Toward vs. Towards How to Choose the Right Word

Is that car hurtling toward you or towards you? Are you looking toward or towards a fulfilling retirement? Although the meaning of toward and towards is contextually the same (much like gray and grey), where and how they are used can make a difference. How to Use Toward Typically used to mean â€Å"in the direction of,† toward and towards are equally acceptable spellings, and as prepositions, they are commonly used interchangeably. That said, it should be noted that the rules of formal English writing do not always apply in informal settings. For example, American writers and speakers, when intentionally attempting to write or speak in a more colloquial or â€Å"down-home† style, sometimes use towards rather than toward. In such cases, the use of towards in North American English is completely acceptable. A study of American books, magazines, and newspapers published from 1800 to 2000 shows that the transition from the formerly British-favored towards to the now North American–favored toward began around 1900. Other usages include meaning in relation to, such as when talking about your feelings toward something or for a purpose of, such as when youre working toward something. How to Use Towards Towards is preferred by English speakers outside of North America. Coming from the Old English word tà ³weard, also generally meaning â€Å"in the direction of,† toward is actually the older spelling, originating during the fifth century.  Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his classic ​The Canterbury Tales in Middle English between 1387 and 1400 in a time before English language spelling had become standardized. Despite writing a purely British text, Chaucer uses toward—the modern accepted North American English spelling—throughout The Canterbury Tales. Towards rose in popularity, eventually becoming the dominant spelling, during the 17th century and remained the most common spelling among all English speakers until American English speakers turned to toward  during the 19th century. By a ratio of about 10-to-1, newspapers and magazines in the United Kingdom and Australia favor the use towards rather than toward. Examples No matter the spelling, the word is always a preposition, so there will always be an object following it. Here are a few examples, showing different types of usage: The cat sneaked toward the bird. (movement in a direction; the object is the bird)Our concert tickets are toward the stage at the front of the venue. (location; the object is the stage)Unfortunately, her feelings toward him had changed. (in relation to; the object is him)I put some money in the fund, which is going toward a house down payment. (for the purpose of; the object is the house down payment) If you were writing these sentences for a U.K. audience, you could write them the same way, just add the s to the end of toward. How to Remember the Difference Because the words mean the same thing, theres no difference to remember except that youll use toward when writing for an American audience and towards when writing for the British—and even if you make a mistake, the meaning of the sentence will not be affected. The -Ward and -Wards Suffixes Toward and towards are far from the only similarly spelled â€Å"directional† words. Over the centuries, the suffixes -ward and -wards have given rise to several similar words. Today, the same general rule of interchangeability that applies to toward and towards applies  to word pairs such as forward and forwards, backward and backwards, upward and upwards, downward and downwards, and afterward and afterwards. Sources Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales. British Library, The British Library Board.Toward. Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge University Press.Toward, Towards. Google Books Ngram Viewer.Towards. Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge University Press.Word Fact: Toward vs. Towards. Dictionary.com.