Quick Answer: Enrollment or Enrolment?
Enrollment and enrolment are both correct spellings. The difference is mainly regional: enrollment is the standard spelling in American English, while enrolment is commonly used in British English and other varieties of English.
The main difference is the additional l in the American form:
E-N-R-O-L-L-M-E-N-T → enrollment
E-N-R-O-L-M-E-N-T → enrolment
Unlike a typical spelling mistake, enrolment is not an incorrect version of enrollment. Both forms are accepted in standard English, but the spelling you choose usually depends on the variety of English you’re using.
The noun enrollment/enrolment refers to the act of officially joining or registering for something, such as a school, college, course, program, class, or membership. It can also refer to the number of people registered in an institution or program.
| Spelling | Usage | Meaning |
| enrollment | Standard American English | The act or process of enrolling; the number of people enrolled |
| enrolment | Standard British English and other varieties | The act or process of enrolling; the number of people enrolled |
So, if you’re deciding between enrollment vs enrolment, use enrollment for American English and enrolment for British English. Both spellings are correct, so the key is to follow the English variety and spelling conventions of your audience.
What Does Enrollment Mean?
Enrollment is the American English spelling of the noun referring to the process of officially joining a school, course, college, university, program, group, or similar organization.
It can also refer to the number of people who are enrolled.
For example:
The university expects enrollment to increase next year.
Here, enrollment can refer to the number of students attending the university.
In another sentence:
Online enrollment opens on Monday.
In this case, the word refers to the process of becoming officially registered.
Cambridge defines enrollment as the act of putting yourself or someone else onto an official list of members of a class, college, university, or group. Oxford similarly defines it as officially joining a school or starting a program of study, while also noting its use for the number of people who do so.
Common Uses of Enrollment
You will commonly see enrollment in contexts such as:
- school enrollment
- college enrollment
- university enrollment
- course enrollment
- student enrollment
- program enrollment
- enrollment application
- enrollment form
- enrollment period
- enrollment deadline
- enrollment process
- open enrollment
- enrollment numbers
For example:
- The school has increased its enrollment this year.
- Enrollment for the summer course closes Friday.
- Students must complete the enrollment form before attending classes.
- The university reported a decline in first-year enrollment.
What Does Enrolment Mean?
Enrolment is the British English spelling of the same noun.
It describes the act of officially joining a course, school, institution, program, or organization. Like enrollment, it can also refer to the number of people who have enrolled.
For example:
University enrolment increased significantly this year.
Or:
Enrolment for the new course begins in September.
Oxford lists enrolment as a noun meaning the act of officially joining a course or school, as well as the number of people who do so.
Common Uses of Enrolment
British English commonly uses expressions such as:
- school enrolment
- university enrolment
- student enrolment
- course enrolment
- enrolment form
- enrolment process
- enrolment period
- enrolment deadline
- enrolment fee
- enrolment numbers
Examples include:
- Enrolment for the autumn term starts next week.
- The university has recorded higher student enrolment.
- Please complete the enrolment form online.
- The enrolment process takes approximately 10 minutes.
Enrollment vs Enrolment: What Is the Difference?
The main difference is regional spelling, not meaning.
Enrollment is associated with American English, whereas enrolment is associated with British English. Dictionaries such as Cambridge, Oxford, and Collins recognize the relationship between the two forms.
The distinction becomes clearer when you compare the corresponding verbs:
| American English | British English |
| enroll | enrol |
| enrolls | enrols |
| enrolled | enrolled |
| enrolling | enrolling |
| enrollment | enrolment |
Notice something important: enrolled and enrolling are spelled the same in both varieties.
The most obvious difference appears in the base verb and noun:
- enroll → enrollment
- enrol → enrolment
Does the Meaning Change?
No.
There is no significant difference in meaning between enrollment and enrolment.
Both can describe:
- The process of officially joining something.
- The state of being officially registered.
- The people or number of people registered in certain contexts.
Collins gives both forms the same core meanings, including the act of enrolling and the number of people enrolled.
Compare:
The school’s enrollment has grown.
and:
The school’s enrolment has grown.
The spelling changes, but the basic meaning does not.
Why Does Enrollment Have One L but Enrolment Has One L?
The difference is connected to the regional spelling of the verb.
