English spelling variants - the writing tendencies of EFL students in North Macedonia

English has been long established as the lingua franca and consequently has secured its position as an obligatory subject in schools and universities around the world. However, being an international and global language often conveys the wrong impression of being a unified communication tool. This paper focuses particularly on the lexical spelling variations between British English and American English. The research provides a quantitative data acquired through an anonymous questionnaire that tests the students’ preferences and habits in the spelling of English of certain lexical items. The participants of the study are 60 secondary school students and 60 first year university students both studying English as a foreign language. Furthermore, the research includes a qualitative analysis of the textbooks used by teachers in secondary vocational schools in North Macedonia, and the textbooks used by the faculties at Goce Delcev University. The results give an insight into the current educational curriculum of EFL in North Macedonia, the students’ habits in English spelling and their ability to differentiate between the two varieties of English.