I often look at how words are spelled and the grammar in which they are used.
I don't mind being corrected on either as I think it is fundamental to be able to express a point clearly and concisely. Since getting an iPhone (never again) I have found that my bastard spell check has some serious differences in it from the language I am used to.

I understand that language is a constantly evolving thing and that isolation and time will produce accents, dialects and then a dirivitive separate language. But, as America only recently split from the British empire and the written word was in use then as it is now, I was wondering why the changes?
All the changes seem to be a simplification or contraction with the exception of a few.
I'm not sure I think this is right, as if you can't spell a word correctly, changing it so you can seems a little like cheating... A little like doing a dovetail joint without tapered cuts or cable ties instead of hose clamps.

Will words like knock, end up as nok?

So I ask the Americans here a twofold question...

Do you think this simplification of words is correct and should continue, and do you feel this is a glaring statement of the lack of education even amongst learned circles?

US and UK, two nations divided by a common language.

Its funny that you post this, my Russian friend who has only just learned English is CONSTANTLY complaining about how stupid our language is. Words like phone and meet and meat and read and read send him into fits of rage. I imagine he would be eternally grateful if phone was fone and if knock was nok.

But honestly, what kind of answer are you really looking for anyways?
Seems more like a cleverly veiled insult rather than a question.




Which words in particular got you all flustered?

After reading it again I can see that it might be seen that way...
No offence is intended.

I was only trying to get a perspective on how this change in language made Americans feel?
It is obviously happening and will continue, so what are you thoughts on this?
All of the differences I find strange, but more to the point, I don't understand the need... Is there a need?

Sulpher Sulfer
Colour Color
Mum Mom(simple accent reflection?)
Aluminium aluminium

The list is long... But why? That is my question... And what are your thoughts on why?

Should I start writing my country as Astraya instead of Australia because of my accent? Moreover, should American scholars change the spelling to Orstraylia because of theirs?

Alumi num
aluminium

My computer will not let me spell this word as the merican spelling for some reason, nor will it let me edit, so I put a space in.

I cannot think of any valid reason for wanting to change the Queens English, except maybe our "American language experts" felt we needed a separate linguistic identity. Does it bother me that we spell certain things differently? Nope not in the slightest. Is the current state of US education disappointing? This is a given. I wish i could give you the WHY but honestly i have no idea. I mostly blame our politicians because i dont know any better and they seem to be in charge. Btw this website refuses to let me spell tyre the US way. I type T I R E and the post shows up as tyre go figure.

Yes, I mean maybe, ask Freestyler.
A sentence is a group of words put together to make a complete thought. Who gives a shit how you get there.
There will be few tymes that bad structure or mispelled words will change the end thought. In the case that it is possible that the thought gets tangled then more attention mayshould be paid.
There is a very good book ( Eats Shoots and Leaves) that you may find musingly amusing.
I hope that the standard that prevails slides slower down the precipice than my love for KTM SuperDukes.

Umm. My thought is that the language, grammar and lexicon you use is a refection of both your state of education and your state of mind.

The discussion about the differences between English and American spelling is not a big deal when it is about words like colour and color - indeed, the
American spelling makes a lot of sense and does make it easier for speakers of another language to learn. Where I think it matters is where the written
material reflects badly on the writer because it suggests (not proves) they are either uneducated or just plain dumb. It is, for example, just wrong in both
cultures to suggest we "meat" sometime or that "their" isn't an answer to the problem (examples from this forum). If the written word indicates a problem
like dsylexia that's something else (not mentioning any names)

Overlaid on top of the above we have two other factors: First, the advertising industry that wants to dumb down all words so they can fit onto
billboards or the window of opportunity in terms of attention span - "Ezi repayments". Second popular culture which seems to want us all to use Gangster Dialect which in turn goes along the
lines of "Hey bro, wadya bin up too (sic)? can yo gimme uh spanner" LOL. Not everybody is happy with either of these on both sides of the pond.

What do Americans think about this? Well I can't answer on their behalf but the I can say that I've met plenty from both cultures that cringe about everything
being reduced down to the lowest common denominator in both language and everything else for that matter. I guess if we were happy with the LCD we'd all
be riding in-line fours - soon to be replaced by triples. My heart bleeds for the Triumph phoenix.

http://www.englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm An interesting link. It appears that you all are the ones bastardizing the English language.

