# Long S

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-s/132497>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [October 16, 2002, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-s/132497 "2002-10-16T13:03:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**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 20, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-s/132497/21 "2002-10-20T21:35:40Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Not anymore IIRC. The German speaking nations agreed on a spelling reform a couple of years ago and abolished it, which means that a streetname formerly spelt Schloßstraße is nowadays Schlossstrasse.

By no means was the ß abolished. The spelling reform set different rules for the use of ß and SS, depending on the preceding vowel. If the vowel is long, then one is the correct letter; if it is short, then the other. Far from abolishment, it actually made SS incorrect in certain uses.

Unfortunately I don’t know enough about the spelling reform to be absolutely confident about its implications; but if memory serves, then ß is appropriate before long vowels and SS is appropriate before short vowels. Therefore, I think the correct spelling for the word given above would be Schlossstraße.

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**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 20, 2002, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/long-s/132497/22 "2002-10-20T21:43:06Z")

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AFTER, of course. _After_

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