Feces or Faeces: Which One Do You Actually Use?

Okay so you typed the word and now you’re second-guessing yourself. Feces? Faeces? One of them looks too simple. The other looks like you made a typo. And your spell-check is doing something different depending on which device you’re on.

Here’s the deal: both spellings are correct. You didn’t make a mistake either way.

Feces is what Americans write. Faeces is what British, Australian, and New Zealand English uses. Same word. Same meaning. Just different depending on where your audience is from.

Pick the one that matches your readers and you’re done. But if you want to understand the whole story — why two spellings exist, how to get faeces right every single time, and which one fits your specific situation — I’ve got all of that below.

The Fast Answer Table

Spelling	Where It’s Used	Quick Example
Feces	USA, Canada	“Feces can carry harmful bacteria.”
Faeces	UK, Australia, New Zealand	“Faeces samples were sent for testing.”
Fecal	American adjective	“A fecal transplant procedure.”
Faecal	British adjective	“A faecal transplant procedure.”

So What’s Actually Different Between Feces and Faeces?

Nothing. The meaning is completely identical.

Both words describe the same thing — solid waste that leaves the body after digestion. The word shows up constantly in medical writing, biology, veterinary work, scientific research, and public health content. Not so much in everyday casual conversation, but the moment you’re writing anything health or science related, you’ll run into it.

The only thing separating the two spellings is that extra “a” sitting in faeces. That’s genuinely it. One letter — or more precisely, a two-letter combination “ae” that British English kept and American English dropped.

Related Post: Swap or Swop

How Do You Spell Faeces — Let’s Get This Right

If you’re writing in British English, it’s f-a-e-c-e-s.

The part that trips people up is the “ae” at the beginning. It looks old. It looks Latin. And honestly it kind of is — the word came straight from Latin where it was already spelled “faeces.” British English held onto that original spelling while American English simplified it.

One way to remember it: think of the word “aesthetic.” That also starts with “ae” and is used a lot in British and international writing. If you can spell aesthetic, you can spell faeces — same “ae” combination at the front.

And if your spell-check keeps underlining faeces in red, it probably means your device is set to American English. Switch the language settings and the red line disappears.

The Adjective Forms — Fecal vs Faecal

Here’s something people forget. When the word becomes an adjective — describing something rather than naming it — the spelling changes too.

American English: feces → fecal British English: faeces → faecal

So you’d write “fecal bacteria” in an American medical paper and “faecal bacteria” in a British one. Same science, different spelling.

The rule is simple: whatever noun form you’re using, stick with the matching adjective. Don’t write faeces in one sentence and fecal in the next. That’s where things start looking messy.

Which Countries Use Which Spelling?

Country	What They Write	How Strong Is the Preference?
United States	Feces	Very strong — it’s the only version used
Canada	Feces	Follows American English closely
United Kingdom	Faeces	Standard in formal and medical writing
Australia	Faeces	Standard across most writing
New Zealand	Faeces	Follows UK style
Ireland	Faeces	Slight preference, sometimes mixed
India	Mixed	Both appear, no firm standard
Philippines	Feces	Follows American English

If you’re writing for one specific country — use their version. If your content is going out to a global audience and you’re genuinely not sure? Go with feces. American English is the dominant style across most of the internet, so it’ll feel natural to the widest audience.

Where Did the Two Spellings Even Come From?

Both go back to the same Latin word — “faeces.” Latin was the language of medicine and science for centuries, which is why medical vocabulary is still full of Latin roots today. The word came into English keeping that original spelling.

For a long time, faeces was the only way to write it in English. No debate, no alternative.

Then in the 1700s and 1800s, American spelling started going its own way. Noah Webster — the dictionary guy — pushed hard to simplify English spelling for Americans. His whole argument was that the language should be easier and more logical. So colour became color. Honour became honor. Faeces became feces.

