differences - "Toward" or "towards"?


Which one should should I use? For some reason I have always used "towards", but I see some people saying "toward", like here:



A great deal of his work in economic theory has been directed toward strengthening the foundations of our understanding of central banking and social insurance--indeed, one of my most advanced macroeconomic classes was nothing but a set of changes rung upon a particular model that Peter Diamond had advanced at...



Is there a difference between the two? When should they be used?



Answer



The Common Errors in English Usage site mentions:



These two words are interchangeable, but “toward” is more common in the US and “towards” in the UK.


Some people, probably influenced by “forwards,” write “torwards” instead of the correct “towards.”



The merriam-webster simply list both words under the same entry, with similar ethymology:




  • toward: Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard facing, imminent, from tō, preposition, to + -weard -ward

  • towards: Middle English towardes, from Old English tōweardes, preposition, toward, from tōweard, adjective



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