American English uses:
enroll → enrollment
British English uses:
enrol → enrolment
The word ultimately comes from a historical form related to recording names on a roll or register. Oxford traces enrol to Middle English and Old French, from enroller, connected with writing names on a roll.
The spelling difference isn’t simply a matter of one version being correct and the other being incorrect. English developed different spelling conventions across regions, and enroll/enrollment became established in American English while enrol/enrolment remained standard in British English.
This is similar to other regional spelling differences such as:
- color / colour
- center / centre
- organize / organise
- traveled / travelled
- canceled / cancelled
However, the exact rules differ from word to word, so you shouldn’t assume that every American/British spelling pair follows the same pattern.
Enrollment vs Enrolment in American and British English
Enrollment in American English
US schools, colleges, universities, businesses, and government organizations commonly use the spelling enrollment.
For example:
- College enrollment increased by 5%.
- Enrollment opens on January 10.
- The school reported record enrollment.
- Students must complete the enrollment process before classes begin.
Cambridge explicitly labels enrollment as the US spelling of enrolment.
Enrolment in British English
Enrolment is the standard British form.
You will encounter it in British educational, administrative, and institutional writing.
Examples include:
- Enrolment begins in September.
- University enrolment has increased.
- Please complete the enrolment form.
- The enrolment process is available online.
Oxford identifies enrolment as the British form and enrollment as the US equivalent.
What About Canadian, Australian, and Other English Varieties?
English spelling isn’t divided into only two perfectly isolated categories.
Different countries and organizations can establish their own preferred conventions. Therefore, the safest approach is to check the style used by the institution or audience you’re writing for.
Australia, for example, commonly uses enrolment. The Australian Electoral Commission consistently uses enrolment and enrol in its public-facing material. Its current statistics page uses terms such as “enrolment rate” and “enrolment statistics.”
That means a writer creating Australian educational or government content should normally follow Australian usage rather than automatically switching to the American spelling.
Enroll vs Enrol: The Verb Forms
The noun difference makes more sense when you understand the verbs.
Enroll is the American spelling.
Enrol is the British spelling.
Both mean to officially register or join a course, school, group, or similar organization. Cambridge defines enroll as the US spelling of enrol, while its British entry identifies enrol as the UK form.
| Form | American English | British English |
| Base form | enroll | enrol |
| Third person | enrolls | enrols |
| Past tense | enrolled | enrolled |
| Past participle | enrolled | enrolled |
| Present participle | enrolling | enrolling |
| Noun | enrollment | enrolment |
Examples With Enroll
- I plan to enroll in the course.
- She enrolled at the university.
- They are enrolling new students.
- The college accepts online enrollment.
Examples With Enrol
- I plan to enrol on the course.
- She enrolled at the university.
- They are enrolling new students.
- The college accepts online enrolment.
Oxford specifically notes enrol on a course for British English and enroll in a course for North American English.
Enrollment or Enrolment in School?
Both forms are widely used to describe joining a school or becoming officially registered as a student.
The spelling depends on your variety of English.
American English
The school expects enrollment to reach 1,500 students this year.
Parents must complete the enrollment form by August 15.
Student enrollment has increased since last year.
British English
The school expects enrolment to reach 1,500 students this year.
Parents must complete the enrolment form by 15 August.
Student enrolment has increased since last year.
The difference is especially important for school websites, application documents, university pages, and other formal educational material.
A US school should generally maintain enrollment throughout its content. A British institution should generally use enrolment.
Enrollment vs Enrolment in a Sentence
Here are natural examples showing how the two forms work.
Examples With Enrollment
- Enrollment for the fall semester begins in July.
- The college has experienced a rise in student enrollment.
- You must complete the enrollment form before registering for classes.
- The university publishes its annual enrollment figures.
- Online enrollment is available to new and returning students.
- The school closed enrollment after reaching its capacity.
- Low enrollment forced the college to cancel the course.
Examples With Enrolment
- Enrolment for the autumn term begins in July.
- The college has experienced a rise in student enrolment.
- You must complete the enrolment form before registering for classes.
- The university publishes its annual enrolment figures.
- Online enrolment is available to new and returning students.
- The school closed enrolment after reaching its capacity.
- Low enrolment led the college to cancel the course.
The sentence structure remains essentially unchanged. Only the regional spelling of the noun needs to change.
