Poll: Do you prefer American English spelling or British English spelling?

[Nazulu]

It's just English and American. I think I will go with original because I was taught that way in school and it just looks more right!

You know that this is more like America vs the rest because everyone will choose what they are raised with so it's basically pointless!

 

[oktalist]

British, except when programming, where an international standard is called for, and American is that.

 

[Nivag the Owl]

I'm guessing this poll is only open to those who aren't English or American? I think we should be void from this debate.

 

[Bunnymarn]

British English is the proper one. America just changed it.

 

[oktalist]

British

1) I'm english
2) This is the RIGHT way to spell it, I believe we were writing before whites were in america writing. Now, don't take this as a flame, but we were in England before anybody found america. So to be fair, our way was the first way.

British English is the proper one. America just changed it.

As I understand it, in Britain we used to spell in the way that we now call "American English". That was the spelling that the settlers took with them, and then we in Britain changed our spelling to what we now call "British English" after they left, when anything French was in fashion.

 

[Ophiuchus]

I guess it's only natural that, being British, I prefer what I've always been taught.

The difference used to bug me a lot, particularly when I was doing a lot of HTML and CSS and it refused to recognise tags. These days I'm not coding so don't really give a toss as long as whatever I'm reading is actually legible.

 

[blarggles]

Spell the British way and prefer it due to being brought up to spell that way. Although find I drop American spellings in sometimes.

One word that I never understand where it gets it pronunciation from in US english which i encouter a lot with what I do, Solder or as the Americans would say Sodder. Pretty much every country pronounces the L. However, the American way they add an extra D into the pronunciation and drop the L yet still spell it the same way. I simply don't get where that comes from? Since when in the English language did an L sound like a D?

I mean it doesn't apply to other words with similar spelling...so why that one?

 

[minarri]

I can't vote in this poll because you don't give us enough choices. I was born and raised in the States so I'm more conscious of the British spelling, but I don't prefer one over the other. On the other hand, I do like some British slang quite a bit.

 

[A.I. Sigma]

British, all the way~

 

[bait.edu]

The Queen's English. American English is just wrong.

 

[Gamine]

Anyone one i feel like using at the given time.

or id just use my Pidgin English

 

[Siris]

What about Canadian English?

 

[Daimes2000]

I usually prefer British English to American English. That's the way I learned it at school (I'm german), and to me the british spelling just looks nicer and "more correct".
I don't care that much for different words (elevator vs. lift, sidewalk vs. pavement) as they are all foreign anyway, so if I don't have much time I'll use whatever comes to my mind first

Aluminum in my opinion is just plain wrong and lazy, I mean, you don't say "Helum" or "Magnesum" either. If you want a proper abbreviation, go for the german short version: alu. That way it's at least clear you're using an abbreviation.
Languages are never static, they'll change over time (One thing I learned in the discussion about the german spelling reformation), but I think words borrowed from other languages, which are not in daily use should be conserved as much as possible (esp. greek and latin).

 

[Spirultima]

This is a computer the last time i checked, im writing to people who don't care i the least about spelling, so why SHOULD i fix it?

Well, when the question being asked is about spelling, and your on one of the rare forums where a number of people do indeed care about that, one would think you'd at least try. Apparently not. I'm typically not one of them, but the above points, compounded with calling Americans "lazy" with regards to English when you yourself don't bother capitalization, punctuation, or entire words in a startling number of places, that, my friend, is a triple threat simply begging for some jackass to call you out and object. In this case, I was that jackass. Under normal circumstances, I would've glossed right over your point without a second thought after seeing that... but damn, man, making your point, the way you did, where you did, I dare say you point got exactly what it deserved.

While I was looking some [a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language]information[/a] up once again, it turns out that there is no regulating body for the English language, so Webster and I can do whatever we damn well please. I suppose you can too. You already have, and so I leave your quote in all it's glory this time.

Hehe, i'm not so easily beat.

No your right there was no regulating body, BUT the language was counted as part of the Empire and so therefore had to be consulted, the leader of the British Empire, i.e. the king/the queen, which paperwork, or even verbal contract, which was NOT filed and therefore still "American" English stays a unofficial splinter language.

Boom, headshot.

 

[Dr. James]

Being a Scot I prefer British English, though with coding etc. I try to keep American English in mind.

 

[Ushario]

It aint American bastidization of the English language! It's french corruption of the english language that's making the difference.

But I know what you mean about the zed thing. It's just I am so used to zeee, I get uncomfortable when people say "Dragon Ball Zed"

Yes it is, as far as I'm aware, the American bastardisation of the English language.
French has had an influence on English over the centuries, but thats hardly relevant to the changes made by American's.

Fun facts: English is a Germanic dialect. It has been heavily influenced by French and Latin over time, and yes I didn't believe it when I was first told either.

 

[Doug]

British! C-o-l-o-u-r!

*Salutes with a flapping union jack in the background*

 

[thenumberthirteen]

I think that Aluminum sounds stupid.

Unless I'm mistaken. Aluminum was the correct spelling from the guy who discovered it. Yet, however, he discovered other elements that ended in -ium, and so the Royal Society called it Aluminium to match.

Or at least that's what I learned in Chemistry.

 

[goodman528]

Don't mind either way, but all of my spell checks insist on American and all my teachers insist on British, so there's a little conflict there...

 

[ffoulksy]

Well I can't spell for shit so it really shouldn't matter but we have a perfectly servicable language called "ENGLISH" so will you Yanks stop frigging about with it please?

Actually - the strength of English has always been it ability to absorb and adapt - it contains words from every language under the sun (mainly from areas where once the world map was red) and is teh better for it.

Adapt or die. (Looks at the French).