This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
diluted share of common stock and generally accepted accounting principles
competition that offers services contracted out
Aug 2, 2004 23:03
19 yrs ago
62 viewers *
English term

Diameter or Diametre?

English Tech/Engineering Engineering (general) Native speaker of British English
Hello. I know that in the UK the following spellings are used:
meter(US) > metre(UK)
center> centre
theater> theatre
However, what about "diameter?" Do native speakers of British English spell it as "diametre?"

I hope a Briton from the UK will answer my question... Thanks a lot in advance!
Responses
5 +3 diameter (with explanation)
5 +12 diameter
5 +2 diamètre is French
5 +1 diametre
5 +1 'Diametre'
5 -1 diameter
5 -1 diametre

Responses

+3
1 hr
Selected

diameter (with explanation)

"Diameter" is the only form used in British English, and indeed in amy form of English. I am a Brit born and bred and have never heard of, let alone used, "diametre".
Based on the base form "metre/meter" I would say that the two forms coexist in multiples or submultiples (ex. centimeter/centimetre) but not in other derived forms. In the same manner, "meter" only is used when referring to measuring instruments, e.g. a parking meter (not "parking metre")
Another example that follows this rule is "perimeter" (NOT "perimetre").
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : Yes, 'metre' is only ever used when it means the unit of length, or in musical/poetry terminology [BE only]
6 hrs
agree Aisha Maniar
6 hrs
agree vixen
6 hrs
disagree WelshIdiot : Not Sure About Your Age Or What School You Went Too In The UK, But Diametre Is A Real Word When It Comes To Measurements. You Also Need To Read Through Your Explanation & Find Your Mistakes That Make Us Look Well Thick ;)
4565 days
agree Silvia Ortega Lorenzo : Correct. Thank you for the excellent examples!
7097 days
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, all!"
+12
2 mins

diameter

I'm quite sure that it is just diameter here in the UK

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2004-08-02 23:08:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Just checked my Oxford Dictionary and there is only one spelling yes.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2004-08-02 23:14:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here\'s another reference for you:

http://www.lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/teaching/gts/gtswriting.htm
Peer comment(s):
agree Jörgen Slet
0 min
agree Eva Karpouzi : I may not be a native speaker of British English but I have lived, worked and taught in the UK and I can assure you that DIAMETER is the correct spelling! :diam•eter /daæmt(r)/ noun Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
6 mins
agree Elena Petelos : http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=diamete... ...(middle english) ;-)
7 mins
agree Vicky Papaprodromou
34 mins
agree Ramesh Madhavan
2 hrs
agree Martine Brault : Obvious. Even the Word dico knows that
2 hrs
agree Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
4 hrs
agree IrinaGM
7 hrs
agree Tony M
7 hrs
agree vixen
8 hrs
agree Aisha Maniar
8 hrs
agree moken : ai orlwais rite it dieammittah. orltho ai orlso speuwl "senta" "thiata" an "meata", witch gows tu proov dat thers az menny spellins az u lyke. :O)
21 hrs
disagree WelshIdiot : Diametre When I Was In School A Few Moons Ago!! Diameter Is Blurred American English Again!!
4565 days
agree Cathal Monaghan : agree
4857 days
Something went wrong...
-1
1 hr

diameter

diameter is the only choice acceptable. good luck . noemí
Peer comment(s):
disagree WelshIdiot : I Cannot Believe How Many British Born & Bred People Do Not Know How To Spell "DIAMETRE" Too Much Americanised English Taking Over British (UK) Spellings: Aluminium = Al-um-in-um Pronounced In The US-of-A
4565 days
Something went wrong...
-1
1 hr

diametre

A google search of diametre provided me with 12600 searches. Diameter provided me with 7.9 million plus searches. This is one UK site but there were others as well.

[PDF] A Semi-empirical Model for Jet Noise Prediction in the Geometric ...
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... a is given by simply adding the contributions to the mean square pressure that ... 1
10 Sr (fully mixed jet) a (nondimensional) C1 (primary diametres) O (primary ...
www.isvr.soton.ac.uk/STAFF/Pubs/ pubpdfs/BassettiFisherMorfey-AIAACEAS2004.pdf - Similar pages
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : Perfect proff that one shouldn't ALWAYS trust Googling --- it's very good at finding common errors too!
6 hrs
disagree David Moore (X) : and agree 100% with Dusty's "google" comment
7 hrs
neutral Mikhail Kropotov : i'm not agreeing with the answer, but i'd like to comment on Dusty's and David's comments. Google is a potent and dangerous tool, but when used efficiently (i.e. crosschecked several times over) it is invaluable!
9 hrs
neutral DGK T-I : in this case I suspect it's because of the proximity of 'r&e' on the keyboard, and because it's easier for British spellers to confuse it,because of metre. The OED does give a Chaucer ref.,but I'm not aware of convincing evidence of modern use (alas:-)
19 hrs
agree gladiusprimus : Diameter = measure from point to point. Meter = measure, not metre which is the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1 / 299792458 of a second
6442 days
Something went wrong...
+2
6 hrs

diamètre is French

831 English pages for 'diametre' site:uk. -> lots of typo mistakes
Peer comment(s):
agree Tony M : Quite!
1 hr
merci
agree DGK T-I : my conclusion, sadly
14 hrs
thank you
Something went wrong...
+1
3855 days

diametre

It's diametre

I'm a native English speaker, born and bred in south east England. I attended an English grammar school up to sixth form and studied geometry, trigonometry and calculus, and English language. (amongst other subjects). Diametre is used in those subjects. Diameter is frowned upon as just another American misspelling.
Peer comment(s):
agree WelshIdiot : Here, Here Peter!! I'm Not The Sharpest Pencil In The Box & I Cannot Comment On Other Peoples Ages Who have Answered This Question But DIAMETRE Is A Real Word In The British (UK) Language!! It Was A Real Word When I Was In School & It Is Still A Real Word
710 days
Something went wrong...
+1
4313 days

'Diametre'

We definitely do not use center, theater or meter in UK. 'Diametre' and 'centimetre' are used often. Its best to use the UK spelling - in the UK of coarse! - as no one can argue that you are wrong.
Example sentence:

Mars has a diametre of 6786 kilometres

Reference:

http://www.google.com

http://www.google.com

Peer comment(s):
agree WelshIdiot : Here, Here Palesti!! I Cannot Believe How Many British Born & Bred People Do Not Know How To Spell "DIAMETRE" Too Much Americanised English Taking Over British (UK) Spellings: Aluminium = Al-um-in-um Pronounced In The US-of-A
252 days
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search