"Aeroplane" or "Airplane" - Which are people more familiar with? [closed]

North Americans would understand the word aeroplane, but would almost certainly never use it in a Web search without a specific reason to do so. In addition, a quick and by no means scientific check suggests that Google seems less inclined to collapse airplane and aeroplane together in searches than it does with some other spelling variants (e.g., honor/honour)—i.e. a search for one variant may be unlikely to lead to the other.

If discoverability is your goal, then, I suggest going with the more common spelling: airplane.

My copy of the Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual (published by the FAA) defines both "aircraft" and "airplane".

"airplane means an engine-driven fixed wing aircraft heavier than air, that is supported in flight by dynamic reaction of the air against its wings.

aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air"

"Aeroplane" is not used or defined in this manual.

To myself as a trained American aerospace engineer, "aeroplane" sounds silly, old-fashioned, or British. "aircraft" sounds the most professional though it does have a slightly more broad meaning, and there is nothing wrong with the use of "airplane". All of the textbooks that I have use "aircraft" in their titles.

It seems to be an Americanism:

Aeroplane, originally a French loanword with a different meaning, is the older spelling. The oldest recorded uses of the spelling airplane are British. According to the OED, "airplane became the standard American term (replacing aeroplane) after this was adopted by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1916. Although A. Lloyd James recommended its adoption by the BBC in 1928, it has until recently been no more than an occasional form in British English." In the British National Corpus, aeroplane outnumbers airplane by more than 7:1 in the UK. The case is similar for the British aerodrome and American airdrome, although both of these terms are now obsolete. Aerodrome is used merely as a technical term in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

So, as you can see, Americans adopted "airplane" in 1916. That's why, to you, as a British, "aeroplane" is more natural.

I would say, go with any that you like. They are both equally understood anyway. However, if you desire to sound more professional, use "aeroplane". It sounds more technical.