# Gray vs. Grey **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 22, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010 "2008-10-22T02:50:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SweetHomeColorado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@SweetHomeColorado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetHomeColorado)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/1 "2008-10-22T02:50:53Z")
As far back as I can remember, I was taught that grAy was used when speaking of the color. GrEy carried a different definition… it was generally used when speaking of something dark or dull. Recently, I’ve been seeing the spelling ‘grey’ referring to a color in somewhat formal contexts. So, what’s the color and are the spellings interchangeable? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/2 "2008-10-22T02:59:47Z")
The standard usage is that “gray” is always used for all meanings in American spelling, and “grey” is always used for all meanings in British spelling. I personally don’t follow this standard. I grew up in America, but read a lot of British fantasy authors, so I tend to use “grey” in contexts which are likely to show up in fantasy novels, and “gray” in other contexts. So, for instance, a faded pair of formerly-black jeans are gray, but billowing mists blowing off of a marsh are grey. You might have been confused by people like me. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/3 "2008-10-22T03:03:22Z")
Here’s what the OED has to say about things: > [@](#): > > With regard to the question of usage, an inquiry by Dr. Murray in Nov. 1893 elicited a large number of replies, from which it appeared that in Great Britain the form grey is the more frequent in use, notwithstanding the authority of Johnson and later Eng. lexicographers, who have all given the preference to gray. … Many correspondents said that they used the two forms with a difference of meaning or application: the distinction most generally recognized being that grey denotes a more delicate or a lighter tint than gray. Others considered the difference to be that gray is a ‘warmer’ colour, or that it has a mixture of red or brown… In the twentieth century, grey has become the established spelling in the U.K., whilst gray is standard in the United States. … As the word is both etymologically and phonetically one, it is undesirable to treat its graphic forms as differing in signification. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/4 "2008-10-22T11:29:05Z")
Greyhound buses? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/5 "2008-10-22T12:37:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The standard usage is that “gray” is always used for all meanings in American spelling, and “grey” is always used for all meanings in British spelling. Except of course when they’re proper names, in which case they should be spelled however they’re spelled (or, in the UK, spelt however they’re spelt). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/6 "2008-10-22T12:42:23Z")
Why is there no grey in a rainbow? ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/7 "2008-10-22T12:43:16Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Why is there no grey in a rainbow? It’s all used up painting the clouds. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/8 "2008-10-22T12:52:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I grew up in America, but read a lot of British fantasy authors, so I tend to use “grey” in contexts which are likely to show up in fantasy novels, and “gray” in other contexts. This interests me, because a few days ago, there was a guy on the radio here talking about a new romanticism in American usage, and I’m wondering if this fits it. The example he gave was of certain beautiful, foreign-sounding, or beautifully foreign-sounding words being given special pronunciation treatment. He cited the American habit of saying “per-FUME” rather than the Commonwealth “PER-fume” because it sounds more exotic and luxurious. Just wondering if this has any traction? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/9 "2008-10-22T13:33:36Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > This interests me, because a few days ago, there was a guy on the radio here talking about a new romanticism in American usage, and I’m wondering if this fits it. The example he gave was of certain beautiful, foreign-sounding, or beautifully foreign-sounding words being given special pronunciation treatment. He cited the American habit of saying “per-FUME” rather than the Commonwealth “PER-fume” because it sounds more exotic and luxurious. I typically use “grey,” pluralize “bus” as “busses,” and prefer “catalogue,” but it’s just personal preference. I have no idea why (well, except “buses” bothers me to no end). Never I have heard a fellow American utter “per-FUME,” though. