Changes

English spelling, though originally phonetic, has evolved considerably over time.  By the Middle English period, spelling had become quite variable, and standard spellings did not evolve until the late seventeenth century.  In the United States, the lexicographer [[Noah Webster]] argued for simplifying some spelling which were no longer phonetic, such as the -our in words such as "colour".  Most, though not all, of his proposed changes were adopted, such that US English spelling differs from UK English in some hundreds of instances.  UK English spelling is the standard in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and most of the Commonwealth of Nations including Canada and Australia; US English spelling is the standard in the [[United States]] and its territories.

English spelling, though originally phonetic, has evolved considerably over time.  By the Middle English period, spelling had become quite variable, and standard spellings did not evolve until the late seventeenth century.  In the United States, the lexicographer [[Noah Webster]] argued for simplifying some spelling which were no longer phonetic, such as the -our in words such as "colour".  Most, though not all, of his proposed changes were adopted, such that US English spelling differs from UK English in some hundreds of instances.  UK English spelling is the standard in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and most of the Commonwealth of Nations including Canada and Australia; US English spelling is the standard in the [[United States]] and its territories.

The term "English" may also be used to refer to a person from the United Kingdom born in the country of England.

The term "English" may also be used to refer to a person from the United Kingdom born in the country of England, or to describe something from England or with characteristics particular to that place.

==See also==

==See also==