What is the correct spelling of a bank cheque/check ? Difference between American English and British English

What is the correct spelling of a bank cheque/check ?

Difference between American English and British English

It depends on whether you are using British or American English.

British = cheque

American = check

Cheque in the UK, check in the US.

 The trend in the U.S. was to "simplify" spelling and remove "extraneous" letters.

Such as

 "Color" instead of "Colour"

Why does the U.S. spell "cheque" as "check"?

Actually the word comes from French and is spelled with the "que" in English to differentiate from the verb "check".

A cheque (or check in American English) is a document that orders a payment of money from a bank account. The person writing the cheque, the drawer, has a transaction banking account (often called a current, cheque, chequing or checking account) where their money is held. The drawer writes the various details including the monetary amount, date, and a payee on the cheque, and signs it, ordering their bank, known as the drawee, to pay that person or company the amount of money stated.

Source- wikipedia

Common Differences between American and British Spelling

Although the differences between American and British spellings are often subtle, they are still significant. For example

American spelling - British spelling

analyze                 - analyse

apologize              - apologise

behavior               - behaviour

canceling              - cancelling

center                   - centre

check                   - cheque

color                    - colour

encyclopedia        - encyclopaedia

favorite                 - favourite

fiber                      - fibre

fulfill                      - fulfil

gray                      - grey

humor                   - humour

labor                     - labour

license                   - licence

jewelry                  - jewellery

theater                   - theatre

Some words have a slightly different meaning in American and British English. For example-

pacifier - dummy

lawyer - solicitor

period - full stop

pharmacist - chemist

rent - hire

soccer - football

cookie - biscuit

eraser – rubber

Spelling Rules to Remember

If you must frequently work with both American and British spellings, you may find it helpful to know these spelling rules:

Words ending in RE in British English have been changed to ER in American English.

Words containing the silent letters OUGH in British English have been changed in American English to be spelled phonetically.

Words ending in OUR in British English have been changed to OR in American English.

Words ending in IOUR in British English have been changed to IOR in American English.

Many words ending in YSE or ISE in British English have been changed to YZE or IZE in American English, although there are exceptions.

Many words ending in YSED or ISED in British English have been changed to YZED or IZED in American English, although there are exceptions.

Many words ending in ISATION in British English have been changed to IZATION in American English, although there are exceptions.

Which Spelling is Correct?

Technically, both American and British spellings are correct. However, American spellings are gaining an advantage in many circumstances because Microsoft Word is set to default its spell check feature to American spellings. Thus, all British spellings will appear as incorrect when using this program.

British and American Punctuation Differences

Writers who are interested in spelling differences between American and British English may also find it useful to remember a few simple punctuation tips:

While British English often favors hyphenated compounds, such as counter-attack, American English discourages the use of hyphens where there is no compelling reason.

In British English, writers typically use two spaces after a semi-colon. American English encourages writers to use just one space.

Although American English typically calls for commas and periods to be included inside the quotation marks, even if they are not part of the quoted sentence, British English shows clearly whether or not the punctuation is part of the quoted phrase.