dictionary of words that are spelt differently

I hope you didn't mean that literally. Spelling is the most visible difference, sure-- also "spelling" of some common punctuation, like single vs. double quotes-- but there are also differences in usage, like, well, "different from" vs. "different to". Usage isn't all a matter of "truck" vs. "lorry"; you also have to deal with "bus" vs. "coach". So yes, stick with entirely different texts.

which form of English is used in ... Canada

Are you actively trying to start fistfights? ;) Canadian English* is written like British English, except when it isn't. (Similarly, it is pronounced like US English, except when it isn't.)


* I once set the spell checker to "Canadian" for a book written in the US in the early 1920's. Worked a treat.

which form of English is used in ... Canada

You'd also have to do a replace of every "?" with ", eh?"
*ducks*

Oh, hey, that makes me think of a whole nother range of differences: marked vs. unmarked. Does "hockey" (unmarked) mean ice hockey or field hockey? Does "tea" (unmarked) mean hot tea or iced tea? Does "pool" (unmarked) mean indoor or outdoor-- and, for that matter, is it a swimming pool or a duck pond?

:: suppressing nasty suspicion that this is not actually what OP was asking about ::

Seriously, it's the same situation as when you're making versions in entirely different languages: at some point, you have to consult a native speaker.

Interesting responses - thanks for the insights on Canada.

In some places in Canada, you might get away with saying "Right boy!" in response to a dubious claim but not in others. Then there are bags of milk, apparently. Probably safer to localise/localize where necessary.

Regards...jmcc

Then there are bags of milk, apparently.

Criminy. I thought this was going to be one of those Yorkshire-dialectal-term-for-udder things, but when the search engine obligingly offers up a video called "Milk in bags, eh?" ...

I don't think it makes much difference as far as English speaking peoples. A few years back a single page info site in seven languages asked language choice and delivered the translated page (which ran about 27 PRINTED PAGES ON PAPER).

During one update, about 9 months in on the operation, the translate links to the US and UK English pages got crossed (click UK got US and vis versa) and was not discovered until a year later, upon which were corrected. Examination of the logs showed NO significant difference in any aspect which is generally tracked.

With that data point established "back then" I have maintained only one "English" version of multi-language sites ever since. USA, not because it is better, merely more common world wide and is used in Airline Industry and other. THAT SAID, I'm equally happy with UK and sometimes offer that as well, when appropriate for site and content. But in the main, English is English regardless of which side of the many "ponds" there might be.