Current:Home > FinanceNational Doughnut (or Donut) Day: Which spelling is right? Dictionaries have an answer. -InfiniteWealth
National Doughnut (or Donut) Day: Which spelling is right? Dictionaries have an answer.
View
Date:2025-04-12 20:45:48
Pastry purveyors around the country are celebrating a favorite American treat on Friday, resurfacing an age-old spelling kerfuffle.
Is it "doughnut" or "donut"?
Many dictionaries take the middle path, saying both spellings are correct.
Merriam-Webster said its embrace of the shorter spelling is in line with the philosophy of Noah Webster, whose early dictionaries set the tone for the brand. Webster believed in "phonetic-based spelling reform," modifying a traditional spelling based on how a word sounds. The "donut" variant pops up in text dating back to the mid-20th century, according to the dictionary.
Dictionary.com takes a similar stance – "donut" isn't as common in official settings, but its frequent use is perfectly acceptable. In fact, according to the online dictionary, the first examples of the word in the late 18th century use a variation of the spelling – "donote."
Popular use of the shorter spelling gained traction through ubiquitous producers like Dunkin', which is handing out free classic "donuts" at its stores all day on Friday.
The Salvation Army, credited with starting the annual tradition with a 1938 celebration in Chicago, still spells it National Donut Day. It commemorated the organization's "Donut Lassies," who brought sweet treats to soldiers fighting on the front lines during World War I.
The first references to the "Doughnut," the original, and more literal, spelling, trace back to Dutch pastries eventually brought to Manhattan called olykoeks, or "oil cakes," according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. By the 1930's, glowing praise of New York's "doughnuts" circulated in print such as the 1931 magazine review in The New Yorker that described how "doughnuts float dreamily through a grease canal" at one popular shop, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.
Media and news sources still use "doughnut," according to AP Style, which deems the original spelling the correct one.
Many chains and franchises today still take the traditional spelling, like Krispy Kreme, the Dapper Doughnut, and Voodoo Doughnuts.
One thing most aficionados will agree on: a doughnut by any other spelling would taste as sweet.
veryGood! (2349)
Related
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- This $28 Jumpsuit Has 3,300+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews and It’s Available in Sizes Ranging From Small to 4X
- Los Angeles county DA's office quits Twitter due to vicious homophobic attacks not removed by social media platform
- 'Sunny Makes Money': India installs a record volume of solar power in 2022
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- A crash course in organ transplants helps Ukraine's cash-strapped healthcare system
- Robert De Niro Reveals Name of His and Girlfriend Tiffany Chen's Newborn Baby Girl
- Protesters Arrested for Blocking Railroad in Call for Oil-by-Rail Moratorium
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Parents pushed to their limits over rising child care costs, limited access to care
Ranking
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Dozens of Countries Take Aim at Climate Super Pollutants
- Hillary Clinton’s Choice of Kaine as VP Tilts Ticket Toward Political Center
- Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause Marries Singer G Flip After a Year of Dating
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Walmart offers to pay $3.1 billion to settle opioid lawsuits
- Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Latest PDA Photo Will Make You Blush
- In Georgia, Kemp and Abrams underscore why governors matter
Recommendation
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
Arts Week: How Art Can Heal The Brain
Bone-appétit: Some NYC dining establishments cater to both dogs and their owners
Japanese employees can hire this company to quit for them
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Bone-appétit: Some NYC dining establishments cater to both dogs and their owners
How some therapists are helping patients heal by tackling structural racism
Donald Trump indicted in documents probe. Here's what we know so far.