Spelling: Which Suffix -ize or -ise?
There is some controversy over the spelling of verbs which end in the sound -iz. The source of the suffix, or ending, is the Greek -izo. Many therefore argue that words which have a Greek root should use -ize and those with Latin roots should use -ise.
However, it is not a simple as that! Take a deep breath and read on...!
The French practice was very much to convert -ize to -ise, and this practice was followed by most English printers and passed into common usage. However, as Fowler, in his Modern English Usage, suggests, the Oxford English Dictionary, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and American usage takes issue with this, so there is no real reason to follow French fashion. Most Latin endings have their ultimate source in the Greek!
The Oxford English Dictionary argues that words which carry the sound iz whether from the Greek ending -izein or the Latin ending -izare should hold to the spelling with a z, there being no compelling reason to change.
Fowler notes that the following words need to be spelled with -ise:
advertise, apprise, chastise, circumcise, comprise, compromise, demise, despise, devise, disenfranchise, disguise, enfranchise, enterprise, excise, exercise, improvise, incise, premise, supervise, surmise, surprise.
Exercise
Make a list of words which end in the iz sound. Look them up in a dictionary, and see how you are advised to spell the word. Tick the column if the spelling is permitted!
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Word
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-ize (tick)
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-ize (tick)
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1. ................
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................
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2. ................
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3. ................
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................
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4. ................
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5. ................
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................
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6. ................
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................
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7. ................
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8. ................
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................
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9. ................
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10. ................
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What do you conclude?
