Spelling Practice in British English
Your child spells 'colour' at school. Their spelling app should too.
SpellCrush is the spelling practice app that uses correct British spellings, read aloud by four voices your child chooses. Not an American app with a workaround — proper dialect support built in.
Why Most Spelling Apps Don't Work for British Children
The most popular spelling apps are American. That creates real problems for families in the UK.
Wrong Spellings
Your child practises 'color' on the app, then writes it that way at school. Their teacher marks it wrong. The app taught the American spelling — and the National Curriculum expects the British one.
Manual Workarounds Only
Some apps let you build custom word lists to fix the spellings yourself. That means typing in every British spelling by hand, week after week — a workaround, not a solution.
British vs American Spelling: 25 Key Differences
These are the words that cause problems when British children use American spelling apps. SpellCrush shows the correct British spelling for every one of them.
| British English 🇬🇧 | American English 🇺🇸 | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| colour | color | -our / -or |
| favourite | favorite | -our / -or |
| honour | honor | -our / -or |
| behaviour | behavior | -our / -or |
| neighbour | neighbor | -our / -or |
| centre | center | -re / -er |
| metre | meter | -re / -er |
| theatre | theater | -re / -er |
| fibre | fiber | -re / -er |
| organise | organize | -ise / -ize |
| recognise | recognize | -ise / -ize |
| specialise | specialize | -ise / -ize |
| apologise | apologize | -ise / -ize |
| defence | defense | -ence / -ense |
| licence | license | -ence / -ense |
| travelling | traveling | doubled L |
| cancelled | canceled | doubled L |
| jewellery | jewelry | doubled L |
| programme | program | other |
| grey | gray | other |
| tyre | tire | other |
| cheque | check | other |
| catalogue | catalog | other |
| plough | plow | other |
| draught | draft | other |
Four Voices Your Child Chooses
Every word, definition, hint and example sentence is read aloud. Your child picks who reads it — and can give each part a different voice.
All four voices speak with the same clear, neutral English accent. Choosing British English changes the spellings your child practises, not the voice. Voices are free on every plan.
Everything British Families Need
British English is just the starting point. SpellCrush is a full adaptive spelling platform.
British Spellings by Default
Select British English once. Every practice word uses the correct British spelling — colour, centre, favourite, organise. American-only spellings are excluded automatically.
Four Voices to Choose From
Every word, definition, hint and example sentence is read aloud by the King, the Queen, the Prince or the Princess. Your child picks the voice — a different one for each part if they like.
Adaptive Difficulty, Reception to Year 13
4,000+ words across 10 difficulty levels, automatically matched to your child's age. Struggled words return more often. Mastered words rotate out.
Upload School Spelling Lists
Import your child's weekly school word list via CSV or Excel. When assigned, practice pulls exclusively from that list — directly aligned with their teacher's expectations.
Gamification That Works
XP, 20 levels, 15 achievement badges, daily streaks, and a parent-controlled reward store. Children stay motivated. Parents stay in control.
Whole-Family Accounts
Each child gets their own profile, PIN login, progress tracking, and dialect setting. Unlimited children on the Premium plan.
AI Spelling Hints
When your child struggles, Claude AI generates a personalised memory hint tailored to their age and mistakes. Cached after first use for instant loading.
AI Visual Memory Aids
Every word gets an AI-generated image — a vivid visual association that helps your child remember both meaning and spelling.
Set Up British English in 30 Seconds
Create your free account
Sign up at spellcrush.fun — no credit card required.
Add your child
Enter their name, age, and select 'British English' from the language dropdown.
Start practising
Your child sees British spellings, hears words read by the voice they picked, and earns XP from the first word.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SpellCrush use British English spellings like colour and centre?
Yes. When you select British English for your child's profile, SpellCrush shows the correct British spellings — colour, centre, favourite, organise, and all other -our, -re, and -ise words. American-only spellings like 'color' and 'center' are automatically excluded from practice.
Does SpellCrush use a British accent for pronunciation?
No — the British English setting changes spelling, not the voice. Words, definitions, hints and example sentences are read by four character voices (the King, the Queen, the Prince and the Princess), all speaking with the same clear, neutral English accent. Your child chooses which voice reads each part, and can change it at any time.
Is British English a free or premium feature?
Completely free. Every plan — including the free plan — supports British English. There is no paywall for dialect selection, British-specific spellings, or voice choice.
Does SpellCrush align with the National Curriculum?
SpellCrush's word database covers Reception through Year 13 with 4,000+ words across 10 difficulty levels, automatically matched to your child's age. While words are not explicitly mapped to National Curriculum year-group expectations or phonics screening check content, the difficulty progression covers the spelling patterns taught across KS1, KS2, and KS3. Parents can also upload school spelling lists directly.
How do I switch my child to British English?
When creating or editing a child's profile in your parent dashboard, select 'British English' from the language dropdown. The change takes effect immediately — the next practice session will use British spellings.
What British spelling patterns does SpellCrush cover?
All major British English conventions: -our endings (colour, favour, honour), -re endings (centre, metre, theatre), -ise endings (organise, recognise, specialise), -ence endings (defence, licence as a noun), doubled consonants (travelling, cancelled, jewellery), and other differences (programme, catalogue, grey, tyre, cheque). Words identical across all English variants appear in every mode.
Can different children in my family use different English variants?
Yes. Language is set per child, not per account. If you have a child in a British school and another following an American curriculum, each gets the correct spellings independently.
Spelling Words by Year Level
Every list uses British spellings and follows the National Curriculum statutory word lists. Each page also states the Australian and New Zealand age range, because Year 3 there is a school year ahead of Year 3 here.
Give Your Child Spelling Practice That Matches Their School
British spellings. Four voices. Adaptive difficulty. Gamification that keeps children coming back. Free to start — no credit card required.
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