BK Blog Post
Toward vs. Towards
Posted by
Jeevan Sivasubramaniam,
Managing Director, Editorial,
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
Toward and towards are equally acceptable forms of the word primarily meaning in the direction of. Other than the s at the end, there is no difference between them. Some people differentiate the two words in various ways, but these preferences are not borne out in the usage of most English speakers. Neither form is more formal or informal or more or less logical than the other (the Oxford English Dictionary says towards is more colloquial in British English, but we see no evidence that this is true in 21st-century British writing), so you’re safe using the one that sounds better to you.
But while both these directional words are used in all varieties of English, toward is preferred in American and Canadian English, while towards is preferred in varieties of English from outside North America. These are not rules, however, and exceptions are easily found.
In short: no difference at all.
Related Books
Toward a Legal System in Tune with Nature and Community
By Fritjof Capra, Ugo Mattei
We ONLY ship to addresses IN the USA.
Live somewhere else? Please order from our international distributor. Click Here 
Thank you for ordering a digital copy of this title. This will be delivered via email after checkout. Please refer to our Information About E-Books page for any further questions on formats, rights and compatible devices.
Thank you for requesting an exam copy. If you would like to request additional exam copies, please click on ‘Continue Shopping.’ Please limit your requests to not more than three books at a time. If not, please go to ‘Checkout’ and fill in your information and complete your request.
Exam copy error