\u2018Toward\u2019 vs \u2018Towards\u2019- Are they synonymous? The prepositions, \u2018toward\u2019 and \u2018towards\u2019 are used in the context of direction. But, these are often perceived to be confusing due to subtle differences in their usage.<\/p>\n

Table of Contents<\/p>\n

Difference Between Toward and Towards<\/a>
- Trend of the Words Toward and Towards Over the Years<\/a><\/li>
- Style Guide Recommendations<\/a><\/li>
- Toward vs. Towards in Formal Writing<\/a><\/li>
- Examples of Toward and Towards<\/a><\/li>
- American English (Toward):<\/a><\/li>
- British English (Towards):<\/a><\/li>
- How to Remember the Difference?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n
  <\/span>Difference Between Toward and Towards<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
  Both \u2018toward\u2019 and \u2018towards\u2019 are used to indicate moving in a particular direction. But, they vary in terms of the preference in their usage in different geographical locations. The primary spelling difference between the two words is the presence or absence of the final \u2018-s\u2019. In American English, \u2018-s\u2019 is often omitted, while in British English, \u2018-s\u2019 is retained.<\/p>\n
  - Towards<\/strong> (with the \u2018-s\u2019) is more common in British English<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    It is important to be mindful of your audience to understand which form should be preferred.<\/p>\n
    For example:<\/p>\n
    - British English: She walked towards<\/strong> the door<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      Although both versions of this word are grammatically correct, their preference is stylistic.<\/p>\n
      <\/span>Trend of the Words Toward and Towards Over the Years<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
      As one could imagine, the usage of \u2018toward\u2019 and \u2018towards\u2019 has been largely influenced by the differences in the way English has evolved in different geographical locations.<\/p>\n
      \n
      In American English<\/strong>, \u2018toward\u2019 was more commonly used owing to the nature of American English to simplify spellings. This was more common for multiple words (for example, \u2018colour\u2019 became \u2018color\u2019, and \u2018neighbour\u2019 became \u2018neighbor\u2019) as the language evolved, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries.<\/li>\n
      In British English<\/strong>, \u2018towards\u2019 continued to be commonly used, consistent with the older traditions of English spelling. This is usually marked with words ending in \u2018-ward\u2019 taking an additional \u2018-s\u2019 (for example, \u2018backwards\u2019, \u2018forwards\u2019, and \u2018inwards\u2019).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      <\/span>Style Guide Recommendations<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
      Academic and professional writing usually requires you to stick to standards set by style guide recommendations for consistency and grammatical accuracy.<\/p>\n
      In American English<\/strong>, use \u2018toward\u2019<\/p>\n
      In British English<\/strong>, use \u2018towards\u2019<\/p>\n
      <\/span>Toward vs. Towards in Formal Writing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
      In formal writing, such as business, academic, or legal contexts, it\u2019s best to follow the regional convention.<\/p>\n
      Consistency is key in formal writing. Make sure to choose one form and use it throughout your document rather than switching between the two.<\/p>\n
      <\/span>Examples of Toward and Towards<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
      To better understand the differences between these two words, let us take a look into a few examples of both forms in different contexts:<\/p>\n
      <\/span>American English (Toward):<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
      \n
      We are working toward<\/strong> a common goal.<\/li>\n
      The organization is heading toward<\/strong> financial stability.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      <\/span>British English (Towards):<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
      \n
      We are working towards<\/strong> a common goal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
      The organization is heading towards<\/strong> financial stability.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      <\/span>How to Remember the Difference?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
      To remember the difference between \u2018toward\u2019 and \u2018towards\u2019, think of where your readers are based in.<\/p>\n
      \n
      If you’re writing for an American audience<\/strong>, remember how the U.S. prefers simpler forms of words. Thus, in this context, prefer using \u2018toward\u2019 without the \u2018-s\u2019.<\/li>\n
      If you’re writing for a British audience<\/strong>, remember how the UK retains the spellings used long back and think of the extra \u2018-s\u2019 in British spellings. Thus, in this context, prefer using \u2018towards\u2019 with the \u2018-s\u2019.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      Understanding the difference between \u2018toward\u2019 and \u2018towards\u2019 can help improve accuracy in your writing. Additionally, writers can consider using AI assistants like Trinka Grammar Checker<\/a> to avoid misusing the words and improve clarity, and readability of their written work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
      Wondering whether to use “toward” or “towards”? Discover the correct usage of these two prepositions, their differences, and when to use each in American and British English.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[175],"tags":[],"acf":[],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Toward-vs-Towards-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3881"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3881"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3883,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3881\/revisions\/3883"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinka.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}