Comments on: We should adopt US spelling

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:39:11 +0000

Australia and the UK have grown apart over the decades. These days, Australia media have a close relationship with Amercan not British counterparts and source much material from them. American culture has replaced British influence to a large extent. Australian PMs follow American leads in foreign affairs. Aussies replaced Pounds with Dollars. Aussies built freeways not motorways. The use of American spelling and expressions will be another aspect of the Americanization of Australia. Retaining non-American spelling is increasingly quaint.

By: Saskia

Saskia — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:41:09 +0000

As a resident to this country for 3 years, I would be inclined to suggest there is no excuse for errors when the amount found on a daily basis far exceeds any I have experienced in the UK or Europe. By all means, downgrade to American spelling if it means an improvement.
As for style, pick one and use it consistently!

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:23:28 +0000

Hmm I see some of these posts missing the entire reason for language. It’s there for communication. The easier it is to express our ideas to others, the more complex we are able to make the content. My language and spelling is currently lazy, but it is hard to know where I should put effort into learning it.

For language horror stories, look at internet smilies, I often see them used as a single comment, nothing annoys me more than typing out a long phrase and getting a “=/” back. But still that blank stare smily communicates a lot of information. O.O (shock) o.O (suspicion) are also fun. has seen too much use and no longer means happiness to most in my group evolved and now we have . Every person of every language with a minimal amount of comprehension can understand those expressions because they are so simple. Maybe one day we’ll have smilies for eating spaghetti, riding a hoverboard, or one to explain that you are currently texting a friend. Big dreams.

With a simpler medium comes grander expression. Maybe if we simplify our language, a picture will only be able to paint 900 or 800 words, and those visually gifted bastards will stop being so smug.

By: Crispy

Crispy — Mon, 10 May 2010 03:56:54 +0000

I just hope you didn’t come to this conclusion since Obama was elected .

If you want phonetic spelling, why American english? Why not an Australian one?

True, we might say ‘theatre’ the way its spelt in the U.S. but we don’t say ‘mom’ we say ‘mum’.

By: Nikki

Nikki — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:07:38 +0000

^^ Totally agree. Trying to adopt the “American” way of spelling just seems to me a reason to make lazy people even more lazy with their spelling. It’s harder for Australia to determine whether to use UK or US spelling because of the whole “new world” thing, but I think you should stick to one type of spelling. If you change to spelling things phonetically where would it end? I thought we were attempting to stop kids using “u” and “r” in texting, the Americanisation of spelling would just fuel the fire wouldn’t it?

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:48:38 +0000

It all seems very unnecessary. We all learnt how to spell correctly, why cant our kids learn it? I grew up watching Sesame-Street and I knew they pronounced ‘Z’ wrong, it didnt confuse me, I just moved on in hopes of seeing the cookie monster. I see no need for change in our spelling. There are many different forms of Spanish and also Portuguese, each with its own spelling and pronunciation. Each country has its own way, and I personally dont see anyone struggling. Lets embrace our heritage and focus on something more important.
If its not broken, dont fix it.

By: NJH

NJH — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:51:18 +0000

@Shannon: “the need . . . to protect the English language is significant”.
Small point but a significant one: the English language and its spelling are two very different kinds of things. I could be using perfect English but writing in Braile or in a form of short hand or, for that matter, textese. Some languages have no writing system and other have many, English has US and UK spellings for pretty much the same language . The former is marginally better but the principle that we can make changes to our spelling system, to benefit learners and users everywhere, needs to be made.

By: Richard Comaish

Richard Comaish — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:34:44 +0000

Now you mention it, Shannon, why is there only one Sesame Street?

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:02:29 +0000

This hurts my heart a little bit… right in the very core… or should I say: the very centre? I was raised in Australia in the 1990′s, and was indeed exposed to a great many ‘Americanisms’, but feel that the need to overcome these and protect the English language is significant. Do we really want to encourage the miniature Sesame-Streeters running around pronouncing the final letter of the alphabet as ‘zee’?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-change or anti-evolution in any way, shape or form. Any language has a natural progression, but I just feel that in order to utilize it correctly, people must understand the true nature and heritage of their language.

By: purist

purist — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:00:18 +0000

heresy!