Question: Why don't Brits use the letter Z?

[YellowRubberDuckie]

I've been reading a book published in the UK and they refuse to use the letter Z unless the word starts with it. It's really annoying, and I was just wondering if anyone knew why.
Duckie

[rooboy]

1. Because they speak a language called ENGLISH. n/t

[Hand]

3. BTW...

It's pronounced "Zed" in the UK, and supposedly in Canada too. Why?

Heh heh heh... because that's how the FRENCH pronounce it. Take a big one, Chimpy!

}(

[Tripper11]

6. Not supposedly...definately...

and living in Seattle now, I still say it. I'm trying to spread the good word of the proper pronunciation of the letter "Z"

Zed Zed Zed....:evilgrin:

[SOteric]

18. Did you mean

to use the word 'definitely,' or perhaps the word 'defiantly?'

:hi:

[Art_from_Ark]

8. They may *speak* English,

but they write it in French

[TheMightyFavog]

10. Well,

English is a Germanic language and in German, the letter Z is pronounced "Tsett". My guess is that it's a holdover from both Old English and German.

[gator_in_Ontario]

2. yeah

they got that "re" thing going too. Theatre, centre. Everyone knows the "e" sound comes before the "r" sound. We need to learn 'em Murkin!

[glarius]

4. I think I've got your answer

You've been looking for "zee" and you should be looking for "zed"..hahaha :)
P.S....We use zed in Canada too...

[HEyHEY]

16. She's right

As well in Canada (And I believe in Britain as well we use "Z" when Americans would us "S" for example. Recognize. I'm not sure if Americans use the 's' 100 per cent. It's just something I've noticed on DU which lead me to believe so.

[Lithos]

5. I'll tell that to the Devizes town council

That they can't use adzes or use the colour azure.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

7. No...They tend to spell Amaze Amase and Amazing Amasing...

Do you see where I'm going with this?
Duckie

[Devils Advocate NZ]

12. Actually, you're wrong on those two words...

We speakers (and writers) or the King's English do in fact spell "amaze" and "amazing" with "z", although we probably shouldn't as its etymology is the Middle English word "amasen" which is itself derived from the Old English "amasian" (or so www.merriam-webster.com says :) )

However, the word "critize" is an example of the use of a "z" in America, where the rest of the English speaking world spells it "criticise".

You see, we speakers of PROPER English, we understand that many words are not spelled the way they sound. However, this seemed to confuse Americans and thus "ise" was changed to "ize" to make it easier for Americans to remember how to spell such words. :)

I am still trying to understand, though, why Americans dropped the second "i" from "aluminium"!

[Don_G]

9. Why Don't We Ask A Canadian Reporter

Like Hey Hey to explain British Zees.

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. Because way back in the day,

after the founding of our country (or perhaps slightly before), the people of the colonies/USA decided to change spellings of words to distance themselves from the British. Thus, the loss of "u" in words like colour, neighbour, and the use of "z" instead of "s", as you raised, and the switching of "re" into "er" in centre, theatre, etc.

So the British do it "correctly", and we (US of America) are the ones who changed.

[OhioStateProgressive]

14. not quite

actually that is not exactly correct

the "re" is that way because we decided that it was more correct to use "er" because when the word is pluralized you don't have to change it, just add an "s"

the "ou" in British english is a result of the French influence...american english evolved out away from that, hence that change

now the "Z" you may be correct on

[Nihil]

20. Still not quite ...

> the "re" is that way because we decided that it was more correct to
> use "er" because when the word is pluralized you don't have to
> change it, just add an "s"

As in "theater" going to "theaters" instead of "theatre" going
to "theatres", "center" becoming "centers" instead of "centre"
becoming "centres", ... sorry, what was your point again? :-)

Personally, I suspect that a Founding Father had this flash of
precognition wherein he saw the 43rd president and tried to dumb-down
the American language ready for him. Unfortunately, some of the
more traditional writers over-ruled the original (purely phonetic)
version. As a result, instead of having a language that would serve
to camouflage the grunting of inane chimps ("laidis an gennelmen, der
prezident ov der yewnited stayts") there is still too much in common
between American and English. Consequently, we can recognise comments
like "nukular terrists" as demonstrating the stupidity & ignorance of
the speaker - to the embarrassment of all the good citizens of the US.

Never mind oh prescient Founding Father: you had a good try!

Nihil

[Shakespeare]

13. Samuel Johnson inadvertently misplaced it when he wrote his dictionary.

It was later found lying uselessly about at Hadrian's Wall.

(English major humor)

[mac56]

15. So, to quote Wayne from "Wayne's World" -

Do they refer to ZZ Top as "Zed Zed Top"?

[Zomby Woof]

17. it's good that they start with it

Or my name would be SombyWoof in the UK. :D

[arwalden]

19. Because They Are In Short Supply...

They have an abundance of "S's" but very vew Z's.

Many of the Z's are being used in comic strips to indicate snoring or sleeping sounds.

Zzzzzzzzz,
Allen

[Nihil]

21. Yep, supply & demand ...

... which is why they cost more in Scrabble!

Hmmm, is there a different version of Scrabble for the US market
than for the UK? There is only one "Z" in the UK edition (worth 10
points) and lots of "S"s (worth 1 point each). Surely this is unfair
for Americans (who normally spell words with more Zs than Brits)?

Yours interestedly,

Confused of Hampshire

[Atlant]

23. Zame in the US Edition of "Scrabble". (NT)

[arwalden]

24. I'm Just Happy That They Don't Have To Avoid Lightening Saps

and that they can see Sebras at the Soo.

-- Allen

[Nihil]

26. Doesn't "Lightening Saps" belong to the Atkins thread?

Zo, you think the Britizh way of zpelling thingz iz funny eh?
At leazt the American zpellingz feel more laid back, zofter zoundz
and zuch like ...
:hi:

Nihil

[Hand]

22. Insh'Allah... n/t

:silly:

[Art_from_Ark]

25. According to my Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage,

the differences between British and American spellings stem largely from what the lexicographers of the day considered to be the dominant spellings of their respective nations. Samuel Johnson, Britain's influential lexicographer of the 1700s, favored the French or French-based spellings like the final -our and -re (as well as the pronunciation of "s" as a "z" when it is between two vowels), perhaps in deference to what was then the world's lingua franca and Britain's proximity to and influence from France.

Noah Webster, some 70 years later, concluded that in American usage, the dominant spelllings of some words had become more phonetic.

[RogueTrooper]

27. Because Z is a butt ugly letter

S <- comly letter
Z <- S's ugly sibling.

[trigz]

28. Because they speak proper Blighty (nt)