WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Grammar Minute: Dr. Steele's Spelling Minute- British vs. American Words

Episode Date: March 7, 2024

This poem mysteriously turned up on the back of my economics quiz, imparting powerful knowledge from the keeper of American vs. British spellings and, also, of economics--Dr. Charles Steele of Hillsdale College. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we're saving the English language 60 seconds at a time. I'm Lauren Smith, and this poem mysteriously turned up on the back of my economics quiz. So here is the rule we favor, writ up as a poem to savor. Remember this news, only sheep need ews, they surely have no place in labor. This is Dr. Steele's Spelling Minute. It's the best test feedback I've ever gotten, and it's also absolutely right, because in the United States, labor should be spelled without a U. The other spelling, L-A-B-O-U-R, is the British version.

For a long time, these spellings were used interchangeably in English language works, but as the United States started solidifying its break from the mother country, we decided to modernize and standardize. Thus, we dropped the U on words like honor, color, and labor. That's your Grammar Minute. Visit thegrammerminut.com for more tips and tricks.