2006-11-26 21:20:00 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
It's spelled "razing". But they're homonyms (words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings) - that may be what's confusing you.
2006-11-26 21:23:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
They're right - "raze a building" means to level it. Homophones do make the English language a confusing one... That's why correct spelling continues to be important in written communication. (I think you also mean "tearing it down" - tare means "an allowance made for the weight of the packaging in determining the net weight of goods" or "the weight of a vehicle without its fuel or load".) To answer your question with another, why do you chop a tree down, then chop it up? Let's all celebrate the lovely, muddly English language, including the illogical spellings which betray the origins of words!!
(Try this site - a great way to use up a little time!)
http://www.rinkworks.com/words/confused.shtml
2006-11-28 08:44:17 · answer #2 · answered by ~jve~ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you've got your raises and razes confused, dear.
Raising is lifting/building something up, as in building a barn.
Razing is tearing down, as in razing a building site.
2006-11-26 22:18:45 · answer #3 · answered by Jen J 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I aree with all the above. Razing, comes from the same word root as razor, which gives a clue as to its meaning. When you raze something, you make it completely level, as low as possible. Hence 'razed to the ground'.
2006-11-27 00:32:54 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Two different spellings. Tearing down is "razing"
2006-11-26 21:24:58 · answer #5 · answered by william v 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Raising is going up.
Razing is tearing down.
2006-11-26 21:27:44 · answer #6 · answered by thomy8s 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