Enrollment Form vs Enrolment Form
Both enrollment form and enrolment form are correct.
Choose the version that matches your audience.
Enrollment Form
Use enrollment form in American English.
For example:
Please submit your enrollment form before the deadline.
A US college might also use:
- enrollment application
- enrollment documents
- enrollment requirements
- enrollment deadline
- enrollment confirmation
Enrolment Form
Use enrolment form in British English and in varieties that follow British spelling conventions.
For example:
Please return your completed enrolment form to the admissions office.
Related British forms include:
- enrolment application
- enrolment documents
- enrolment requirements
- enrolment deadline
- enrolment confirmation
Which One Should a Website Use?
A website should normally follow the spelling convention of its institution and audience.
For example, a US university might write:
Enrollment for the Fall 2026 semester is now open.
A British university might write:
Enrolment for the Autumn 2026 term is now open.
Mixing the two forms can make otherwise polished content look inconsistent.
Enrollment vs Enrolment in Formal Writing
Both forms are suitable for formal writing when used according to the relevant regional convention.
You can use them in:
- Academic papers
- University websites
- School policies
- Application forms
- Business documents
- Government information
- Research reports
- Institutional emails
- Administrative documents
The important issue is consistency.
If your document follows American English, use enrollment.
If it follows British English, use enrolment.
In Academic Writing
American academic writing:
The study examined undergraduate enrollment trends between 2020 and 2025.
British academic writing:
The study examined undergraduate enrolment trends between 2020 and 2025.
Neither sentence is inherently more correct. The appropriate spelling depends on the English variety being used.
In Business Writing
A US company might write:
Employee benefits enrollment closes on Friday.
A British company might write:
Employee benefits enrolment closes on Friday.
The same principle applies to internal documents, HR portals, and customer-facing material.
Is Enrollment or Enrolment More Common?
There isn’t one universally correct spelling that should replace the other.
Enrollment is standard American English, while enrolment is standard British English. Collins and Cambridge both recognize this regional distinction.
The word is also widely used outside education. It can refer to joining:
- Insurance plans
- Employee benefit programs
- Training programs
- Research studies
- Clubs
- Organizations
- Voting systems
- Online programs
For example, open enrollment is a familiar American expression in contexts such as health insurance and employee benefits.
In Australia, enrolment also appears in electoral contexts. The Australian Electoral Commission uses enrolment and enrol when discussing voter registration.
So context matters, but regional spelling still determines whether you write enrollment or enrolment.
Common Mistakes With Enrollment and Enrolment
Using Enrollment in British English Without Checking the Style
Enrollment isn’t normally the preferred British spelling.
If you’re writing specifically for a British audience, enrolment is the conventional choice.
For example:
❌ University enrollment opens next week.
✅ University enrolment opens next week.
Using Enrolment in American English
The reverse situation applies to American English.
For a US audience:
❌ Student enrolment begins in August.
✅ Student enrollment begins in August.
Mixing Both Spellings in the Same Document
This is one of the most avoidable mistakes.
Consider:
Student enrollment opens Monday. The enrolment deadline is August 15.
The reader can understand both words, but the inconsistent spelling is unnecessary.
Choose one regional convention and maintain it throughout the document.
Confusing Enroll and Enrol
Remember:
- American English: enroll
- British English: enrol
For example:
US: Students can enroll in the program.
UK: Students can enrol on the programme.
The regional difference can extend beyond spelling to common preposition choices. Oxford specifically gives enrol on a course as British usage and enroll in a course as North American usage.
Assuming One Spelling Is Incorrect
Calling enrolment a spelling error in every context is incorrect.
Likewise, enrollment isn’t a spelling mistake simply because you’re accustomed to British English.
These are established regional forms.
Enrollment vs Enrolment: Related Words
The easiest way to remember the pattern is to look at the complete word family.
| Meaning | American English | British English |
| Verb | enroll | enrol |
| Third-person verb | enrolls | enrols |
| Past tense | enrolled | enrolled |
| Past participle | enrolled | enrolled |
| -ing form | enrolling | enrolling |
| Noun | enrollment | enrolment |
The interesting point is that the regional difference isn’t present in every form.
Enrolled is the same in both varieties.
Enrolling is also the same in both varieties.
