Afterward or Afterwards: The Definitive Usage Guide

Choosing between afterward and afterwards can feel like a minor spelling puzzle, yet using the right form helps align your writing with specific regional audiences. This linguistic choice directly impacts whether your professional report, academic paper, or casual email reads smoothly to readers in North America versus those in the Commonwealth.

This guide covers the distinct grammatical functions, regional preferences, and stylistic nuances of both terms. By the end of this resource, you will understand how to choose the correct variant with absolute confidence, avoiding common stylistic pitfalls and mastering modern usage standards.

Afterward vs. Afterwards Quick Answer

• Short definition: Both words are adverbs meaning “at a later time” or “subsequently.”
• Direct answer: They are exact spelling variants with identical meanings; afterward is standard in American and Canadian English, while afterwards is standard in British, Australian, and New Zealand English.
• Quick examples:
  • We ate dinner and went for a walk afterward (US).
  • We ate dinner and went for a walk afterwards (UK).
• Memory tip: Think of the “s” in afterwards as standing for South Africa, Scotland, and other British-influenced regions.

Understanding the Core Meaning and Grammar

Grasping the grammatical mechanics behind these adverbs ensures they enhance your sentence structure rather than distracting the reader.

Grammatical Classification and Function

As intransitive adverbs, both afterward and afterwards modify verbs to indicate when an action happens relative to another event. They typically appear at the end of a clause or sentence, though placing them midsentence is grammatically permissible when used for stylistic emphasis.

• Example in professional communication: The board reviewed the quarterly budget and approved the expansion plan afterward.
• Example in academic writing: Participants completed the baseline cognitive test and repeated the evaluation afterwards.

Why Regional Spelling Matters

Lexicographers at major authorities like the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and the Cambridge Dictionary confirm that the variation stems from historical English suffix trends. British English historically favored adding an adverbial -s to certain temporal words (like towards, amidst, and afterwards), whereas American English gradually dropped the terminal -s for streamlined spelling during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Expert Insight: Neither spelling is grammatically incorrect. Selecting the right one is purely a matter of localization and stylistic consistency.

Regional Preferences and Global Usage

Tailoring your lexical choices to your target demographic demonstrates high editorial awareness and respect for regional standards.

North American English Standards

In the United States and Canada, afterward reigns supreme. Major style guides, including the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style, overwhelmingly recommend dropping the terminal -s.

• Business application: A New York corporate firm drafting a merger press release will invariably write, “The press conference will take place immediately afterward.”
• Educational context: American university syllabi and student essays consistently use the shorter variant.

Commonwealth English Standards

In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, afterwards remains the preferred, more natural-sounding choice in both spoken and written registers.

• Editorial application: Publishing houses in London and Sydney enforce afterwards across fiction and nonfiction manuscripts.
• Legal and academic context: British legal briefs and journals maintain the historical -s suffix to align with traditional Commonwealth lexicography.

Practical Applications in Professional Settings

Applying these adverbs correctly across different communication channels prevents jarring shifts in tone.

Corporate and Business Communication

In professional correspondence, consistency overrides personal preference. If you draft a client proposal for a London-based client, adopting afterwards signals cultural attentiveness.

• Wrong (Mixed usage in a single document): The team presented the software demo, and afterwards, we answered questions. Afterward, we sent the slide deck via email.
• Correct (Unified regional usage): The team presented the software demo, and afterwards, we answered questions. Afterwards, we sent the slide deck via email.

Academic and Technical Writing

Academic rigor demands strict adherence to your chosen style guide. When writing a research paper for an American journal, stick exclusively to afterward.

Research Study Design

        │

        ▼

Select Target Journal (e.g., US vs. UK)

        │

        ├─► US Journal ──► Use “Afterward”

        │

        └─► UK Journal ──► Use “Afterwards”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced writers occasionally trip over related temporal terms or commit stylistic consistency errors.

Confusing Adverbs with Adjectives

A frequent error involves using afterward or afterwards as an adjective directly preceding a noun. These words are strictly adverbs; they cannot modify nouns.

• Incorrect: We attended the afterwards seminar on data privacy.
• Correct: We attended the subsequent seminar on data privacy, or We attended the seminar afterward.
• Why the mistake happens: Writers sometimes conflate the adverb with adjectives like subsequent or following.
• How to avoid it: Test the sentence by moving the word to the end of the clause. If it sounds natural at the end (“We attended the seminar afterward”), it is functioning correctly as an adverb.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any difference in meaning between afterward and afterwards?

No. They share an identical definition, function, and semantic weight. The only difference is geographic spelling preference.

Which spelling should I use for global audiences?

Both are universally understood across English-speaking nations. However, many international business style guides recommend choosing one variant and maintaining strict consistency throughout the document.

Can I start a sentence with afterward?

Yes, though it is less common. You can write, “Afterward, the committee voted on the motion.” In formal writing, starting with “Subsequently” or “Shortly thereafter” often sounds more polished.

Are there other words with this US/UK spelling split?

Yes. Similar pairs include backward / backwards, forward / forwards, and toward / towards.

Does Microsoft Word or Google Docs flag one as an error?

Standard spell-checkers recognize both as correct English words, though they may flag them if your document language is set specifically to US English (which prefers afterward) or UK English (which prefers afterwards).

Is one form considered more formal than the other?

Neither is more formal. Both are fully acceptable in formal, academic, and professional writing within their respective regions.

Can afterward be used as a noun?

No. If you mean a concluding section of a book, the correct noun is afterword (spelled with a d and no final s).

How do I remember which is American and which is British?

Remember that American English favors brevity (dropping the final -s in afterward), while British English preserves traditional historical suffixes (afterwards).

Conclusion

Mastering the choice between afterward and afterwards comes down to recognizing that they are regional stylistic variants of the exact same word. By matching your selection to your target audience—using afterward for North American readers and afterwards for Commonwealth audiences—you elevate the professional polish of your text.

Olivia Bennett

I’m Olivia Bennett, a writer and research enthusiast at Comparinex. I have a strong interest in comparing products, services, features, and alternatives so readers can make more informed choices. I enjoy breaking down complex information and presenting it in a straightforward way.

When I write, I focus on useful facts, clear comparisons, advantages and disadvantages, and the details that can make a real difference when choosing between two or more options. My aim is to make every article informative, balanced, and easy to follow.

I’m the author of The Everyday Comparison Handbook and Choose With Confidence. I bring the same research-driven approach to my work at Comparinex, where I help readers find clearer answers to their comparison questions.