English UsageComparison guide
Story vs. Storey
“Story” is the ordinary spelling for a narrative. For a level of a building, Cambridge documents US “story” and UK “storey.”
Use “story” for a narrative in all varieties. For a building level, use US “story” and UK “storey.”
Key details
Confusion Familyregional-spelling-and-sense
Rule Familyregional-orthography
Termsstory, storey
Variant Scope“Story” is the ordinary spelling for a narrative. For a level of a building, Cambridge documents US “story” and UK “storey.”
Further guidance
Core difference
The regional spelling difference applies to the building-level sense, not to the narrative sense.
Fast Test
Identify the intended sense first, then apply the documented regional or domain spelling for that sense.
Variant Boundary
Do not change a narrative “story” to “storey” in UK English.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Story — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Story entry documenting the narrative sense and US story for a building level
- Storey — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Storey entry documenting UK storey and US story for a level of a building