“meter” vs. “metre”

Use "meter" throughout in American English for all senses; in British and Commonwealth English, use "metre" for the unit of length and poetic rhythm, but keep "meter" for measuring devices.

The real distinction

Unlike genuine homophone confusions elsewhere on this list, "meter" and "metre" aren't a case of writers mixing up two different words — they're the same word spelled two different ways depending on which variety of English is being used, similar to "color" versus "colour" or "center" versus "centre." American English uses "meter" for everything: the unit of length, the measuring device, and poetic rhythm. British and most Commonwealth English split the spelling by meaning: "metre" for the unit of length and for poetic rhythm, but "meter" for measuring devices (a British gas meter is still spelled "meter," never "metre"), an inconsistency that trips up even careful British writers and editors who assume the "re" spelling applies uniformly across all senses. The practical rule for any writer is to choose based on audience and consistency rather than personal preference: American publications, style guides, and audiences expect "meter" throughout (except when directly quoting British sources), while British, Australian, and most Commonwealth publications expect the split spelling described above. International scientific writing, including the metric system's official documentation, generally follows British-style "metre" as the international standard spelling for the unit of length, even though American scientific writing in practice still commonly uses "meter" for domestic publications. American publications quoting British sources, or vice versa, generally preserve the original spelling within direct quotations while switching to the house style everywhere else, a standard editorial practice worth knowing if you're editing text that draws from both varieties of English. International sporting events like the Olympics use metric distances consistently regardless of host country, meaning 'meter' or 'metre' spelling in event coverage typically follows the publication's house style rather than the host nation's own convention, a subtlety that international sports journalists and editors need to track carefully across different assignments and outlets.

Examples with “meter”

• The room is roughly four meters wide.
• She checked the electric meter before calling the company.
• The poem's meter shifts halfway through the second stanza.
• Runners lined up for the 400-meter race.
• He fed coins into the parking meter.
• The fabric was priced by the meter.
• A water meter tracks household usage automatically.
• The sprinter shaved a full second off his 100-meter time.

Examples with “metre”

• The garden measured just under ten metres across.
• Petrol prices are shown per litre, not per metre, of course.
• The poem's metre follows a strict iambic pattern.
• The pool is fifty metres long, standard for competition.
• They measured the plot at thirty metres by twenty.
• The Victorian poet was known for his unusual metre.
• Officials recorded the jump at just over eight metres.
• The river narrows to only a few metres wide here.

Memory trick

Match the spelling to the audience: American writing keeps "meter" the same in every sense, while British writing splits "metre" (the unit and poetic rhythm) from "meter" (any measuring device) — remembering that split, rather than assuming "re" covers everything in British English, avoids the most common slip British writers themselves make with this word.