Storey vs. Story: Building Floor or Narrative?

The Distinction

• Storey = a floor or level of a building (British English)
• Story = a narrative or tale; also a building floor (American English)

British vs. American Usage

In British English:

• Storey = building floor (“a five-storey building”)
• Story = narrative (“tell me a story”)

In American English:

• Story = both meanings (“a five-story building” and “tell me a story”)

Using Storey (British)

“Storey” refers only to building levels:

• “The office is on the third storey.” ✓ (British)
• “They built a ten-storey tower.” ✓ (British)
• “Each storey has different tenants.” ✓ (British)

Plural: storeys

Using Story

As a narrative:

• “She told a fascinating story.” ✓
• “What’s the story behind that painting?” ✓
• “News stories flooded the media.” ✓

As a building floor (American):

• “The building has twenty stories.” ✓ (American)
• “A two-story house.” ✓ (American)

Which Should You Use?

Match your audience:

• Writing for British readers? Use “storey” for buildings
• Writing for American readers? Use “story” for everything
• Either way, “story” for narratives is universal