Why do Americans say "dice" even when they're referring to just one?

Question

If you roll the "dice" you are rolling 2 or more, but if you're rolling just one, it's a "die" not a "dice."

That's like saying, "I saw a mice!"

"You did? How many?"

"Just one. I saw one mice."

Americans just seem really uneducated as far as language goes. It's like they speak like 5 year old Canadians and never improve.

Answer 1

I agree with Traciemoo2002. Americans are well-educated, but we don't put enough emphasis on our own language and speaking properly. ...and text messaging is starting to break down the language even more. I prefer to roll one die, myself.

Another similar set of words (my pet peeves) is data and datum...or regardless and "irregardless", which isn't a word at all, and our happy-go-lucky, witless president who says "nucular" instead of nuclear.

...As for the 5-year old Canadians...at least we don't append every sentence with, "eh?".

Answer 2

There are several possible reasons.
1. These words they learn wrong they learned outside school, so a teacher has never had a chance to correct them.
2. They are guessing, based upon the words they do know.
3. They learned these words in a school system where the teachers believe being correct is not so important if you are understood, and class time is spent on ideas instead of exact grammar.
4. The people associating with that speaker who makes mistakes may think, like those misguided teachers (in 3) that the mistakes are minor and no correction is required.
5. The people you hear making the mistake(s) do not want to correct anything they say because they don't trust the criticism they hear or they think they're being made fun of.
6. The people making the mistake(s) don't hear any corrections or criticisms because they intimidate people who might want to correct the mistakes.
7. The people making the mistake(s) think their way of speaking is better and people should copy THEM.

Answer 3

Not all Americans use improper English. However, some use different dialects as they are from different parts of the USA. It is what they were taught from thier ancestors...who, by the way, came from another country...Maybe even yours!
Personally, I say Die when speaking of only one in a pair of Dice.

Answer 4

why do you say kleenex, kool-aid, or many other name brands


dice usually come in a pair.. so it seems that you have too much time on your hands or just want to complain about something.. The Americans might not speak according to your expectations but everyone wants to come here..

so let me tell yall somethin.. this boy needs some learnin. .

Answer 5

I don't. but im a gamer geek, so i use dice all the time. Ussaly just refer to them as a D. as in roll a D6 for a traditional six sided Die. or roll a D10 for a 10 sided die. As for why most americans do? habit mostly. We are so used to rolling more than one (tradtiional games like monoply and yahtzee use more than one).

Answer 6

No, no, no, no, no! actual, it may be terrible to be recognized as a individual from the country. here in Canada we continually call human beings from the country, American's. i've got travelled aboard plenty, and that i've got continually presented myself as a Canadian. i've got been to the country, throughout South united states of america of america and Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan or maybe Africa. on a similar time as in Congo with a medical team, being Canadian actually saved my life on a similar time as I had a gun on my brow. i'm particular i could be ineffective if I pronounced myself as a American.

Answer 7

Dice sounds way better. Die sounds like a threat anyways. The point is modern Americans didn't invent the English lauguage they just learned it. So what's wrong with a few minor changes. I resent they comment on speaking like five year old Canadians. I speak way goodly-er.lol.

Answer 8

Really...all Americans say "dice" when they are referring to just one? I didn't know that.

Answer 9

Yes, actually you're right. Americans speak American, not English, and we are woefully uneducated. There are no rules to language for us, pretty much anything goes....

Answer 10

I don't know what lowbrow sort of people you hang around with, but everyone I know who throws one die will always say "alea jacta est". It's sort of an inside joke.