Difference between fulfil and fulfill

This is part of the difference between series.

I was collaborating on a document recently, when my co-collaborators and I noticed the use of the word fulfill, which conflicted with fufil, the spelling we all used. Here’s the difference.

Fundamentally, both spellings are correct; however fulfill is primarily a US spelling and fulfil is a UK spelling. Canadians, of course, vacillate between the two.

Either spelling is fine in everyday usage, but in academic or professional usage, consult your editor or style guide for their preferred version.

Which words do you confuse? Let me know in the comments below.

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By Kim Siever

I am a copywriter and copyeditor. I blog on writing and social media tips mostly, but I sometimes throw in my thoughts about running a small business. Follow me on Twitter at @hotpepper.