“Meter” or “metre”?
Meter and metre are both correct spellings of the noun that refers to a measurement of length, (also equal to one-hundred centimetres).
- UK English and most English speaking countries spells “metre” (with the “re” at the end).
- US English and the Philippines spell “meter” (with “er” at the end).
Other “-er”/”-re” words
Other words that share the “-er” / “-re” suffixes, and follow the same spelling conventions according to US/UK spelling as meter/metre:
| UK English | US English |
| centre | center |
| theatre | theater |
| fibre | fiber |
| metre | meter |
Sentences with meter/metre as a noun
Every few metres/meters the cat stopped and turned to look at me.
Over 3 700 square metres/meters of office space is available.
The huge sculpture is made of 500 cubic metres/meters of ice.
A man came to read the gas metre/meter.
Origin of the word meter/metre
Etymonline on metre:
Also metre, “poetic measure, metrical scheme, arrangement of language in a series of rhythmic movements,” Old English meter.
Learn more about US English vs. UK English
Sources
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of metre.” Online Etymology Dictionary, Accessed 6 Feb, 2024.
