Here's the breakdown:
* American English: meter, liter
* British English and many other international spellings: metre, litre
This difference stems from the fact that American English generally favors simpler spellings, while British English often retains older, more traditional spellings. The same applies to other words like "center" vs. "centre", "color" vs. "colour", and "tire" vs. "tyre".
It's important to remember that both spellings are correct within their respective English dialects. There's no "right" or "wrong" spelling, just different conventions.