I always thought always was spelled "allways" which would be logical...now I know this isn't the case but that it is spelled only with one "l", why is that?
From Dictionary. com [Origin: 1200–50; ME alwayes, alleweyes, alles weis, gen. (denoting distribution; cf. once) of all wei; alle- lost its gen. ending and was treated as a compounding element under influence of alle wey alway. See all, way, alway, -s1]
The English language has no standards authority like the French Academy or the Spanish Academy. Nor was our spelling ever overhauled and "reformed" by a body created especially for that purpose, as was done for Italian and German. Our "standard" spelling is the ongoing work of many generations of dictionary editors and other lexicographers who gain the respect of professional writers. As a result, its rules are derived by consensus rather than logical analysis, and there is little consistency to them. This was exacerbated by the early American lexicographers, notably Noah Webster, who seem to have tried deliberately to distinguish American spelling from British, e.g. center, labor, maneuver vs. centre, labour, manoeuvre. In America it was further exacerbated by 20th-century free spirits who used their newspapers to champion spelling reform, such as nite, tho for night, though. Notwithstanding, the spelling of "always" is in fact consistent with other words of similar origin, such as "although," "albeit" and "altogether." No one now wonders about those spellings because their roots are obscured by time, but each of those instances of "al" was at one time the word "all."
Ok, in swedish language always is "alltid" and never is "aldrig" and we use the memory phrase "Always is always spelled with two l's and never is never spelled with two l's" (which in swedish is "alltid stavas alltid med två l, och aldrig stavas aldrig med två l"). This is what causes my trouble with "always" Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! cause I always want it spelled with two l's.
In English, you can be pretty safe to assume if you're actually looking at a word that originally contained the word "all," that it's now spelled with one L. I'm sure the members are now wracking their brains to think of counterexamples. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
When I am typing something I always get confused when writing then or than. I really have to stop and think about it.
I've had the trouble too, it helps thinking that "then" is conditional and "than" is comparative. Higher "than" you. If eat this "then" bring me more.
