Sometimes, writing a blog post to share with all the world is like tap dancing on the stage alone when you took piano lessons: your mistakes will be obvious and glaring. Thankfully, Word catches the majority of them, but there are days when almighty Word isn’t enough. That’s when we turn to our Google search bar, right?
I’m going to extend myself some grace here and admit that I’ve gone back to correct mistakes I spotted after major editing, proofreading, and posting. With all that being said, what tripped me up most recently was another dual spelling. Word didn’t issue the customary red squiggles when I typed it, but I kept staring at my laptop because something didn’t look quite right. You have to love the contrary English language.
Today’s The Weight of Words focuses on plow vs. plough. Locale factors in to this one with American and Canadian speakers of English preferring plow as the spelling for the farm implement and the related verbs. Our British and Australian neighbors prefer plough. In either case, the word is pronounced the same. Although I do think it would be hilarious if plough was pronounced the same as rough.
hl gibson, author 
I understand your dilemma! I identify myself in it…. I who learned British English in school and american by growing up with Music and all films etc and has some problems with all the different English spellings and pronunciations mixes American with the British .. … through life I have noticed that I mix enough fresh ….Add to that those I met with Australian or South African English ….Pooh ….But I understand most things ….There’s another thing for you as a writer of course!! but I understand your feelings ……..Humorous with the plough :))
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I’ll bet you speak a beautiful mixture of different versions of English! Such a tricky language to begin with, huh?
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Great catch! I discovered that word has a Brit English dictionary as well as an American English dictionary. I have to remember to switch depending on who the writer is. I love plough and rough, that is a good one! I never thought of it.
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pluff the fields it’s plantin’ time.
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