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/10 "2008-10-22T13:37:30Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > He cited the American habit of saying “per-FUME” rather than the Commonwealth “PER-fume” because it sounds more exotic and luxurious. > > Just wondering if this has any traction? In my experience, Americans pronounce _perfume_ with emphasis on the first syllable when it is a noun, on the second when it is a verb. “That’s nice _per_fume you’re wearing tonight.” “The smell of baking bread will per_fume_ your house and encourage buyers to think of it as home.” ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/11 "2008-10-22T13:37:53Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Never I have heard a fellow American utter “per-FUME,” though. That’s odd. When it was mentioned, it definitely struck a chord of familiarity to me. Maybe it’s just a Hollywood thing (we non-Americans are aware of the need to filter cultural references accordingly, but we don’t always get it right). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/12 "2008-10-22T13:46:52Z")
It’s “gray” if you’re an American, but “grey” if you’re a Brit, a Tolkien fan, or just want to give your writing a more cosmopolitan air. I put the accent on the second syllable of “perfume” for all usages (born and raised in NE Ohio, FWIW). ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/13 "2008-10-22T18:15:10Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > That’s odd. When it was mentioned, it definitely struck a chord of familiarity to me. Maybe it’s just a Hollywood thing (we non-Americans are aware of the need to filter cultural references accordingly, but we don’t always get it right). Maybe you were thinking of me. I think I stress the second syllable, noun or verb. I say “think” because for the past couple of minutes, I’ve been saying it out loud (alternating the stress), and I’m still not sure which one I usually say… In any case, there are indeed certain foreign words–especially French–that Americans usually pronounce differently from our Commonwealth cousins. “Herb” and “filet” spring to mind (" 'erb" and “fillay,” respectively). It’s not a conscious affectation, though–I (and most other Americans, I presume) have simply learned to pronounce those words like that. So, I wouldn’t say it’s a new romanticism at all, but an long-standing convention. I’ll also add “The Picture of Dorian Gray” in here as an example of a British\* example of the “a”-spelling–in that case, for a proper name rather than the color (or colour). \*or technically Anglo-Irish, since Wilde was actually born in Ireland… ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/14 "2008-10-22T18:45:49Z")
I say per-FUME for all uses of the word. SW Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/15 "2008-10-22T19:37:58Z")
Accent on the first syllable for a noun but the second syllable for the verb form is fairly standard in English. You can also see it in “record”, for instance. Or, for that matter, “accent”. That said, I’m honestly not sure where I put the accent when using “perfume” as a noun. I’m sitting here saying both to myself, and they both sound right. The verb always has the accent on the second, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/16 "2008-10-22T20:16:42Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Except of course when they’re proper names, in which case they should be spelled however they’re spelled (or, in the UK, spelt however they’re spelt). Indeed. My favorite tea is Earl Grey, but a few years ago I met a British comedienne named Natalie Gray. Personally, depite being an American I’ve always preferred to spell the color with an “e”. I’m not sure why, other than a vague recollection that that’s how it was spelled on the Crayola Crayons I had as a child. Likewise, I spell all those words that the British spell with a “u” without the “u” … except “saviour”. I don’t know why. > [@KneadToKnow](#): > > In my experience, Americans pronounce _perfume_ with emphasis on the first syllable when it is a noun, on the second when it is a verb. > > “That’s nice _per_fume you’re wearing tonight.” > > “The smell of baking bread will per_fume_ your house and encourage buyers to think of it as home.” This is what I was going to say. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/17 "2008-10-23T01:38:34Z")
I also learned GrAy = Color Grey = Everything else BUT color (Names spelled as they are) ---
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/18 "2008-10-23T03:20:09Z")
I’ve noticed that the USA can’t seem to make up it’s mind how to spell theater or theatre. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/19 "2008-10-23T03:43:29Z")
And here I have been using them interchangeably. I did not know one was for Brits and the other for Yanks. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010/20 "2008-10-23T03:46:03Z")
> [@tetranz](#): > > I’ve noticed that the USA can’t seem to make up it’s mind how to spell theater or theatre. A lot of Americans nowadays make the distinction that a theater is a place and theatre is the art, i.e. you go to the theater to see the theatre students perform. It’s not necessarily a correct\* or useful distinction, but it definitely exists to several people I’ve met. \*Well, not incorrect usage either, I suppose. It’s more “neutral.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gray-vs-grey/469010.md?page=2)