Why are there 2 spellings of grey/gray?

Answer 1

Hi! "Gray" is a generally accepted American form, while "Grey" is the British form of the word. They both mean the same thing (the color), but there are two different spellings because of the American and British uses.

Hope this helps!

~Librarian

Answer 2

They are two acceptable spellings of the word gray: the confusion arises from the Old English word which was graeg, hence we have gray and grey.
http://home.unilang.org/wiki3/index.php?title=Englisc_colours&printable=yes

The spelling distinction between British grey and American gray developed in the 20th century. At the end both mean a spectrum of color made by mixing different parts of black an white.




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Answer 3

In my experience gray usually refers to the color and the other is most often a name.
But the spelling might differ in other countries.
the World Book Encyclopedia states they are used interchangeably.

Answer 4

Same reason there are two ways to spell "blond/blonde." Often the American versus British version....

Answer 5

The english language. One of the hardest to understand.

Answer 6

why are there two ways of spelling jail/gaol?


somewhere two regional varieties of spelling that word has spread...ask a linguistics teacher or something.

Answer 7

u know i just realized that! i spelled it both ways before without noticing

Answer 8

One is English and one is American.