Americanisation?

[Hands of My English!]

Using Microsoft Word and being British can cause a few problems when it comes to correct spelling. I recently got an essay draft back that crticised my use of the typically British way of putting a 'S' in words such as "Americanisation", "criticised", "analysing", "specialising" etc, while the 'correct' way of spelling according to my tutor/Microsoft Word/Google is to put 'Z', zeds (or Zees I suppose) in everything.

I refuse to spell such words with a 'z' because I was brought up on using 's' and it just sounds wrong when you substitute a 'z' - 'z' has a harsher sound that sort of ruins the word. It'd be the same sort of literary crime as spelling "colour", "color".

Not that it's a big deal (I'm not being a grammer nazi here at all) but should I be marked wrong or penaliSed for it in an essay? Sorry, "ezzay"!

[munchingfoo]

*stands back and waits for the assualt*

Jeez, I can hardly believe this. Are you sure thats what your tutor said?

If your tutor tells you to use the American spelling at this University, you complain abouut your tutor!

[hr]

“ When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading”

[exnihilo]

Common misconception, the -ize ending is not an Americanism. It is the ending favoured by the OED.

[munchingfoo]

Really? I used to get hit in face by bricks at school by my teachers when I used 'ize'.

[hr]

“ When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading”

[nutzdiemachtluke]

it's a common misconception - the 'z' is always portrayed as an american thing, but it's actually OED friendly. the 's' is an over generalisation [sic] of the spelling rule. it's easier to be consistent and use the 'z' everywhere you're not 100% convinced. or alternatively switch your ms word dictionary to British English

[MJC]

Quoting munchingfoo from 20:50, 20th Mar 2008
Really? I used to get hit in face by bricks at school by my teachers when I used 'ize'.

[hr]

“ When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading”

Discipline is important, it sounds like you were lucky to go to a good school.

[LonelyPilgrim]

I had quite the opposite experience back in 2001. The first essay I turned in used American English, and I was marked down a point for it. From then on I learned to love the vowel incest that is -ou- and the sexier curves of -s- over -z- and let us not forget that sometimes 'r' is a bastard and barges ahead of 'e' at the ends of words when it thinks no one is watching...

[hr]

Self-control is the chief element of self-respect; self-respect is the chief element of courage. - Thucydides

[Hennessy]

I understand this frustration about using the "z" spelling instead of the "s" spelling, and tbh you should be able to spell it either way without comment, and I'll explain why.

In truth "Americanisation" is a bit of a misnomer. Many American spellings come from original English spellings of the 16th and 17th centuries, that until the compilation of the first standardised OED in the late 19th century, were in as common usage in the UK as the USA. Dr Samuel Johnson uses both in his dictionary. I find it much more odd that British spelling was regularised in such a curiously francophone way, replacing the harder "z" spellings Shakespeare himself used with soft "s" spellings, and elongating words with "ou" instead of "o".
I hate it when people try to imply one is inferior to the other, both ways of spelling were in common dual usage in the UK until the beginning of the 20th century, when common forms were agreed on and literacy went up dramatically, so the "American" way of spelling isnt quite as foreign as you might think

Of course spelling and pronunciations of newer words like "aluminium" are of course still debateable, but it should be a friendly debate!

[hr]

"What happened to Spoon?"
"There is no Spoon"
Dog Soldiers

[the Empress]

I thought using 'American' or 'British' spellings didn't matter, as long as you're consistent, and don't swap between them in a piece of work? I wouldn't worry about it unless you're marked down. I think tutor's often have very specific ways of doing things things - I once got an essay back that from an American tutor protesting my use of 'whilst', but I've never had a problem elsewhere or been marked down for it . . .

[kernowdaydreamer]

I am enraged on your behalf Unregistered User! Though, as all the people posting above me have given the history of spelling, I am willing to concede it as personal preference enragement, but none the less for that!

The 's' spelling must after all be endorsed by the Makers of Scrabble [bows in reverence]because 'z' is given 10 points! This would be nonsensical if you could keep shoving it in words. 'S' is piss-easy to fit in everywhere, and is given a single point. Point proved.

[Al]

Actually, the -our spelling was in common use in the US until people like Webster started advocating the simpler -or ending.

[UanarchyK]

So happy am I to see people correcting the old -ise/-ize misconception!

Also, kernowdaydreamer: the Makers of Scrabble are/were American, which I think discredits your theory unless they had some very odd notions about spelling.

[Frank]

Well, that's today's misconception obliterated for me today!



[hr]

"There is only ever one truth. Things are always black or white, there's no such thing as a shade of grey. If you think that something is a shade of grey it simply means that you don't fully understand the situation. The truth is narrow and the path of the pursuit of truth is similarly narrow."
Also, some years later:
"here we are arguing about a few uppity troublemakers with a bee in their bonnet and a conspiracy theory."

[munchingfoo]

lol frank


Thats my smile for the day.

[hr]

“ When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading”

[RJ Covino]

Quoting the Empress from 22:42, 20th Mar 2008
I thought using 'American' or 'British' spellings didn't matter, as long as you're consistent, and don't swap between them in a piece of work?

I can't remember ever seeing some manner of official policy on the matter - I do know, however, that my Ph.D. came back from one of the readers with each and every one of my Americanized spellings circled for correction. Very tedious work, that.

[Hughie Throbbingphallus]

Quoting RJ Covino from 22:44, 21st Mar 2008 Very tedious work, that.

Like decloggingg pubic hair of nubile semen.

[hr]

[s]"Ooh Megatron!" -Carry On Transformers[/s]

[novium]

If I return to school in the UK, i'll now just refer the marker to the OED :-p

Quoting RJ Covino from 22:44, 21st Mar 2008

Quoting the Empress from 22:42, 20th Mar 2008
I thought using 'American' or 'British' spellings didn't matter, as long as you're consistent, and don't swap between them in a piece of work?

I can't remember ever seeing some manner of official policy on the matter - I do know, however, that my Ph.D. came back from one of the readers with each and every one of my Americanized spellings circled for correction. Very tedious work, that.

[hr]

Neither the storms of crisis, nor the breezes of ambition could ever divert him, either by hope or by fear, from the course that he had chosen