4 ms·
Colour and realise I suspect most American readers would be able to understand just fine. But you start writing tyre, kerb, and gaol, and there will be real rea
by Anon1096 2y ago
Colour and realise I suspect most American readers would be able to understand just fine. But you start writing tyre, kerb, and gaol, and there will be real reading comprehension issues that start arising. We have standardized spellings for a reason and that's what schools are there to teach.
And this is just spelling, not even going into words that have different meanings in the US vs UK like pants and lemonade.
- changing1999 2y agoInterestingly, recently there is a push in the US to normalize African-American (for the lack of a better name) grammar and spelling, e.g. using "do" in place of "does". Wonder if this includes normalizing the usage of British spelling as well.
- justin66 2y ago> normalize African-American (for the lack of a better name) grammar and spelling The name is “Ebonics.” It’s had its own name since the seventies, although the push to “normalize” it peaked in the nineties. > Wonder if this includes normalizing the usage of British spelling as well. No.
- changing1999 2y agoThanks, I haven't heard of Ebonics before. Looks like at this point in time its usage is becoming discouraged (the term, not the phenomenon it describes).
- justin66 2y agoLike so many things that become objects of policy argument in the United States, the term describing it became overloaded to the point where it was rendered less useful. You don't hear the term so much now. The term reached peak use around the time (I'm going from memory here as far as timeline) some educators began exploring the concept of teaching kids who spoke Ebonics at home with some of the same techniques they would use to teach English as a second language students. America reacted with the focus, intelligence, and empathy it always does when issues of education and race are brought up.
- changing1999 2y agoYeah I am starting to notice that (not from the US originally) re: how America reacts to this topic. Also, it looks like even the term "ebony" itself in the context of African-American culture is considered archaic.
- jimkleiber 2y agoI love this example. I felt ick at realise but yeah, still understood it. Tyre I thought no way, that can't be tire. Kerb, wait, like curb?? And then gaol I think my tongue tied itself in knots and gave up trying to imagine what it might actually mean lol.
- a_e_k 2y agoArchaic spelling of "jail". Read it with a soft g and a long a and it makes a little more sense. There's also the derivative "gaoler". (American here, but that's one I've come across before.)
- jimkleiber 2y agoMy goodness, I never would have guessed. Thank you for sharing. Also, if gaol can have a soft g, then so can gif? :-)
- another-dave 2y agoLots of soft Gs around, like gentleman… though Gif isn't one of them!! :)
- DHPersonal 2y agoYes, but like a lot of minor regional spelling or pronunciation differences, some people say it with a hard g. It may be the improper pronunciation when compared to the origin, but that’s how words work, grating as it may be to our enlightened sensibilities.