Spelling differences

I was just wondering, for publishing and on this forum, is it okay to use non-american spellings in my writing (examples: colour instead of color and centre instead of center) I know there is not much difference but I don't want people to get confused with these when I write and say I have many simple spelling mistakes. Or do you guys even care if I use these?

 

On this forum I usually use British English spellings, and everybody seems able to cope. As for publication, you should use the spellings that are correct for wherever you intend to publish. If you want to publish in the UK, use British English spellings, if in the USA use American English, and so on.

 

That last one is surprising. A British person might well use them interchangeably. Or might have done in the 1960s, anyway -- I'm not sure anybody still refers to them as bobbies except as a joke.

 

I've don't think I've ever heard the word 'bobby' used for anything other than irony.

 

Instead of using UK or American English, you should use Australian English. It allows you to use words like "bogan" freely while still retaining the far superior "u" in words like "colour" and the "o" at the start of words like oestrogen.

 

I only write in British English, if I can understand an American's writing then shouldn't they be able to understand my British writing? It's not like I write in cockney slang and writing in American feels unnatural to me (I am English).

 

Use the dialect of English used by the market yoiu are publishing to, and use it consistently throughout your novel/story.

 

yes, for publishing, you must use the spelling common to the market you're aiming for...

in posting, no one will care which you use, as long as you spell the words correctly..

 

'Please suh, meh eh hav soomoore?' ;D

 

Please don't tell me you think THAT is Cockney slang?

 

And we have here a perfect example of why to avoid phonetic rendering!

 

My bad. ;D

 

You mean you don't say stuff like 'I pushed the teapot lid down the apple and pairs and called him a granny flat?':

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But yeah, what she said.

 

Exactly, I actually have to pause and translate it in my head to get what it means!

 

Although some rhyming slang has become mainstream English -- I don't know how mystified an American or Australian reader would be by somebody blowing a raspberry.

 

I've got to say, being able to understand cockney would be awesome.

 

Does anybody still speak cockney? It seems to have been replaced by Estuary English.

 

Well I also use British English because I'm English. I don't suppose it really matters. Most Brits won't take issue if you use the American spellings.