They spell "color" as "colour" and "center" as "centre" and "check" as "cheque," plus many other words are spelled wrong too. Is it because nearly 1/4 of Canada is French speaking??
2007-02-01 07:32:17 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
They use the original spellings. Daniel Webster changed the spellings of a lot of English words in the USofA. He didn't bother to ask the English, those who actually are in charge of what English is, what they thought.
Americans use a Bastardized version of English, because they can't be bothered to really find out what English should be spelt.
2007-02-01 07:39:43 · answer #1 · answered by whatotherway 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think that question backfired a bit... Canadians actually spell words in a combination of British, American and Quebecois ways, and that's correct in Canada.
It's actually a bit silly to speak of educated native speakers of a language spelling words "wrong". All languages evolve and change, and if understanding isn't impaired then alternative ways of speaking or spelling shouldn't be damned. The French might be attempting to hold back the inevitable with L'Academie francaise, but we needn't make the same mistake with English.
Try reading the Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg for a good description of the development of English.
2007-02-01 08:12:33 · answer #2 · answered by Fences and windows 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Firstly it is Americans who 'spell words wrongly' Americans adapted the English language colour,centre etc. As well as this cheque has a different meaning to check. Check means to say look for and a cheque is something you write out to pay someone
2007-02-01 07:41:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I pretty much agree with most of what's been written.
However, we in Canada use the word 'centre' to identify a location like a 'shopping centre'. Whereas 'center' is used to identify the 'center of a circle' or the 'center of balance'. So both spellings are used depending on its context.
As for the 'ou' as opposed to the 'o' words, if you say the words slowly and enunciate it you'll hear the difference in the sounds, which is why they were spelt that way originally.
'COH-LOOR', NEIGH-BOOR as opposed to NEIGH-BER.
As stated, 'cheque' is something you write out for a financial transaction. Check is a check mark or to check on something.
2007-02-01 13:15:17 · answer #4 · answered by Jagg 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The language YOU talk is English, and the spellings you say are incorrect, are the English spellings. As English substitute into spoken 1000's of years in the past the rustic substitute into stumbled on, it incredibly is honest to assert that the main appropriate spellings are the unique (and nonetheless modern) English ones, not the greater moderen American variations, so the Canadians are (a minimum of traditionally) maximum appropriate. it incredibly is incredibly u.s. that took a different direction, in all threat not long after Independance, 4 July 1776.
2016-10-16 10:17:00 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No no no no no! They spell the british way. Their spelling was the original spelling of those words. Nowaydays, linguitically, no language can be said to be well or bad spoken, and in this case wrongly spelled.
It has nothing to do with 1/4 canadians being French.
2007-02-01 07:47:09 · answer #6 · answered by guidikc 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Canadians spell words in English not American.Americans spelling and pronunciation is incomprhensible to the rest of the world
2007-02-01 07:39:25 · answer #7 · answered by Pauline 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Typical big headed American.
The English spellings are the correct ones.
Learn your mother tongue!
You may have taken back the country and kicked out all the Brits but you never learnt how to spell correctly.
England and America - Two countries divided by a common language.
2007-02-01 08:14:07 · answer #8 · answered by ray d 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lol, those words you mentioned are not spelled wrong, check any dictionary.
Most of these words have their origins in Old English- as the language developed from the past, and is still used in the UK and the other British commonwealths. What you are comparing it to is American English. Both are correct-
2007-02-01 07:43:21 · answer #9 · answered by QuiteNewHere 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
No this is because America, Canada and the UK are 3 countries seperated by a common language. I personally think these words are spelt as they are pronounced and not as spelt. Anyway who is to say we Brits are using the correct spellings?? After all when Webster compiled his first dictionary what did he use to check his spellings???
2007-02-01 07:39:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