Judgement or Judgment?

What Is the Difference between "Judgement" and "Judgment"?

"Judgement" and "judgment" are interchangeable in the UK but not in the US. Here is some specific guidance:

• If you're following US writing conventions, use "judgment."
• If you're following UK writing conventions, both spellings are acceptable, but "judgment" is more common than "judgement," especially in a legal setting.

More about "Judgement" and "Judgment"

The nouns "judgment" and "judgement" most commonly mean "the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions."

In the US, "judgment" is the only correct spelling, and any variation is considered a spelling mistake. Elsewhere in the English-speaking world, things are more flexible. It's true that "judgment" is the most common variation, but "judgement" (although becoming less common due to US influence) is still acceptable. Interestingly, the same applies to the adjectives "judgmental" and "judgemental."

Of note, some traditionalists still differentiate between the two spellings. According to them:

• "Judgment" is used in a legal setting, e.g., a High Court judgment.
• "Judgement" is used in the general sense, e.g., "using your judgement," "making a judgement call."

It is also noteworthy that many British English dictionaries list the two spellings as interchangeable. However, "judgment" is far more common than "judgement" [evidence].

So, if you use "judgment," you can't go wrong. If you're not American, then you can use your "judgment" (or "judgement") on which spelling would least annoy your readers.

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