I’m so fed up with seeing British people use “license” for driving etc. It’s rife. Nobody seems to realise that’s the US spelling. I blame Olivia Rodrigo.
Got this from Nat West today (you don’t get more British than Nat West).
Pedants' corner
It’s licence not license!
Heather37231 · 21/02/2024 23:14
elp30 · 22/02/2024 02:26
@OutingPosts
In the US, we never use "practise". The noun and the verb are the same, "practice".
GetWhatYouWant · 22/02/2024 03:05
But the OP is about British banking documents so the spelling should be British, not American.
elp30 · 22/02/2024 02:26
@OutingPosts
In the US, we never use "practise". The noun and the verb are the same, "practice".
LifeExperience · 22/02/2024 01:22
That's the way it's spelled in the US.
OhcantthInkofaname · 22/02/2024 04:43
Not when so many banks are internationally based. More banks than not would be using the US spelling simply because of population base. There are 330 plus million people in the United States.
GetWhatYouWant · 22/02/2024 03:05
But the OP is about British banking documents so the spelling should be British, not American.
elp30 · 22/02/2024 02:26
@OutingPosts
In the US, we never use "practise". The noun and the verb are the same, "practice".
clarrylove · 22/02/2024 07:39
At least they didn't use 'driver's license'. Another pet peeve.
IamaRevenant · 22/02/2024 13:11
I am a lawyer in the UK but work for a US-based company. We have to use US spellings in our contracts (including license) and it kills me inside every time.
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Topseyt123 · 22/02/2024 13:12
I agree with you. I've seen this so often recently and it irks me.
Licence as a noun is the British way of spelling it. License as a noun is the American way, I do believe. NatWest should certainly be using the correct British spelling. They are not an American bank.
The British do use the license spelling too, but only when using it as a verb - i.e. to license something or someone to do something.
I think I have got that right. I'm sure someone will let me know if I haven't. 🤣
coureur · 22/02/2024 13:11
I'm pretty sure that British spellings will fade out of usage, or at least the American spellings will become accepted alongside them. Many of our new graduates at work use American spellings and pronunciations as standard. Most of them have had a very 'international' upbringing and the reality is that American English is now considered standard English worldwide and British English is very much a minority variant. I do wince internally when they say 'zee' instead of 'zed' and 'rout' instead of 'route', but actually it makes for easier communication with customers and colleagues for whom English is a second language and who are more accustomed to American usage.
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