Why do Americans change English spelling?

“In that sense Webster was the first to differentiate between British and American usage, and in that it was frequently he who chose the variant of two spellings in early nineteenth-century use which have subsequently been preferred in the United States, he can be said to have influenced the development of spelling.

Why does American spelling different from the British Standard?

The main difference is that British English keeps the spelling of words it has absorbed from other languages, mainly French and German. Whilst American English spellings are based mostly on how the word sounds when it is spoken.

Why do Americans use z instead s?

Many American words replace the “s” used in British spelling with a “z” for words such as “realize,” “apologize” and “cozy.” Using a “z” instead of an “s” makes more sense because we pronounce these words with a “z” sound. Thus, “cozy” is the more logical spelling.

How do you spell apologize in UK?

Apologise or Apologize?

1. Apologize is the standard American English spelling.
2. Apologise is the standard British English spelling.

What is the difference between British and American spellings of English?

Today’s British English spellings mostly follow Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language (1755), while many American English spellings follow Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language (“ADEL”, “Webster’s Dictionary”, 1828).

How did the British influence the spelling of English words?

In Britain, the influence of those who preferred the Norman (or Anglo-French) spellings of words proved to be decisive. Later spelling adjustments in the United Kingdom had little effect on today’s American spellings and vice versa.

What is the difference between the British and American English Standard?

A “British standard” began to emerge following the 1755 publication of Samuel Johnson ‘s A Dictionary of the English Language, and an “American standard” started following the work of Noah Webster and in particular his An American Dictionary of the English Language, first published in 1828.

Why is English written the same around the world?

Publication ethics In a simpler world, English would be written the same way everywhere. However, when Noah Webster set out to create an American English dictionary in the early 1800s, he did more than just add new words to British English: he also revised the spelling of many common words to eliminate what he saw as unnecessary letters.