CrossWordy is designed to feel natural to players on both sides of the Atlantic.
That means recognising that some perfectly ordinary English words are spelled differently in the UK and the US, and making sure those differences do not become an unnecessary source of frustration.
English is not spelled exactly the same everywhere
British and American English share the same language, but there are many familiar spelling differences.
Examples include words such as:
- colour and color
- centre and center
- favourite and favorite
- organise and organize
Neither version is wrong. They simply reflect different spelling conventions.
Why spelling matters in a word puzzle
In everyday conversation, these differences rarely cause a problem. In a word puzzle, they matter much more.
If a UK player is presented with an answer using an unfamiliar US spelling, or a US player sees a British spelling they would not normally use, the puzzle can feel unfair even when the word itself is perfectly valid.
CrossWordy is intended to test deduction and word sense, not whether a player happens to use a particular regional spelling convention.
Matching puzzles to the player
CrossWordy can serve puzzles using the spelling preference appropriate to the player.
Where a word differs between UK and US English, puzzles can be separated so players are not unexpectedly asked to solve an unfamiliar regional spelling.
This keeps the challenge focused on the puzzle itself rather than on spelling differences.
Most words are shared
Of course, the vast majority of English words are spelled the same in both versions of the language.
Those words can be used across the puzzle stream normally.
The UK and US distinction only becomes important where there is a genuine spelling difference that could affect how natural or fair a puzzle feels.
Vocabulary matters too
Spelling is not the only regional difference in English.
Occasionally, a word may be common in one country but much less familiar in another. That can also affect how a puzzle feels to a player.
CrossWordy therefore reviews vocabulary as well as spelling, with the aim of keeping answers recognisable, reasonable and appropriate for the intended audience.
Fairness is more important than forcing one standard
We could simply choose one version of English and use it everywhere, but that would make the game less natural for a large number of players.
Supporting both UK and US English gives us a better option: preserve the character of the language while keeping the experience fair.
The goal is not to decide which spelling is better. It is to make sure players are solving words that make sense to them.
Puzzle quality comes first
Regional spelling support is one part of a wider puzzle-review process.
CrossWordy also checks word quality, repetition, difficulty and player feedback to keep improving the puzzle stream over time.
You can read more about that process in How we build and review CrossWordy puzzles.
Choose the version that feels right
Whether you use UK or US English, the aim is the same: a puzzle that feels fair, familiar and enjoyable to solve.
How to change your language setting
You can switch between UK and US English at any time from the CrossWordy settings.
Open the game menu, choose Settings, then select Language.
From there, choose:
- English (UK) for British spelling and UK puzzle packs
- English (US) for American spelling and US puzzle packs
Your choice controls which English dictionary and puzzle packs CrossWordy uses.
Ready to play?
New to the game? Read our How to Play guide before you begin.