# Gray or Grey? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 31, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233 "2007-05-31T19:47:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/1 "2007-05-31T19:47:11Z")
Which do you use? ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/2 "2007-05-31T19:50:11Z")
Both and I am SO unsure of which is correct. Is there different spelling for different useage? " I’m feeling gray today". " My beard is shot through with grey. " ?? Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/3 "2007-05-31T19:52:53Z")
I thought (without looking it up anywhere) that grey was the British spelling and gray was the U.S. spelling? So, in Canada we use both, naturally. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/4 "2007-05-31T19:53:00Z")
Both spellings are considered correct. [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) and Merriam Webster online use them interchangebly. I tend to spell it with the E but don’t correct myself if I use the A. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/5 "2007-05-31T19:56:17Z")
I tend to use ‘grey’. It’s not a big deal if I don’t, though. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/6 "2007-05-31T19:58:40Z")
Grey. It just looks better. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/7 "2007-05-31T19:59:57Z")
Grey. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/8 "2007-05-31T20:03:22Z")
I tend to use gray, simply because it’s closer phonetically, at least in my mind, and I tend to spell phonetically. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/9 "2007-05-31T20:06:32Z")
I like grey better because it looks better, and makes me think of nicer shades than gray does. Gray just seems like an uglier color than grey. Gray concrete, but grey mist. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/10 "2007-05-31T20:06:55Z")
I generally use “grey”, but because I love anagrams, I think Gary Gray is one of the coolest names in existence. ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/11 "2007-05-31T20:10:16Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] I like grey better because it looks better, and makes me think of nicer shades than gray does. Gray just seems like an uglier color than grey. Gray concrete, but grey mist. [/QUOTE] How did you do that? You said exactly what I was thinking, but better! ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/12 "2007-05-31T20:13:09Z")
I usually use gray when writing. Whenever I read them, though, I always feel that grey is nice and soft, like mist or a little kitten. Gray is bold, hard and strong, like a granite wall or a battleship. (I realize this is in my head, and not actual usage.) ---
**Author:** ![Anduril](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Anduril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduril)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/13 "2007-05-31T20:14:55Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] I like grey better because it looks better, and makes me think of nicer shades than gray does. Gray just seems like an uglier color than grey. Gray concrete, but grey mist. [/QUOTE] I tend to use gray but for some reason I agree with your sentiment. Why is that? Somehow gray seems to be a dirtier color for me than grey. I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![lucasthegray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@lucasthegray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucasthegray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/14 "2007-05-31T20:20:06Z")
I (fairly obviously) use gray 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/15 "2007-05-31T20:25:20Z")
Grey here. I’m actually quite surprised at the results so far. Like **Leaffan** , I’d always thought it was an American vs. British spelling thing, but it looks like there are quite a few American 'grey’s here. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/16 "2007-05-31T20:27:39Z")
For me, grey is the colour, gray is the name 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/17 "2007-05-31T20:33:51Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] I like grey better because it looks better, and makes me think of nicer shades than gray does. Gray just seems like an uglier color than grey. Gray concrete, but grey mist. [/QUOTE] Same here. Gray makes me think of concrete, grey is a dark cloud. I almost always use grey. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/18 "2007-05-31T20:35:17Z")
Interchangable. I spell it it the same on any writting I do, so it’s not transitioning back and forth. I spell it however it’s spelled by the manufacturer, when sellecting a color. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/19 "2007-05-31T20:59:26Z")
The English/American distinction is correct – although, of course, it breaks down on surnames – Thomas Gray is a Brit, and Zane Grey is an American. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233/20 "2007-05-31T21:02:02Z")
Gray [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-or-grey/406233.md?page=2)