# why does U.S spelling omit the 'u'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-u-s-spelling-omit-the-u/670007 "2013-09-30T15:08:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-u-s-spelling-omit-the-u/670007/121 "2013-10-06T15:36:20Z")
I happen to know the English-language _Bangkok Post_, which leans towards British spellings, specifically uses Pearl Harbor as an example in its its official guidelines and specifically says it’s “Harbor” and not Harbour." All place names in the US are rendered accordingly. It does use “harbour” generically. The other English-language newspaper here, _The Nation_, follows suit, although Pearl Harbor is not used as a specific example in their guidelines. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-u-s-spelling-omit-the-u/670007/122 "2013-10-06T16:05:13Z")
What the hell are y’all talking about? It’s right there at the beginning-“_U_.S. spelling”. Is somebody out there spelling it “S. spelling”?? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-u-s-spelling-omit-the-u/670007/123 "2013-10-06T16:11:50Z")
“Zed” makes for a nice strong, definite ending the alphabet, as opposed to the weak trailing off of “zee”. The only thing to be said for “zee” is that it provides a rhyme for those who can only remember their alphabet if it is sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-u-s-spelling-omit-the-u/670007/124 "2013-10-06T19:14:17Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > That’s odd. I’m a 'murrican, and for me, “Pore” rhymes with “snore”, but “pour” rhymes with “Tony MacLure”. What? You purr yourself a drink? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-u-s-spelling-omit-the-u/670007/125 "2013-10-06T19:20:48Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I use grey for bluish greys and gray for reddish grays, but that’s mostly for my own amusement. I don’t expect or assume anyone else maintains such a distinction. I do, the exact same way. E is a bluer letter and A is completely red. ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-u-s-spelling-omit-the-u/670007/126 "2013-10-07T00:48:48Z")
I find the history of spelling reform to be a fascinating topic; in America it’s studded with the likes of Mark Twain and Ben Franklin. Righting the Mother Tongue by Wolman is a fun book on this. Frankly there are so many dialects of English and speakers of English, particularly as a second language, that any efforts would be misguided at best. Many things that we think we “know” about English come from misguided attempts to make English more like Latin, anyway- how many ‘parts of speech’ English has being the prime example. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-u-s-spelling-omit-the-u/670007.md?page=6)