Buzz
Noah Webster had a profound influence on the language of the United States. Prior to publishing his An American Dictionary of the English Language, he released a series of spelling books that were a staple in American classrooms for nearly a century. A champion of spelling reform, Webster argued that simplifying spelling would not only make learning more accessible, but it would also help differentiate American English from British English—a goal of great political importance for the fledgling nation. Some of his reforms took hold and still differentiate American English from British: He changed “colour” to “color,” “centre” to “center,” “defence” to “defense,” “plough” to “plow,” “draught” to “draft,” and “gaol” to “jail.”
Despite some successes, many of Webster’s suggested changes didn’t take off—including the 26 spellings listed below.
- Cloke: Cloak
- Soop: Soup
- Masheen: Machine
- Tung: Tongue
- Greef: Grief
- Dawter: Daughter
- Korus: Chorus
- Nightmar: Nightmare
- Turnep: Turnip
- Iland: Island
- Porpess: Porpoise
- Steddy: Steady
- Hainous: Heinous
- Thum: Thumb
- Gillotin: Guillotine
- Spunge: Sponge
- Ake: Ache
- Wimmin: Women
- Determin: Determine
- Giv: Give
- Bilt: Built
- Beleev: Believe
- Grotesk: Grotesque
- Stile: Style
- Neer: Near
- Sley: Sleigh
This article was originally published in 2013 and has been revised for 2022.
