What is the difference between "theatre" and "theater"?

Question

I was born, and have always lived in United States, yet I spell both the art form and the building "theatre" while everyone I know (from the states) spells it "theater" (and still others spell the art "theatre" and the building "theater" etc.) Is there a correct spelling? Will people assume I'm British if I spell it "re"? Does anyone know the history or reason for the different spellings?

Answer 1

In a purely pop culture sense, and in most non-collegiate editing situations, the "RE" form tends to most often refer to plays, ballets, operas, and the building in which they are performed. "ER" form tends to most often refer to movie houses ("cinemas").

I have, however, heard many theories and many highly-educated persons often confuse the two, also. I do not think anyone is going to cause you grief either way you decide to go. =)

Answer 2

Theater Vs Theatre

Answer 3

Theater Or Theatre

Answer 4

Francis Hodge published an article about this in THEATRE SURVEY in the late 1960’s. “Theater” is a result of Noah Webster’s efforts in the 1830s to create an American language purified of English spellings: that’s when we lost “colour” “centre” and a lot of other words that Noah deemed to be too British for the new American democracy. Since the American theatre/theater at the time was still dominated by British actors and managers, along with American actors and managers trying to suggest that theater/theatre was a high class art, the practitioners rather stubbornly clung to the British spelling. There have been a lot of attempts to differentiate usage ever since, but whatever the market or editor or style sheet will accept will work.

Answer 5

I only know the 'theatre' spelling is supposed to be old english, and the 'theater' spelling is the way we are expected to spell it in america.
The way I learned that is I spelled it 'theatre' in third grade and my teacher (Mrs. Guilford - I remember them all) told me I had spelled it the old english way, and wondered where I learned that. I didn't know, since I was born where I went to that school. Quite a coincidence - we have had the same experience with that same word. It leads me to wonder if there is some genetic inclination for this.

Answer 6

I live in the USA. I spell it theatre. I think that is the correct spelling when doing live musicals and plays on stage. I spell when I am going to the movies or something theater. I do not know why. I like theatre better.

Answer 7

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What is the difference between "theatre" and "theater"?
I was born, and have always lived in United States, yet I spell both the art form and the building "theatre" while everyone I know (from the states) spells it "theater" (and still others spell the art "theatre" and the building "theater" etc.) Is there a...

Answer 8

It is fiction that "theatre" is the art and "theater" is the building. At least there is no etymological basis in this explanation.

Quite simply, words ending in "re" instead of "er", like “centre", “calibre", “fibre", “litre", “lustre", “manoeuvre", “metre", “mitre", “sabre", “sombre,” and “spectre", are the original British English spelling of our American English words. Unless you are a die-hard American English fan, it is not wrong to spell any of those words in the British English way, since it is still the same English.

In fact, many British English words were changed and "standardized" into American English by non other than Noah Webster (yes the "Webster" of Webster Dictionary) in 1828, when there was a push for American political independence.

You may think "yay, that's a good thing", but among the reasons for changing the spellings was to make it easier for working class people and immigrants, who were less likely to be educated, to spell.

Some other examples include “honor” instead of “honour”; “gray” instead of “grey”; “counselor” instead of “counsellor”.

When people find out our American English way of spelling is a result of the dumbing down of the English language, it does seem less attractive...

Answer 9

Theatre with the RE is the art form. Theater with the ER is the building. They are the same word just different meanings. Just to let you know it's best to use the form theatre especially around serious theatre geeks, we get very upset when the other form is used

Answer 10

Both are OK for either the art form or the building wherever English is spoken. However, "theater" is far more common in the US.

Answer 11

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