Jewelry or Jewellery? Count the Ls and the Syllables
Jewelry is ornaments worn on the body. America spells it with one l, Britain with two, and the pronunciations differ too.
Jewelry is the American spelling; Britain writes jewellery. The pronunciations differ as well: Americans say JOOL-ree in two or three syllables, and British speakers usually say JOOL-uh-ree. The frequent misspelling *jewelery* belongs to neither.
- Ornaments worn on the body. *A tray of jewelry.*
- The trade in them. *He works in jewelry.*
- Costume jewelry — decorative pieces not made of precious materials. *Costume jewelry from the 1950s.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (US) | jewelry | Gold jewelry. |
| Noun (UK) | jewellery | Antique jewellery. |
| Person (US) | jeweler | The jeweler's shop. |
| Person (UK) | jeweller | A local jeweller. |
| Related | jewel | A single jewel. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Remove all jewelry before the scan.Uncountable: no plural.
- She inherited her grandmother's jewellery.British spelling.
- The piece is costume jewelry, not gold.A trade distinction.
Pieces by name
- Ring — worn on a finger
- Pendant — hangs from a chain
- Brooch — pinned to clothing
- Bangle — a rigid bracelet
- Signet ring — engraved, once used to stamp seals
From Anglo-French *juelerie*, from *juel*, a jewel, probably from Latin *jocale*, a plaything, from *jocus*, a joke — the same root as *jocular*.
Is jewelry countable?
No. Say a piece of jewelry or items of jewellery, never two jewelries.
Why the different spellings?
Nineteenth-century American spelling reform simplified doubled consonants in several words. Britain kept the older forms.