mum = mom
liaise = liase
er, hang on let me think of some more
colour = color
favour = favor
er, I'm sure there's more but that's all for now.
But if we share a common language, why are we spelling some words differently?
Come on, you Yanks, tell us what the real reason is.
2007-01-11 05:05:47 · 19 answers · asked by gorgeousfluffpot 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Many of the simplifications in American spelling were made by Noah Webster when he wrote his famous dictionary.
Some are dialectal variation. For instance, to many Americans the words "father", "mother" and "bother" rhyme. To other English speakers the first vowel has three different pronunciations. The American "Mom" and the English "Mum" are the same word and many Americans would pronounce them the same way - but the English don't.
Australia and most of the rest of the English speaking world follows the English spelling for the most part. The only word that uses American spelling in Australia is "labor" when it is in the name of the Australian Labor Party. The rest of the time it is spelt "labour".
The one American spelling that annoys me, and I had a big row with an editor about it , is the word "metre". In all countries that use the metric system, it is spelt "metre". In English there are two words "metre" and "meter". A metre is a unit of measurement; a meter is an instrument for measuring. We have metre, kilometre and centimetre but meter, barometer and thermometer. There is a nice distinction between the two which is worth preserving.
2007-01-11 09:07:29 · answer #1 · answered by tentofield 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm English but I actually think that the Americans are right and we are wrong, for instance, the way we pronounce words like ROUTE (Brits pronounce it, root) TOMATO (Brits.tomartoe), there are loads more but like you I can't think of any at the moment, but we seem to have made things hard for ourselves! Why have we got a 'u' in colour when it is not actually needed and in the word favour? again the 'u' isn't really needed! Why do we spell CENTRE the way we do don't the Americans spell it, CENTER? which to me is the easier way to spell it and makes better sense.
Food for thought perhaps?
2007-01-11 05:26:29 · answer #2 · answered by Pawstimes16 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are talking about 2 different languages here: 'American' and 'English' -- the spelling doesn't have to be the same.
2007-01-11 05:57:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I read that the founding fathers of the USA changed some of the spellings to 'set us apart' over on these shores.
2007-01-11 05:13:30 · answer #4 · answered by MaryBeth 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Long time ago when people from England went to America they said that those spellings (e.g. colour) doesn't make sense and should be changed into more logical spelling: Color. It made more sense to them in some way.
2007-01-11 05:16:25 · answer #5 · answered by sαrαн♥mıss ©υяlz 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I really don't think it makes much difference one way or the other.I just how i was taught to spell but if you asked me that isnt the biggest problem .. The biggest problem is that American's need to go back to grade school and learned how to spell. It's disgusting to come on here and see people spelling wrong.
2007-01-11 05:16:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I was always under the impression that the Americans decided to try and change spellings to ones which make sense but gave up when they realized just how messed up English is.
2007-01-11 05:11:56 · answer #7 · answered by HP 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The English spelling is the old world spelling and the American spelling is the revised version, or you could say it is to suit us.
2007-01-11 05:22:43 · answer #8 · answered by golden rider 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Mum is British and Mom is American. Like a Bonnet is a Hood.
2007-01-11 05:14:35 · answer #9 · answered by Snaglefritz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To respond to kitty while you are talking about our spelling, you should use your spell check on the word learn and the context you are using it.
2007-01-11 06:52:41 · answer #10 · answered by reneechipman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