Britain thought this was unnecessary and kept the original spellings. And that’s how we ended up here — two versions of the same word that have been quietly coexisting for about two hundred years.

Which One Should You Use?

Honestly, the answer depends on just a few questions:

Who are you writing for?

American readers expect feces. British, Australian, and NZ readers are used to faeces. Give them the version they’re used to.

What does your style guide say?

AP Style Guide — used by most American journalists — uses feces. Oxford Style Guide uses faeces. If you’re writing for a specific publication, just check their guide and follow it.

Is it academic or medical writing?

American medical journals use feces. British medical journals use faeces. Match whatever journal you’re submitting to.

No specific audience?

Go with feces. More of the internet runs on American English than anything else, so it’s the path of least resistance for international content.

And once you decide — stay consistent. Feces throughout or faeces throughout. Never both in the same piece.

The Mistake That Makes Writing Look Sloppy

The single biggest mistake people make with these two words isn’t picking the wrong one. It’s switching between them.

Writing feces in one paragraph and faeces in another makes it look like you weren’t paying attention — even though both spellings are technically correct. Editors notice it. Readers notice it. In medical or scientific writing especially, inconsistency like that raises eyebrows.

Pick one. Stick with it. That’s really the whole rule.

What Do Dictionaries Say About This?

Dictionary	Feces	Faeces
Merriam-Webster	Main entry	Variant
Oxford English Dictionary	Variant	Main entry
Cambridge	Lists both	Lists both
Collins	Lists both	Lists both

Completely predictable based on where each dictionary is from. Merriam-Webster is American so feces comes first. OED is British so faeces leads. Cambridge and Collins cover both equally.

No dictionary says one is wrong. They just reflect the regional preference of whoever made them.

Feces and Faeces in Medical Writing Specifically

If you’re writing a research paper, clinical report, or anything going into a medical journal — this matters more than usual.

American journals like JAMA, the New England Journal of Medicine, and most US university publications will use feces and fecal throughout. If you submit a paper using faeces, it’ll get corrected in editing.

British journals like The Lancet, the BMJ, and most UK and Australian academic publications use faeces and faecal. Same situation in reverse.

The easiest move: find one example paper from your target journal and see which spelling they use. Then match it exactly. Don’t overthink it — just mirror what they do.

You may also like these slang meanings as well:

FAQs

Is it feces or faeces?

Both are correct. Feces is American English. Faeces is British English. They mean the same thing. Use whichever matches where your audience is from — and stay consistent throughout your writing.

How do you spell faeces?

Faeces is spelled f-a-e-c-e-s. The “ae” at the beginning is the part people usually get wrong. It comes from the original Latin spelling. If you’re writing in British, Australian, or New Zealand English, this is the correct version to use.

Why does faeces have “ae” in it?

Because it came directly from Latin, where it was already spelled “faeces.” British English kept that original Latin spelling. American English simplified it to “feces” in the 1700s and 1800s.

What is the correct spelling in Australia?

In Australia, faeces is the standard spelling. Australian English follows British English conventions, so faeces and faecal are both correct in Australian formal and medical writing.

Is fecal or faecal correct?

Both are correct adjective forms. Fecal goes with feces in American English. Faecal goes with faeces in British English. Match whichever noun spelling you’re using.

Which spelling do doctors use?

It depends on the country. American doctors and medical publications use feces and fecal. British, Australian, and New Zealand doctors use faeces and faecal. The science is identical — just the spelling differs.

Conclusion

Feces or faeces — you really can’t go wrong as long as you’re writing for the right audience.

American English? Feces. Simple, no extra letters, what every American reader expects.

British, Australian, New Zealand English? Faeces. Keeps the original Latin “ae,” what those readers are used to seeing in formal and medical writing.

The only actual mistake you can make here is mixing them in the same document. That’s the thing to avoid. Everything else is just geography.

So next time you pause over this word — don’t. Check your audience, pick the right version, and keep writing.