Hemorrhage and haemorrhage both mean heavy or uncontrolled bleeding, and both can also be used figuratively for rapidly losing something like money. Hemorrhage is the American spelling; haemorrhage, with the extra a, is the British spelling. The word ultimately comes from Greek roots meaning a violent bursting of blood.
The core difference
Hemorrhage and haemorrhage are the same word describing serious bleeding, spelled differently in American and British English.
- hemorrhage — American spelling, noun and verb: The patient was rushed into surgery to stop the internal hemorrhage.
- haemorrhage — British spelling, noun and verb: She was rushed to hospital after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
How to tell them apart
The word comes from Greek haimorrhagia, combining haima (blood) with rhegnynai (to burst). British English kept the Greek-derived ae spelling, in line with other medical terms such as anaemia and paediatric, while American English simplified it to a plain e.
Both spellings also work figuratively, as when a company is said to be hemorrhaging or haemorrhaging cash after losing its biggest client. The mix-up mainly shows up in medical writing and news reporting, where publications need to pick one spelling and apply it consistently for their audience — British outlets use haemorrhage, American ones use hemorrhage.
