Defense vs. Defence: American and British Spelling, Examples, and Related Words
Defense is the standard spelling in American English. Defence is the standard spelling in British English and in many other English varieties that follow British spelling.
- American English: The team has a strong defense.
- British English: The team has a strong defence.
Both spellings are correct. The meaning is the same. The best choice depends on your audience, your spelling style, and whether the word appears in an official title or name.
Defense vs. defence at a glance
| Spelling | English variety | Example |
|---|---|---|
| defense | American English | The lawyer prepared a strong defense. |
| defence | British English | The lawyer prepared a strong defence. |
Quick rule:
- Writing for US readers? Use defense.
- Writing for UK readers? Use defence.
- Related words like defensive and defensible are usually spelled the same in both varieties.
When to use defense
Use defense in American English when you mean protection, a response to an attack, a legal argument, or the part of a sports team that tries to stop the opponent from scoring.
- The city improved its flood defense system.
- The attorney presented the defense in court.
- The coach praised the team’s defense.
- Cybersecurity is a major part of national defense.
In US writing, defense is the expected spelling. If your audience is mainly in the United States, this is the spelling you should normally use.
Defense in legal writing
In American legal contexts, defense often means the argument or side that responds to an accusation, claim, or charge.
- The defense called three witnesses.
- Her defense was based on lack of intent.
- The court rejected the defendant’s defense.
In US legal writing, defence would look unusual unless it appears in a quoted passage, foreign title, or proper name.
Defense in sports
In American sports writing, defense is also the standard spelling.
- The team’s defense forced two turnovers.
- Good defense wins close games.
- The player is known for his defensive skills.
Notice that defensive uses an s in both American and British English.
When to use defence
Use defence in British English and in many countries that follow British spelling.
- The country increased its defence budget.
- The barrister prepared the defence.
- The team’s defence improved after halftime.
- The wall was built in defence of the town.
If your article uses British spellings such as colour, centre, favourite, and traveller, then defence will usually look consistent.
Defence in UK legal writing
In British legal contexts, defence is the normal spelling.
- The defence asked for more time.
- The defence argued that the evidence was weak.
- The judge listened to the defence carefully.
Defence in UK sports writing
In UK sports writing, defence is common.
- The club’s defence looked stronger this season.
- Their defence made several important tackles.
- The manager changed the defence after the break.
Is defense or defence correct?
Both are correct. They are regional spellings of the same noun.
- Defense = American spelling
- Defence = British spelling
The pronunciation may vary by accent, but the spelling difference is not a meaning difference. The word can refer to legal protection, physical protection, military protection, or sports strategy in both spelling systems.
Use this simple test:
> If you would write color, write defense. If you would write colour, write defence.
Related words: defensive, defensible, defenseless
This word family has an important twist. Some related words use s in both American and British English.
| Word | American English | British English |
|---|---|---|
| noun | defense | defence |
| adjective | defensive | defensive |
| adjective | defensible | defensible |
| adjective | defenseless | defenceless |
Examples:
- American: The team’s defense was defensive all night.
- British: The team’s defence was defensive all night.
- American: The position was defensible.
- British: The position was defensible.
The noun changes: defense/defence. But defensive and defensible are usually the same in both styles.
Defense vs. offence/offense
The same spelling pattern appears in offense and offence.
| American English | British English |
|---|---|
| defense | defence |
| offense | offence |
Examples:
- American: The team improved its defense and offense.
- British: The team improved its defence and offence.
In sports, legal writing, and general writing, these pairs often appear together, so keeping the style consistent matters.
What about official names?
Always keep official names exactly as they are written. Do not change the spelling in a title, department name, organization name, law, book title, or quoted text.
Correct:
- The U.S. Department of Defense uses the American spelling.
- The UK Ministry of Defence uses the British spelling.
Incorrect:
- Changing “Department of Defense” to “Department of Defence.”
- Changing “Ministry of Defence” to “Ministry of Defense.”
Proper names are names first. Style consistency should not override official spelling.
Common mistakes
Mistake 1: Mixing spelling styles
Incorrect for US style: The defence lawyer discussed the national defense policy.
Better for US style: The defense lawyer discussed the national defense policy.
Better for UK style: The defence lawyer discussed the national defence policy.
Mistake 2: Thinking defence is wrong
Incorrect: Defence is a misspelling.
Better: Defence is the British spelling.
Mistake 3: Thinking defense is wrong outside America
Incorrect: Defense is always incorrect in British writing.
Better: Defense is correct in American English and may also appear in official names, quoted text, or international contexts.
Mistake 4: Changing defensive to defencive
Incorrect: The team played a defencive game.
Correct: The team played a defensive game.
More example sentences
American English examples
- The attorney prepared the defense carefully.
- The player is famous for strong defense.
- National defense spending increased this year.
- The castle had several layers of defense.
- A good defense can prevent small problems from becoming serious.
British English examples
- The barrister prepared the defence carefully.
- The player is famous for strong defence.
- National defence spending increased this year.
- The castle had several layers of defence.
- A good defence can prevent small problems from becoming serious.
Quick quiz
Choose the best spelling for each sentence.
- US style: The team’s ___ looked strong.
- UK style: The team’s ___ looked strong.
- US style: The lawyer presented the ___.
- UK style: The lawyer presented the ___.
- Both styles: The player is very ___.
Answers:
- defense
- defence
- defense
- defence
- defensive
FAQ
Is defence wrong in American English?
It is understandable, but defense is the standard spelling in American English.
Is defense wrong in British English?
It is understandable, but defence is the standard spelling in British English.
Which spelling should I use for a US website?
Use defense for a US audience unless you are quoting or writing an official name that uses defence.
Is defensive spelled differently in British English?
No. Defensive is usually spelled with s in both American and British English.
What is the British spelling of offense?
The British spelling is offence. The American spelling is offense.
The same context-first habit also helps with Realize vs. Realise and Organize vs. Organise. For a wider set of examples in this topic, use the American vs British English archive as the category grows.
Final tip
Use defense for American English and defence for British English. Keep official names unchanged, and remember that related words like defensive usually use s in both styles.
Remember: US = defense, UK = defence.