I am writing in UK English and would like to confirm that we use utilise instead of utilize. I cannot seem to find a answer for this online.
Asked
Active
Viewed 2.7e+01k times
17
-
9I'd think in British English we'd say use. – Brian Hooper May 17 '13 at 20:15
-
@Brian Hooper I'm in the states, but the OED definition suggests that utilize is slightly different (though, my impression is that most of the time utilize is misused) utilize: to make or render useful; to convert to use, turn to account —Oxford English Dictionary – batpigandme May 17 '13 at 20:42
-
1Collins lists both in their English edition, and only one in their American edition. This link might help you, too. – J.R. May 17 '13 at 21:16
-
Look up ise ize using the search function. – Edwin Ashworth May 17 '13 at 21:35
-
@batpigandme: I don't know where you get that "slightly different" impression from. Current OED (online, which I can access, but can't link to) doesn't even have an entry for utilise. The only reference to the s-spelling I can see is that under the main heading it says Forms: Also utilise**. – FumbleFingers May 17 '13 at 21:56
-
It would be the utilise spelling. All of the words that end in the sound that rhymes with the word eyes, such as this one, are normally spelt with ise, in the UK. – Tristan May 17 '13 at 22:31
-
@FumbleFingers http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/utilize – batpigandme May 17 '13 at 22:48
-
@FumbleFingers not exactly the same as the version I originally referenced as that one is hard copy. Either way, it's definitely "American English" – batpigandme May 17 '13 at 22:50
-
@batpigandme: I'm not sure it's necessarily true in this case that s=UK, z=US. My trusty Chambers is probably more pro-UK spelling than OED, but it also gives the "utilize" spelling first. My personal feeling is that with most of these -ise/-ize words it's fair to say the -ise versions are almost exclusively British - but the -ize versions are effectively "generic", and now acceptable almost everywhere. – FumbleFingers May 17 '13 at 23:02
-
Nice article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differences#-ise.2C_-ize_.28-isation.2C_-ization.29 (though the title is perhaps a little misleading). – Edwin Ashworth May 17 '13 at 23:18
-
@batpigandme I have to agree with FumbleFingers. I'm surprised to find that Chambers, ODO (BrEng) & Collins all give utilize as the first spelling, and MacMillan (cited by J.R.) gives it as a British spelling (from which I infer that both spellings are used in the UK). I too would have expected utilise to be the British spelling. – TrevorD May 18 '13 at 00:19
-
@FumbleFingers: I didn't think batpig was saying there's a difference between utilize and utilise, but that there was a difference between utilize and use. It's an answer to Brian's comment. – J.R. May 18 '13 at 00:36
-
@TrevorD: The Wikipedia article indicates that -ise : -ize does occur in the ratio 3 : 2 in the BNC, but that certain publishers do not reflect this in their recommendations. In fact, "The OED lists the -ise form separately, as "a frequent spelling of -IZE", and refuses to list the -ise spellings even as alternatives in the individual entries for words such as realize." – Edwin Ashworth May 18 '13 at 12:44
-
@J.R.: oic. Well that one has been covered here before – FumbleFingers May 19 '13 at 13:16
-
I once spelled it "utilise," and someone commented that I was using the British spelling. So I (in the states) use "utilize" now. I thought that I did before, but I guess I was spelling it both ways for a while... – Oct 06 '14 at 23:34
1 Answers
22
In most words containing the ending, both -ise and -ize are acceptable in British English. Oxford University Press (which publishes all the Oxford Dictionaries) is well known as preferring -ize, but most other British publishers and authorities prefer -ise.
Colin Fine
- 77,173
-
3This is correct. Oxford press prefer -ize and Cambridge press prefer -ise. It is traditionally more British to use -ise, but as both are accepted, -ize is international and it often makes sense to conform rather than alienate, unless you want a particularly British aesthetic. – Sam May 21 '13 at 23:04
-
-