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Math or Maths?

Math or Maths?

If you are an English learner passionated about speaking English as a way of communicating with the world around you, you have probably encountered with these words and presumably have been dubiously using them. Furthermore, if this is still a mysterious issue for you, then I'm going to break it down.

*Math* and *Maths* are similarly acceptable shortenings of *mathematics*.

What distinguishes both spellings is that *math* is preferred in the U.S. and Canada, and *maths* is preferred in the U.K., Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and most other English-speaking areas of the world (the most Africa's worth noting countries are *South Africa* and *Kenya*).
You can use both abbreviations depending on your English influence or preference. There is no real explanation as to why *math* became preferred in some regions while *maths* was elsewhere. Both of these words date back to the turn the 20th century. There are examples of *math* in writings from the 1890s, and of *maths* from the 1890s according to my after-researches.
In Mozambique, not that sure, but I can strongly admit that most Mozambique's universities and schools adopted the word "maths" or "mathematics" rather than "math". However, Mozambicans would formally or informally use both words.


PS: Readers in the USA, for instance, sometimes get upset if someone writes “maths” rather than “math”. Unquestionably, the reverse is true in the U.K. So, practically, it’s simply worth being aware of the geographical differences so that you can use the correct form of the word either in your writing or speaking.
Warmest regards,

PBC- Department of Scientific English Language
Chief Executive Officer
Pedro Benny C.

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