They are the same word with two spellings: analyze is the American form, analyse is the British and wider Commonwealth form. Pick one based on your audience and stay consistent — a UK report should use analyse throughout, a US one analyze.
The core difference
Analyze and analyse have identical meanings and uses; only the spelling changes with the variety of English you are writing in.
- analyze — American spelling: Scientists analyzed the soil samples for traces of pollution.
- analyse — British spelling: The team will analyse the survey results next week.
How to tell them apart
The split comes down to the -ize versus -ise pattern that shows up across a whole family of verbs, such as organize/organise and realize/realise. Analyze built on analysis plus that verb-forming ending, and American English settled on the z spelling, while British English generally prefers s.
The mix-up usually shows up in spell-checkers flagging one form as wrong when a document switches regional settings, or in international teams mixing US and UK writers in the same document. The fix is simple: choose the spelling that matches your audience or house style, then use a find-and-replace to keep it consistent throughout.
