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Saturday, April 7, 2012

G: Grey vs. Gray


The G for today could stand for grumbles. What’s the deal with grey vs. gray? A color that is a smush between black and white. They mean the exact same thing.
How’d that even happen? Did someone who was ridiculously popular misspell it? Then all of his friends copied him?
According to google, one (gray) seems to be an American thing.
I must be a strange American though, because I always write it as grey. My spellchecker hates me for it and my critiquers shake their heads, but it just looks more right.
Maybe I’ve just read too much Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia . . .
Which one do you use?
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22 comments:

  1. RHYTHM AND RHYMEApril 7, 2012 at 2:51 AM

    We in the UK uses Grey. It's strange I suppose.

    Have a happy Easter,
    Yvonne.

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  2. AnonymousApril 7, 2012 at 3:13 AM

    I usually write gray, but once in a while I type grey.

    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  3. GroverApril 7, 2012 at 3:20 AM

    Always 'grey'.

    I was taught 'grey' is the English spelling and 'gray' is American. Weird what happens to vowels when words cross the Atlantic ... like where did the 'u' from 'neigbour', 'colour' and 'favourite' all disappear to?

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  4. Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan bloggerApril 7, 2012 at 3:22 AM

    I use grey. I'm from England!

    This is me, Duncan D. Horne, visiting you from the A-Z challenge, wishing you all the best throughout April and beyond.

    Duncan In Kuantan

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  5. Francene StanleyApril 7, 2012 at 3:24 AM

    Funny you should say that. I couldn't tell the difference until recently. I thought I must have misspelled grey when other corrected it to gray.

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  6. jabblogApril 7, 2012 at 4:43 AM

    I'm a Brit so I use 'grey' though 'gray' actually seems more logical and looks nicer:-)

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  7. Kyra LennonApril 7, 2012 at 4:45 AM

    I use grey too! Seems to be the popular choice! :D

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  8. PK HREZOApril 7, 2012 at 5:50 AM

    Yes, I use grey too. And it's very common that words have been Americanized. Like dialogue... which is actually spell-checked on American word programs to spell as dialog. Many words have been Americanized... but I always prefer the British spellings.

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  9. Luana KrauseApril 7, 2012 at 6:13 AM

    "GRAYte" word! I prefer Grey for the same reasons you mentioned. I will use "gray" if I'm writing something "official" for business, but for personal use it's always "grey." Gandalf the Gray? I don't think so.

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  10. Donna K. WeaverApril 7, 2012 at 8:12 AM

    Typical American here, so I use gray, but I agree that grey looks cooler.

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  11. deathwriterApril 7, 2012 at 8:48 AM

    I switch back and forth and I always seem to have to look it up. I like grey better.

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  12. AnonymousApril 7, 2012 at 10:53 AM

    I write whichever one comes out, so I switch between them.

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  13. DeniseApril 7, 2012 at 12:47 PM

    I use gray.

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  14. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 7, 2012 at 1:15 PM

    ONly recently did I learn one was more American than the other. I always thought either was correct. What is the big deal? Is there anyone who doesn't understand what it means if you write one or the other.

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  15. gailApril 7, 2012 at 4:05 PM

    I never know which way to spell it and it tends to make me feel ignorant! Thanks for the lesson.

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  16. 50 foot QEApril 7, 2012 at 8:10 PM

    I too make the Oxford dictionary kind of mistake, and go with the British spelling. I am a grade school teacher so I get into a lot of trouble with my students' parents.

    Grey seems more, well GREY!

    Gray seems too close to gay- which is not dark at all.

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  17. jhuber7672April 7, 2012 at 8:22 PM

    I've always wondered about "gray" and "grey." Suppose I use whatever one makes me feel International ;)

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  18. LiApril 8, 2012 at 4:00 AM

    I tend to use grey, and honour rather than honor as well. Perhaps because my hubs came from UK and I got used to it.

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  19. AnonymousApril 8, 2012 at 8:22 AM

    I always spell this word interchangeably. One day its grey, another its gray. They both work for me. And thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  20. Alex J. CavanaughApril 8, 2012 at 12:12 PM

    I think I usually use grey.

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  21. UnknownApril 8, 2012 at 5:46 PM

    I use grey.

    Look forward to your challenge run…
    --Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012

    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge

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  22. MichelleApril 9, 2012 at 1:46 PM

    I go back and forth and should probably be more consistent :P I think that it's a cultural thing, depends on what country/region you're from :x

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