Jewelry”

  • My mom loves to wear gold jewelry.
  • He bought a new piece of jewelry for his collection.
  • The store sells beautiful jewelry.
  • She puts her jewelry in a special box.
  • The jewelry at the market is very colorful.

Example Sentences with “Jewellery”

  • She admired the antique jewellery at the auction.
  • The museum has a famous jewellery exhibit.
  • I need to clean my silver jewellery.
  • He gave her a jewellery set for her birthday.
  • The jewellery shop is at the corner of the street.

Summary

In summary, use “jewelry” if you are writing in American English, and use “jewellery” if you are writing in British English. Both words mean the same thing, but the spelling changes based on the type of English you are using.