Center or Centre–Which Is Right?

Do you speak British or American English? Depending on your answer, you may differ on which spellings you favor.

Center and centre have the same meaning. Center is the correct spelling in American English, but British English writers usually prefer centre. Notice that center (and centre) can be a noun, adjective, or a verb. Seeing the two words in real-life examples may help you to visualize how to use them.

First, here are some sentences with centre and center.

Examples

The young athlete played center position on the ball team.

The discussion at the educational conference will center on childhood obesity.

The new doctor was very proud the first day he worked at the medical center.

Center in American Publications

Here are some quotes from the Internet.

The man at the center of the corruption case that led to the arrest of a former Suffolk police chief is expected to be released from prison and have his conviction tossed out on Tuesday.

Long Island News 12

Serbia on Wednesday introduced a lockdown for migrants in their refugee center outside Belgrade after an alleged attack against a woman walking with her children.

US News & World Report

Centre in British Publications

If the Countess of Wessex had been asked to hit a ball for a royal photo opportunity, rain would have stopped play. Fortunately, Sophie wasn’t required to participate, . . . merely to admire the facilities at the National Sports Centre in Bisham Abbey, Buckinghamshire.

Daily Mail

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths centre (STEM) at Airbus in Stevenage is based around the company’s Mars rover exploration programme.

BBC News

Center and centre are both correct spellings of the same world. However, where you live influences which spelling is most acceptable. If you like to learn about the differences between American and British English, you will enjoy researching the spelling of realize and dreamed.