How do you spell Grey/gray?

[gryeyes]

I spell it grey. The reason why there is no "e" (or "a," for that matter) in my user name is because I have spent over 30 years in Law Enforcement Public Safety Communications, and the appropriate NCIC abbreviation for the color is "gry." (The abbreviations for purple and orange are, respectively, PLE and ONG, in case anybody was wondering. Betcha nobody was, though....)

Anyway, as my eyes are grey, I've always used gryeyes.

 

[Habibs Hens]

Definitely the other way around in British schools.

My understanding (and I know I'm right!) is that Britons have always spelt (Britons can also spell that 'spelled') the word with an 'e'. For some reason, you folks in the US have decided to spell it differently. Explain yourselves, other wise I may deduct marks!

Here are some more for you:

Colour

Harbour

Favourite

Favour

Humour

For more, look here and enjoy:

http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/british-american-spelling.html

lets not get into a nationalistic war lol

british as i am spell it Grey but no disrespect to USA that spell it Gray although

that postman must be bonkers not to be able to tell grey gray and gregory they are miles apart

here in UK if the postie saw Gray he would post it to Grey

although we have a road here called Grays Road wonder if an american named it

 

[thaiturkey]

Gray's road is probably named after a family or person rather than the colour.

I find it interesting that some Americans are using the original British spelling for grey and other words. I never noticed that previously.

 

[GardenerGal]

Now that you mention it... I have used "gray" and "grey" interchangeably. Both look equally correct to me.

I have more trouble with the words that end with "f" when singular or as nouns, that should end with "ves" as plurals or verbs:


Sheaf = Sheaves (as in "bringing in the sheaves...")
Hoof = Hooves
Relief (noun) = Relieve (verb)
Grief (noun) = Grieve (verb)
Belief (noun) = Believe (verb)
Thief = Thieves
Calf = Calves
Half = Halves
Beef = Beeves (as the old-world noun for cattle, not just the meat)
Shelf = Shelves
Self = Selves
Loaf = Loaves

But why is it:
Roofs instead of Rooves?
Reefs instead of Reeves?
Chiefs instead of Chieves?

 

[Habibs Hens]

Now that you mention it... I have used "gray" and "grey" interchangeably. Both look equally correct to me.

I have more trouble with the words that end with "f" when singular or as nouns, that should end with "ves" as plurals or verbs:


Sheaf = Sheaves (as in "bringing in the sheaves...")
Hoof = Hooves
Relief (noun) = Relieve (verb)
Grief (noun) = Grieve (verb)
Belief (noun) = Believe (verb)
Thief = Thieves
Calf = Calves
Half = Halves
Beef = Beeves (as the old-world noun for cattle, not just the meat)
Shelf = Shelves
Self = Selves
Loaf = Loaves

But why is it:
Roofs instead of Rooves?
Reefs instead of Reeves?
Chiefs instead of Chieves?

the why part i can answer

that is due to dialect and accent

in UK british english it is spoken with an F rather than a V so thats why we are

Roofs

and USA is

Rooves etc etc

also we plural most words true to form by adding only an S or ES

 

[thaiturkey]

I've never heard of 'beeves'.

Don't look for logic in a language that's developed over centuries! Try Chaucerian English and be grateful for what we have today.

The plurals of Latin derived words are also ones that must be learned rather than deduced. A common mistake is to use the word 'data' as if it was the singular form of the word, as in 'the data was inaccurate'. 'Data' is plural' The singular is 'datum'.

More plurals here:

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-vicissitudes-of-the-latin-plural-in-english/

 

[GardenerGal]

LOL! You're right. I'll count my blessings we only have to deal with our regional accents and dialects.
Here's the skinny on "beeves": http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beeves
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beef
I heard it long ago (not in the days of Chaucer, though), when some farmers referred to meat cattle as "heads of beef," or "beeves." It's one of those old thangs.

I've never heard of 'beeves'.

Don't look for logic in a language that's developed over centuries! Try Chaucerian English and be grateful for what we have today.

The plurals of Latin derived words are also ones that must be learned rather than deduced. A common mistake is to use the word 'data' as if it was the singular form of the word, as in 'the data was inaccurate'. 'Data' is plural' The singular is 'datum'.

More plurals here:

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-vicissitudes-of-the-latin-plural-in-english/

 

[GardenerGal]

But that was my question! In the U.S.A., I have never seen "rooves," only "roofs." Yet the plural for "hoof" here is "hooves." I live in New England, and we do have some carry-overs from Olde England here, but there's a lot of inconsistency.

the why part i can answer

that is due to dialect and accent

in UK british english it is spoken with an F rather than a V so thats why we are

Roofs

and USA is

Rooves etc etc

also we plural most words true to form by adding only an S or ES

 

[Habibs Hens]

The English language is the oddest language ever mastered

there are many oddeties

as we say Hoof and Hooves as well

hoofs shounds like a little dog barking lol

anouther one is rough

now why not rouf

also in Enighlish be is USA or UK different spelling changes the meaning
and example

Flour
Flower


their
there

pronounced the same but understood due to the contex its spoken in

 

[Matthew3590]

Also doesn't help that there is a lot of german in our language now. It was cool before germanic tribes took over a lot of the areas. English use to be a love language.