The two correct spellings depend on where you are

License (with an S) is correct in American English. Licence (with a C) is correct in British English, Canadian English, and Australian English. Both are spelled correctly in their own regions — there is no universal "right" answer, only regional convention.

If you are writing for an American audience or using American software, spell it with an S: license. If you are writing for a British, Canadian, or Australian audience, spell it with a C: licence. If you are unsure which audience you are writing for, check the spell-checker settings in your word processor — it will flag the "wrong" version for your selected region and suggest the "right" one.

The confusion exists because English-speaking countries standardized their spelling differently in the 1800s. American dictionaries chose the S version; British dictionaries chose the C version. Both choices stuck, and both are now considered standard in their own countries.

Key Takeaways

  • License (S) is the American spelling; licence (C) is the British, Canadian, and Australian spelling.
  • Both spellings are correct — the difference is regional, not a matter of right or wrong.
  • Your word processor's spell-checker will flag the version that does not match your language settings.
  • When writing for a specific audience, match the spelling convention of that region.
  • The same S/C pattern appears in other word pairs like practice/practise and defense/defence.

Why the spelling split happened

In the late 1700s and early 1800s, American and British English began to diverge. American lexicographer Noah Webster deliberately simplified American spelling to make it more phonetic and easier to learn. He preferred the S in words like license, defense, and offense because the S sound matched how people actually pronounced them.

British English kept the older C spelling, which came from Latin roots and French influence. The C in licence originally reflected the Latin word licentia. When the two countries stopped sharing a single standard, each kept its own version, and both became embedded in dictionaries, schools, and government documents.

Today, spell-checkers enforce these regional standards automatically. If your computer is set to American English, it will underline licence as wrong. If it is set to British English, it will underline license as wrong. The software is not making a judgment about correctness — it is following the regional convention you selected.

How to remember which spelling goes with which region

A useful memory trick: American English and the letter S both come from America. British English and the letter C both come from Britain. This is not a perfect rule — there are exceptions — but it covers the most common words people misspell.

The pattern holds for: license/licence, defense/defence, offense/offence, practice/practise (when used as a verb in British English), and a few others. Once you notice the pattern, you can explore it to words you have not seen before.

If you switch between American and British writing, the easiest approach is to set your spell-checker to match your audience, then trust the underlines. You do not have to memorize the rule — the software will catch it for you.

What happens if you use the "wrong" spelling

Using the American spelling in a British document, or vice versa, will not cause a technical problem. Your computer will understand the word. Your reader will understand the word. But it will look inconsistent or careless to someone reading in that region, the same way mixing currencies or date formats would.

In formal writing — a job process, a published article, a government form — consistency matters. If you are writing for an American employer or publication, stick with the S spelling throughout. If you are writing for a British, Canadian, or Australian one, stick with the C spelling. Mixing them in the same document looks like a proofreading error.

In casual writing — emails, messages, comments — the difference is so minor that most readers will not notice or care. The important thing is that the word is spelled one way or the other, not that you have chosen the "correct" regional version.

How to check which spelling your word processor expects

Open your word processor (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Apple Pages, or another program). Type the word license. If it underlines it with a red or blue squiggle, your spell-checker is set to a region that prefers licence. If it does not underline it, your spell-checker is set to American English.

To change your spell-checker's region, look for Settings or Preferences in your word processor's menu. Search for "language" or "spell-check." You will see a list of language options — select the one that matches your audience. Once you change it, the spell-checker will flag the other spelling as wrong.

If you write for multiple regions regularly, some word processors let you set a default language and then override it for specific documents. This is useful if you work with both American and British clients.

Other words with the same S/C split

License is not alone. Several common words follow the same American S / British C pattern. The most frequent ones are defense/defence, offense/offence, and practice/practise (though practice is spelled with an S in both regions when used as a noun).

Less common words with the same split include: pretense/pretence, dispense/dispence (rare), and immense/immence (very rare). The pattern is consistent enough that once you learn it, you can guess the British spelling of an unfamiliar word with reasonable accuracy.

If you encounter a word you are unsure about, a British dictionary (like the Oxford English Dictionary) will show you the C version, and an American dictionary (like Merriam-Webster) will show you the S version. Your spell-checker will also tell you which one is expected in your region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is one spelling more correct than the other?

No. Both are correct in their own regions. License is standard in American English; licence is standard in British, Canadian, and Australian English. There is no universal "correct" version — only regional convention.

What should I do if I am writing for an international audience?

Choose one regional standard and stick with it throughout your document. American English is common in technology and business; British English is common in academic and publishing contexts. Pick the one that matches your audience's expectation, then set your spell-checker to that region.

Will my computer understand the word if I use the "wrong" spelling?

Yes. Your computer will recognize and process the word correctly no matter which spelling you use. The spell-checker may flag it as wrong, but the word itself will function normally in any document or program.

Do I need to memorize which spelling goes with which country?

No. Your spell-checker will tell you which spelling is expected in your region. Set your language settings once, and the software will flag the other spelling automatically. You do not have to remember the rule yourself.

Why do American and British English have different spellings?

In the 1700s and 1800s, American and British English standardized their spelling differently. American lexicographer Noah Webster preferred simpler, more phonetic spellings like license. British English kept older spellings like licence that reflected Latin and French roots. Both became standard in their own countries and have remained that way.