-ward and -wards
Reader’s question: What’s the difference between towards and toward?
Answer: Towards and toward can be used interchangeably. Toward is more common in American English, whereas towards is used more in British, Australian and New Zealand English. With other -ward and -wards words implying movement, such as downwards and upwards, there used to be a distinction between adjectives and adverbs: -ward was used for adjectives (downward slope) and -wards with adverbs (move downwards). This distinction appears to be dying in Australia.
