Tuesday, November 14, 2017

First Draught, Second Draft - American vs British Spelling

For many years I -- a good American -- worked in a British colony editing magazines and newspapers. Took me awhile to work out the details, but here's my collection of differences between US and Brit spellings.

General Rules
  • The æ dipthong: air (æro), eon (æon), anemia (anæmia), anæsthesia (anesthesia), archeology (archæology), bougainvillea (bougainvillæa), cesarean (cæsarean), chimera (chimæra), encyclopedia (encyclopædia), esthetic (æsthetic), etiology (ætiology), feces (fæces), gynecology (gynæcology), hematology (hæmatology), hemorrhage (hæmorrhage), hemorrhoids (hæmorrhoids), leukemia (leukæmia), medieval (mediæval), orthopedic (orthopædic), pederast (pæderast), pediatric (pædiatric), pedophile (pædophile), paleolithic (palæolithic), paleontology (palæontology), presidium (præsidium), primeval (primæval)
  • The œ ligature: diarrhea (diarrhœa), edema (edœma), esophagus (œsophagus), estrogen (œstrogen), fetal (fœtal), fetid (fœtid), fetus (fœtus), gonorrhea (gonorrhœa), homeopath (homœopath), maneuver (manœuvre), pharmacopeia (pharmacopœia)
  • The dropped e: judgment (judgement), likable (likeable)
  • The inexplicable American double-l: appall (appal), distill (distil), enroll (enrol), enthrall (enthral), fulfill (fulfil), install (instal), instill (instil),
  • The inexplicable British double-l: caliper (calliper), calisthenics (callisthenics), filet (fillet)
  • Words ending in er/re: accouterments (accoutrements), caliber (calibre), center (centre), liter (litre), meter (metre), theater (theatre)
  • Words ending in g/gue: _log (_logue)
  • Words ending in ize/ise: _tize (_tise), _izing (_ising), _ized (_ised)
  • Words ending in yse/yze: _lyze (_lyse), _yzing (_ysing), _yzed (_ysed)
  • Words ending in or/our: _bor (_bour), _dor (_dour), _lor (_lour), _mor (_mour), _vior (_viour)
  • The ection/exion suffix: connection (connexion), inflection (inflexion)
  • The ense/ence suffix: defense (defence), license (licence), offense (offence)
  • The let/lette suffix: epaulet (epaulette), omelet (omelette)
  • Suffixed words ending in l: _lated (_llated), _lation (_llation), _led (_lled), _lest (_llest), _ling (_lling), _list (_llist), _lity (_llity), _len (_llen), _lor (_llor), _lous (_llous), _lry (_llery), _ly (_lly)
  • Suffixed words ending in e: aging (ageing), binging (bingeing), eying (eyeing), gluing (glueing)
Irregular Spellings
  • Almanac (Almanack)
  • Aluminum (Aluminium)
  • Artifact (Artefact)
  • Ax (Axe)
  • Balk (Baulk)
  • Bevy (Bevvy)
  • Behoove (Behove)
  • Biased (Biassed)
  • Busses (Buses)
  • Check (Cheque)
  • Chili (Chilli)
  • Cozy (Cosy)
  • Clarinetist (Clarinettist)
  • Cipher (Cypher)
  • Disk (Disc)
  • Draft (Draught)
  • Filter (Philtre)
  • Flutist (Flautist)
  • Gases (Gasses)
  • Gage (Gauge)
  • Gram (Gramme)
  • Gray (Grey)
  • Griffin (Gryphon)
  • Groin (Groyne)
  • Gypsies (Gipsies)
  • Jail (Gaol)
  • Misspelled (Misspelt)
  • Mold (Mould)
  • Molt (Moult)
  • Mustache (Moustache)
  • Pajama (Pyjama)
  • Phony (Phoney)
  • Plow (Plough)
  • Pizzazz (Pzazz)
  • Pouf (Pouffe)
  • Practice (Practise)
  • Pretense (Pretence)
  • Sheik (Sheikh)
  • Skeptic (Sceptic)
  • Smolder (Smoulder)
  • Story (Storey)
  • Sulfate (Sulphate)
  • Sulfur (Sulphur)
  • Siphon (Syphon)
  • Ton (Tonne)
  • Tire (Tyre)
  • Wagon (Waggon)
  • Worshiped (Worshipped)
  • Yogurt (Yoghurt)
  • Monday, November 13, 2017

    Literacy Resources for Young and Old

    About our pages: Literary Devices is a rhetorical wonderland; SpellingB provides a list of commonly misspelled words, with a bit of humor and some useful links tossed in; and Format is a guide to publishing to online publications such as Medium. From time to time we'll add pages about language and literacy (in both English and other languages) we find fascinating. Enjoy!


    Spencer W. Kimball