"From around 1600, the English colonization of North America resulted in the creation of a distinct American variety of English. Some English pronunciations and words "froze" when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English is. Some expressions that the British call "Americanisms" are in fact original British expressions that were preserved in the colonies while lost for a time in Britain (for example trash for rubbish, loan as a verb instead of lend, and fall for autumn; another example, frame-up, was re-imported into Britain through Hollywood gangster movies). Spanish also had an influence on American English (and subsequently British English), with words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English through the settlement of the American West. French words (through Louisiana) and West African words (through the slave trade) also influenced American English (and so, to an extent, British English).

Today, American English is particularly influential, due to the USA's dominance of cinema, television, popular music, trade and technology (including the Internet). But there are many other varieties of English around the world, including for example Australian English, New Zealand English, Canadian English, South African English, Indian English and Caribbean English."

But, I digress.

To add to what Nerd said, yes, the folly will likely continue to spread. This topic is but a subset of my thread "We are doomed." Stupid kids will continue to wear their pants around their assholes, because they think its a cool fashion statement. In fact, the "trend" was no statement at all, merely a result of extreme poverty, i.e., the wearing of hand me downs by poor kids in the ghetto.

Dip shits will continue to abbreviate everything, lol, because they are too stupid or lazy to type the words out. However, there is hope for the slack jawed. My new i-phone will actually translate and type voice messages - omg, its fab!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't there like 50 different kinds of english in GB anyways? From what I know you have scottish english, irish english, gaelic whatever, charver, cockney, Ali G (respect), and the most dreaded of them all POSH. Posh english is absolutely banned in the US. If someone hears you talking posh they will kick you back to canada.

As pure postulation on my part, I thought it had to do with the huge balls they were swinging.
The bigger the balls, the lower the pants must ride.
It is my opinion that the U.S. was originally a place where many landed here to upgrade unspeakable living conditions in thier homelands. Bastardization of the language was purely due to many foriegn speaking languages needing to reach some semblance of similarity. We have a statue that says, roughly, give US your uneducated, hard working, desperate for a paycheck, do what your told, masses and we will build a nation from this.
We also recieved all the fuckwits from across the pond that society deemed expendable.
I do not write nearly as much as people that earn thier livings from expressing information through words and many blue collar workers have been spared the energy in school that would not be well served in industrial manufacturing and service orientated trades.
I for one do not hold that proficient spelling is much a sign of higher I.Q.
Highly educated people are needed in a well formed society and are well rewarded for thier inputs. The feeling at the core of some hard working, spelling-grammer challenged individuals is that they are being taken to the cleaners by the "smart" people.
I can't spell worth a darn, but refuse to believe I have failed society in this function.

Seeing dat dis is der Super Duke forum Ve must hab some changes fear de lankwedge auf dear mutter KA-TEA-Mmm, so v vill stat hear mit dis:

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as “Euro-English”.

In the first year, “s” will replace the soft “c”. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard “c” will be dropped in favour of “k”. This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome “ph” will be replaced with “f”. This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent “e” in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing “th” with “z” and “w” with “v”.

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary “o” kan be dropd from vords kontaining “ou” and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi TU understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

Hillarious

You have way too..2..to ..two much time..
tyme..thyme on your hands dude..

Is dont okay for the word don't?
I must have mist that 1.

I think that technically contractions are not (aren't) allowed...
Do we have any teachers on the forum?

I'm still rebuilding the shed DD so no movement on the table either...

Ok Limeys, which is correct? What is the past tense of buy, bought or boughten?

I ask because if some said he spelt something incorrectly, most Americans would think he was an uneducated rube.

They also say, outen the lights.
I've gotten things that I have boughten, but never have I expressed it thaten way.
Do not rely on a coal miners son to teach you how to so.

Spelt and spelled are both correct in UK language.
It is spelt wrong.
It is spelled wrong.
Also he was spelled or rested... We dropped Jason for a spell.

Apparently US... Correct me...
Spelt is used for a substitute of wheat in bread
He was uneducated and spelled his words incorrectly

Spelt is wheat
Bread is money
wheatbacks are old pennies
Spelled is what warlocks did
Spell is how long someone sits
If too much spelt is consumed, The spell on the throne will be longer.

Fuckinenglish.

I hope this bull-shit doesn't frighten off new members "pacifically" new "perspective owners"

Hey Crotchrockety, I'm originally from Western PA too (the Burgh area) I can pick out a Picksburgh acent a "miile" away too. Oh and the plural of y'all is ALL y'all, y'all is singular, )