When it comes to the spelling of aging or ageing, there is no universal correct answer to the question, as the answer depends on the audience or your location when writing. North America (namely the United States and Canada) prefers to use the spelling aging, while those who use any other dialect of English outside of North America, prefer to use the spelling ageing.
Many experts suggest a healthy diet and exercise can do wonders for the process of aging gracefully. (U.S spelling)
Many experts suggest a healthy diet and exercise can do wonders for the process of ageing gracefully.(U.K spelling)
For example, if you are in Canada and you are writing a paper for school, you should be using the spelling aging. However, if you are in the United States writing for a British publication, you should use ageing instead. The opposite is true for those in Australia who are writing for an American company; they should be using aging.
Why are there two different ways to spell the word?
As with many other American English words that dropped the u in their spelling (honor, neighbor, behavior), the word aging had the e removed from its spelling as a way to differentiate from British rule back in the 1800s.
This decision was largely made by Noah Webster, who wanted to take control of the American lexicon after the American Revolution. He created the first Webster English dictionary in the early 1800s, a dictionary that is still updated and used every year, and decided that he wanted to simplify the spelling of words so they were spelled as they sound.
If both are spelled correctly, does it matter which I use?
Even though technically both aging and ageing are the correct spelling of the word, it is imperative to use the correct spelling for the audience you are writing for. Though it will not interfere with any reader’s ability to understand the word they are reading, it will make them doubt your expertise.
When people are only accustomed to one way of spelling a word and are presented with spelling from a different area, they might start to believe that what they are reading does not pertain to them. This disengages them from the topic, which is not something you want from your readers. This is why is important to always make sure you are using the spelling that applies to the audience reading your words.
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