![]() Analog/analogue: Analog is one of fourteen words in which the original -ue ending is clipped. (The same preference applies for amid/amidst and while/whilst whilst is, at any rate, rare in American English.)ħ. Among/amongst: The -st extension is, in both American English and British English, widely considered an unnecessary appendage. Amok/amuck: Amok is the traditional spelling, preferred to amuck.Ħ. It also has variant plural forms: Amoebas is acceptable in all but the most strictly scientific contexts, where amoebae is preferred.ĥ. Ameba/amoeba: Amoeba is the preferred spelling. (See also amoeba/ameba and archaeology/archeology.)Ĥ. Aesthetic/esthetic: Aesthetic is the preferred spelling, a rare case of the digraph retained in American English in favor of a single-vowel spelling. Adviser/advisor: Adviser is the preferred spelling, though it is inconsistent with the spelling of the adjectival form advisory.ģ. Acknowledgment/acknowledgement: Acknowledgment, though it looks awkward because the spelling implies that the g is pronounced hard, rather than (correctly) soft, is the preferred spelling, at least in American English.Ģ. Here are some common entries with more than one orthography:ġ. ![]() Online, the spelling in the Web page’s heading indicates the preference, though the other choice will likely also be listed. In printed dictionaries, the preferred form will have the full definition, while the runner-up will be cross-referenced to the winner. For both convenience and consistency, follow the dictionary’s indirect dictates. When the dictionary lists two alternate spellings of a word, should you use your judgment (or is that judgement?), or is there some other criterion for selection? Most dictionaries describe what is, rather than prescribe what should be - hence the alternatives - but they usually favor one form over the other. 20 Words with More Than One Spelling By Mark Nichol
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |