Gray/Grey

[Frank Abate]

I think this is a clear case, given what Lynne says, of a preferred
spelling.  In the US, apparently there is good evidence for both, but "gray"
is more frequent.  It seems that "gray" is not used commonly in the UK,
though.

This is a good, simple example of a US/UK difference that has some subtlety
to it, as many of these differences have.  In many cases, US/UK differences,
whether in spelling, usage, or syntax, are not black and white, as the
dictionaries may suggest -- there are often shades of gray/grey.

Frank Abate


***************
Douglas Wilson spake thusly:

>>... Online retailers selling "grey-market" goods, which are outside
>>distribution agreements, are a lot more difficult to track down than
>>bricks-and-mortar stores.
>>
>>    Why wouldn't the FT use "gray" market?
>
>Why prefer "gray"?
>
>I for one grew up thinking "gray" and "grey" were exactly the same, both
>fully satisfactory in all contexts.
>
>Only recently have I encountered the idea that one is "American", the other
>"British". [This distinction among others may be designed to provide a
>living for linguists. (^_^)]
>
>The M-W usage dictionary states: "Both spellings are correct and common. In
>American English, the preference is for _gray_, but _grey_ is also widely
>used. The British have a very definite preference for _grey_."

FWIW, my UK spellchecker on MS-Word does not accept "gray", but the
US spellchecker accepts both.  I've yet to see a British person spell
"gray", and I have had it claimed to me (years back) by an American
that my spelling "grey" was pretentious, but I don't think most
people notice.

Lynne
--
M. Lynne Murphy
Lecturer in Linguistics
School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 3AN    UK
phone:  +44(0)1273-678844
fax:    +44(0)1273-671320