Ocher and ochre are different spellings of the same word, meaning (1) any of several earthy mineral oxides of iron occurring in brown, yellow, or red and used as pigments, and (2) a moderate orange yellow. The difference is that ochre is preferred in British, Canadian, and Australian English, while ocher is the standard spelling in American English. However, over the last few years, a growing number of American writers and publications have used ochre.
Examples
Non-U.S. publications prefer ochre over ocher by a wide margin—for example:
It was only a few seconds, that glimpse of ochre houses, sweeping stairs and La Barca fountain, but it was enough. [Daily Mail]
A stream of ochre water splashes on the windscreen, leaving streaks the colour of dried blood. [The Australian]
Here, too, was strong colour: vermilion, orange and fuschia teamed with ochre and beige. [Independent]
The ochre buried with the burned remains suggest that it may have been part of a ceremonial burial. [Toronto Sun]
Both spellings can be found in U.S. publications—for example:
It is here, on top of a thin layer of flaky ocher-colored rock, known as schist, that the vine is at its most unexpected. [Wall Street Journal]
Old colonial buildings painted Venetian red, ochre, terra cotta, burnt umber, and vermillion compete with the brilliant sky. [Boston Globe]
We hit the color with the clay, a strong ocher color. [Washington Post]
Colors are popping – including orange, burgundy and ochre. [Houston Chronicle]
