diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/EditorWindow.py b/Lib/idlelib/EditorWindow.py
index 31336a3d992..f43c9a1968a 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/EditorWindow.py
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/EditorWindow.py
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ class EditorWindow(object):
         self.color = None
 
     def ResetColorizer(self):
-        "Update the colour theme"
+        "Update the color theme"
         # Called from self.filename_change_hook and from configDialog.py
         self._rmcolorizer()
         self._addcolorizer()
diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/configHandler.py b/Lib/idlelib/configHandler.py
index 1c347f6b74a..7a282fb1e0a 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/configHandler.py
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/configHandler.py
@@ -274,25 +274,27 @@ class IdleConf:
         return cfgParser.sections()
 
     def GetHighlight(self, theme, element, fgBg=None):
-        """Return individual highlighting theme elements.
+        """Return individual theme element highlight color(s).
 
-        fgBg - string ('fg'or'bg') or None, if None return a dictionary
-        containing fg and bg colours (appropriate for passing to Tkinter in,
-        e.g., a tag_config call), otherwise fg or bg colour only as specified.
+        fgBg - string ('fg' or 'bg') or None.
+        If None, return a dictionary containing fg and bg colors with
+        keys 'foreground' and 'background'.  Otherwise, only return
+        fg or bg color, as specified.  Colors are intended to be
+        appropriate for passing to Tkinter in, e.g., a tag_config call).
         """
         if self.defaultCfg['highlight'].has_section(theme):
             themeDict = self.GetThemeDict('default', theme)
         else:
             themeDict = self.GetThemeDict('user', theme)
         fore = themeDict[element + '-foreground']
-        if element == 'cursor': #there is no config value for cursor bg
+        if element == 'cursor':  # There is no config value for cursor bg
             back = themeDict['normal-background']
         else:
             back = themeDict[element + '-background']
         highlight = {"foreground": fore, "background": back}
-        if not fgBg: #return dict of both colours
+        if not fgBg:  # Return dict of both colors
             return highlight
-        else: #return specified colour only
+        else:  # Return specified color only
             if fgBg == 'fg':
                 return highlight["foreground"]
             if fgBg == 'bg':
@@ -314,11 +316,11 @@ class IdleConf:
             cfgParser = self.defaultCfg['highlight']
         else:
             raise InvalidTheme('Invalid theme type specified')
-        #foreground and background values are provded for each theme element
-        #(apart from cursor) even though all these values are not yet used
-        #by idle, to allow for their use in the future. Default values are
-        #generally black and white.
-        # TODO make theme, a constant, a module or class attribute
+        # Provide foreground and background colors for each theme
+        # element (other than cursor) even though some values are not
+        # yet used by idle, to allow for their use in the future.
+        # Default values are generally black and white.
+        # TODO copy theme from a class attribute.
         theme ={'normal-foreground':'#000000',
                 'normal-background':'#ffffff',
                 'keyword-foreground':'#000000',
@@ -350,18 +352,18 @@ class IdleConf:
                 'console-background':'#ffffff' }
         for element in theme:
             if not cfgParser.has_option(themeName, element):
-                #we are going to return a default, print warning
-                warning = ('\n Warning: configHandler.py - IdleConf.GetThemeDict'
+                # Print warning that will return a default color
+                warning = ('\n Warning: configHandler.IdleConf.GetThemeDict'
                            ' -\n problem retrieving theme element %r'
                            '\n from theme %r.\n'
-                           ' returning default value: %r' %
+                           ' returning default color: %r' %
                            (element, themeName, theme[element]))
                 try:
                     print(warning, file=sys.stderr)
                 except OSError:
                     pass
-            colour = cfgParser.Get(themeName, element, default=theme[element])
-            theme[element] = colour
+            theme[element] = cfgParser.Get(
+                    themeName, element, default=theme[element])
         return theme
 
     def CurrentTheme(self):
diff --git a/Lib/tkinter/colorchooser.py b/Lib/tkinter/colorchooser.py
index 6027067208c..9dc96713364 100644
--- a/Lib/tkinter/colorchooser.py
+++ b/Lib/tkinter/colorchooser.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# tk common colour chooser dialogue
+# tk common color chooser dialogue
 #
 # this module provides an interface to the native color dialogue
 # available in Tk 4.2 and newer.
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #
 # options (all have default values):
 #
-# - initialcolor: colour to mark as selected when dialog is displayed
+# - initialcolor: color to mark as selected when dialog is displayed
 #   (given as an RGB triplet or a Tk color string)
 #
 # - parent: which window to place the dialog on top of
diff --git a/Lib/turtledemo/__main__.py b/Lib/turtledemo/__main__.py
index 4b6e3892cf6..6280c8497b6 100755
--- a/Lib/turtledemo/__main__.py
+++ b/Lib/turtledemo/__main__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   (1) How to use the demo viewer.
 
   Select a demoscript from the example menu.
-  The (syntax coloured) source code appears in the left
+  The (syntax colored) source code appears in the left
   source code window. IT CANNOT BE EDITED, but ONLY VIEWED!
 
   The demo viewer windows can be resized. The divider between text
diff --git a/Lib/turtledemo/chaos.py b/Lib/turtledemo/chaos.py
index d4656f89148..6a45d0d807e 100644
--- a/Lib/turtledemo/chaos.py
+++ b/Lib/turtledemo/chaos.py
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ def coosys():
     line(-1, 0, N+1, 0)
     line(0, -0.1, 0, 1.1)
 
-def plot(fun, start, colour):
-    pencolor(colour)
+def plot(fun, start, color):
+    pencolor(color)
     x = start
     jumpto(0, x)
     pendown()