The main spelling difference occurs with enroll/enrol and enrollment/enrolment.
Oxford’s verb entries confirm that both varieties use enrolled and enrolling, despite the difference between enrol and enroll.
Enrollment vs Enrolment vs Registration
Enrollment or Enrolment
These specifically describe officially joining or being registered with a school, course, program, group, or similar organization.
Her enrollment in the university was confirmed.
Her enrolment in the university was confirmed.
Registration
Registration is a broader term for entering information into an official record or system.
For example:
Online registration for the conference closes Friday.
You could sometimes use enrollment instead, but the two words can carry different institutional meanings.
A university may distinguish between registration for individual classes and enrollment as a student.
Therefore, don’t replace one with the other automatically just because they are related.
Enrollment vs Enrolment: A Practical Case Study
Imagine a university has campuses in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Its American website says:
Enrollment for the Fall 2026 semester is now open.
Its British website says:
Enrolment for the Autumn 2026 term is now open.
Both sentences communicate the same basic idea.
However, the university shouldn’t randomly alternate between the two spellings on one regional website.
The American version should maintain American conventions:
- enrollment
- enroll
- fall
- program
The British version would normally use British conventions:
- enrolment
- enrol
- autumn
- programme
This illustrates an important writing principle: regional consistency matters more than choosing one spelling as universally correct.
Which Spelling Should You Use?
Use the following rule:
Choose Enrollment If:
- You’re writing for a US audience.
- Your organization follows American English.
- Your style guide specifies American English.
- You’re writing US educational or administrative content.
- Your institution officially uses enrollment.
Choose Enrolment If:
- You’re writing for a British audience.
- Your organization follows British English.
- Your style guide uses British spelling.
- You’re writing for a British educational institution.
- Your institution officially uses enrolment.
When Writing for an International Audience
If you’re creating content for an international audience, first identify the primary market.
A US-focused website can consistently use enrollment.
A UK- or Australia-focused website may use enrolment.
If the organization already has an established spelling system, follow it rather than changing individual words based on personal preference.
How to Remember Enrollment vs Enrolment
A simple memory trick is to remember the verbs first:
US → enroll → enrollment
UK → enrol → enrolment
You can also remember the pattern this way:
American English adds the second L before -ment.
So:
enroll → enrollment
British English retains:
enrol → enrolment
This won’t explain every spelling difference between American and British English, but it works well for this particular word family.
Frequently Asked Questions About Enrollment vs Enrolment
Is enrollment or enrolment correct?
Both are correct. Enrollment is the standard American English spelling, while enrolment is the standard British English spelling.
What is the difference between enrollment and enrolment?
There is no major difference in meaning. The difference is primarily regional spelling. Enrollment is used in American English, while enrolment is used in British English.
Is enrollment American or British English?
Enrollment is the standard American English form. Cambridge labels it as the US spelling of enrolment.
Is enrolment British English?
Yes. Enrolment is the standard British English spelling. Oxford lists it as the British form and gives enrollment as the US equivalent.
Is enrollment UK spelling?
Generally, no. Enrolment is the conventional UK spelling. Enrollment is the American form.
Should I write enrollment form or enrolment form?
Use enrollment form in American English and enrolment form in British English.
Is it enroll or enrol in British English?
British English uses enrol. American English uses enroll.
Is enrollment one L or two?
The spelling enrollment contains two Ls before the -ment ending: enrollment.
The British form is enrolment, with one L in the base word.
What is the plural of enrollment?
The plural is enrollments.
For example:
The university recorded higher enrollments this year.
The British equivalent is enrolments:
The university recorded higher enrolments this year.
Can enrollment and enrolment be used interchangeably?
They can convey the same meaning, but you should choose the spelling appropriate for your variety of English and remain consistent within the same document.
Final Answer: Enrollment vs Enrolment
Enrollment and enrolment mean the same thing. The difference is mainly a matter of regional spelling.
- Enrollment = American English
- Enrolment = British English
- Enroll = American English verb
- Enrol = British English verb
- Enrolled = same in both
- Enrolling = same in both
If you’re writing for readers in the United States, choose enrollment. If you’re following British English conventions, choose enrolment. Australian usage also commonly follows enrolment, including in official government contexts.
The most important rule is simple: match the spelling to your audience and stay consistent.
