spelling variant
Different written form
A spelling variant is an alternative way to write a word that shares the same pronunciation and meaning as the standard form.
Some variants reflect regional differences: color versus colour, gray versus grey.
Others represent historical or stylized alternatives: donut for doughnut, lite for light.
Whether a variant is considered acceptable depends on context—formal writing often prefers one spelling while casual usage tolerates both.
- orthographyStandard writing conventions
- alternateOccur in succession
- BritishOf the United Kingdom
- British EnglishUK's native dialect
- AmericanFrom the U.S.
American English · colour · color · grey · gray · dialect · pronunciation · regional · old fashioned · archaic · modernization · standardization · style guide · dictionary · hyphen · apostrophe · accent · diacritical
- namesgiven names, first names, names, surnames, first name
- surname originspatronymic, matronymic, occupational, locational, descriptive
- dictionariesdictionary, dictionaries, definitions, definition, entries
- dialectregionalisms, vernacular, localisms, rural dialect, patois
- word referencesdictionary, thesaurus, wordbook, word list, wordlist
- scribal errorsmetathesis, interpolation, lacuna, omission, transposition
spelling variantmisspelling
Incorrect written form
spelling error · spelling mistake · typo · typographical error · error
spell, spelling, spells, spelled, speller, spellers, misspell, misspelled, misspelling