Is it "Gray" or "Grey"

[samgrant]

I find these two spellings. Is one correct and the other not? Are both correct?

What's the difference? Were there any official designations of uniform color, etc. which specified one or the other.

(Spell Check allows both!)

I did a search on Amazon books for "Blue and Gray/Gray":

Gray - 559 items
Grey - 133 items

I did a Google 'exact phrase' search for same:

Gray - 263,000
Grey - 216,000

Just one of those odd bits that has puzzled me.

[CChartreux]

I'll take 'Variant Spellings' for $500, Alex.

I believe both spellings are acceptable; however, 'grey' is considered British and 'gray' is considered American. Hmmm....perhaps Bill T. can confirm that. When I looked it up at Dictionary.com (includes a variety of dictionary sources, rather than just one) there was a note concerning the British and American spellings.

Chart

[Alabaman]

Sam, I've always written 'grey' as this somehow connects with the mid 19th century better (for myself, anyhow) than 'gray.' I have no reason why other than I always have. But you've probably noticed I choose grey. This has puzzled me as well. Maybe it's my love for Earl Grey tea with sugar and milk. lol!

Alabaman

[30th_il]

Either spelling....my hair is the same.

[thea_447]

I have always thought it was "gray" and I, too, was under the assumption that "grey" would be the British way of spelling it. I don't remember where I got that idea though.

[30th_il]

Maybe, gray is a color that can be bought at a shop, and grey is a colour that is bought at a shoppe.....?

[Jayne]

Grey is generally the British/Canadian way to spell the word while Gray is generally American. It's similar I guess the way British/Canadians spell neighbour, colour etc while Americans spell these words without the u.


Jayne

[RebAl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Grey

[FSPowers]

Both are acceptable. I have used both spellings in my writings.

[gary]

'Mericans spell is as gray. The English spell it as grey. Either is correct, depending on your audience.