How to spell? Help needed .

[maratara]

HI
My youngest is about to go into a regional spelling challenge and we can't decide if it is mesmerise or mesmerize?
HELP PLEASE

Mind you I get cross with the "announcers". This questioner kept saying "affusive". I'm thinking - that's not a word and the girl who was answering asked twice for it to be repeated and for a definition. Announcer kept saying "affusive ". SHe sort of sighed and said AFFUSIVE. Poor dear. Spelling bees are very much luck of the draw. Word turned out to be "effusive" .

Good luck to your DC.

Been through a fair number of chaotic competitions during my DC school years, it's these ones that are always the most memorable. 😃

I did find it quite interesting though, re the analyse/analyze spellings.

I use the z version, and think the s version looks wrong to me. But when I typed it out on my phone now, it's suggested the z version is incorrectly spelt. I am also in Southern Hemisphere though, it seems we do use more of a mix than I have ever given too much thought about.

I’m an editor working across publications in the UK, US and Australia. Australia uses UK spellings generally.

I thought the contestant was able to ask for the word to be used in context to ensure the correct understanding of what is being asked? Maybe something to check when you have a chance?
Good luck to your son.

A dictionary...not the online kind. that should give the acceptable spelling in your country.

Thanks. Exactly. I use the z version mostly too. It's all fun. 😁

Standard Australian English follows the UK forms.

Technically both are correct. Using z in 'ise' words is actually Old English hence its use in America. However, to be safe, I would go with an S.

@AllProperTeaIsTheft both are actually perfectly acceptable. S is simply more common.

Surely a dictionary is a useful tool for your son?

🤣

For a competition, they should have clear rules about things like that, ie that they expect one of S or Z or that either is acceptable.

So ask the organisers for a list/dictionary/website reference.

Does the rule follow for all s/z words

In this thread alone we've had mesmerise, organise, analyse and possibly more.

Ask the organisers (or organizers!)

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

It’s an odd question to ask on a primarily U.K. based site without mentioning you’re in Australia 🤣

Good luck to them!

What was the definition they gave?

Sorry. I forget sometimes. Fell like part of the family.

I'd have to find the youtube. I think it was something like "effusive in their praise". but the questioner was so adamantly pronouncing it with an "a" that I doubted myself. You could see the poor girl was completely confused. Add on the stress of a competition and she spelt "affusive " but you could see she wasn't convinced. Poor dear.

I’ve never understood the point of spelling competitions - I don’t think we really have them in UK do we?

Is it just for fun? There’s no practical application out in the real world is there (beyond being a decent speller)

Am I missing something!

Feel even. 😁You lot have been looking after my son for 6 months! I watch BBC News and Sky UK. Basically until I fall asleep. Just checking that all is well there. Where you all are.
The minute he touches down in Sydney I will stop pretending to be one of you guys. Promise.

They weren't a thing when I was young. Pretty big in the US I think. Just a fun sort of thing here in Australia. Same as any sort of competition. Sports, maths, chess etc.

Different much older son!!