Sage-Tips

Is ISE British or American?

British English prefers the -ise spelling, American English the -ize spelling, but there is considerably variability in both. …” -ise or -ize (From Latin or Greek through Old French).

Do Americans use ize or ISE?

The –ise suffix comes from French, –ize from the earlier Greek. Popular lore says simplistically that -ize is American and -ise British. American English does mandate -ize, but it’s also standard in British usage and is the default for some publishers, including Macmillan and Oxford.

Does Canada use z instead of s?

One of the more lovable quirks, Canadians pronounce the last letter in the alphabet ‘zed’, which is clearly superior to the American ‘zee’. This man is wearing a tuque. Virtually all Canadians know and use the word… south of the border words like beanie or cap prevail.

Is it correct to use -ize or -ize in the UK?

Most British speakers and publications use -ise endings. However, as you have pointed out, Oxford Spellinguses -ize. This has led to some British English publications and speakers using -ize, while most ignore the guideline and continue to use -ise. Tellingly, the London paper The Timesswitched from using -ize to -ise in 1992.

What is the difference between -ise vs -ize in Oxford spelling?

To clarify, Oxford spelling is British English – just without the much later -ise Frenchism when -ize should be used. That said, I still don’t know exactly which words should end with -ise vs -ize in Oxford spelling. Merchandise is a noun. To merchandize is a verb.

What verbs end in Ise?

Verbs ending In -ize, -ise, -yze, and -yse Many verbs that end in -izecan also end in -ise in British English. For example, in British English, all of the following spellings are acceptable: finalize/finalise; organize/organise; realize/realise. In American English, the only correct spellings are finalize, organize, and realize.

What is the difference between the -IZE and -yze endings?

The -ize rule might be, but the -yze endings of American English, for example, are always spelled -yse in Oxford spelling. Generally, “-ise” is British (though I heard even in the UK, “realize” is correct), while “-ize” is American (except for “advertise”, which is proper spelling in the US).