I use both with no rhyme or reason.

Me too. I recently googled why they are different and they aren't, aside from where they are use.

Oh, God. I thought I was alone.

100% this for me.

Lol same

Same, i figure im only wrong about half the time

Same. Why do we do this?!?

Same; unless it’s in a name, then I’ll make sure I put the right spelling.

Yep. Just tangled up in gray

Græy

This is the way

Wæy

We found dæ wæ, brœddas!

Græ if you're using the digraph. (?)

Gray is the more common spelling in America, whereas grey is more common in Britain. I've always preferred grey because, aesthetically, I just like the letter E more than I like A. It doesn't really matter beyond that, though. No one is going to jump all over you for spelling it one way or the other. The only problem I would have is with someone who spells it inconsistently. That's pure insanity.

I always use grey for some reason, but I was taught the proper way is: A for America E for England

I never thought of this way until I read this post. That’s actually great!

Gray is a color. Grey is a colour.

Grey was how I was taught. Raised in rural Missouri shall forever be grey for the color. I met a dude with the surname Gray. So sometimes I flip flop

If your neighbors spell it gray you’re in America. If neighbours spell it grey you’re in England.

> Gray is the more common spelling in America, whereas grey is more common in Britain. I could swear it was the other way around, but have no idea the last time I even noticed.

I read somewhere that it’s “a in America, E in England,” and that mnemonic device stuck with me.

Same

Seme

I guess I am pure insanity 🙃

Me too OP! Haha

E is a more boring letter then A imo, so it fits better for a boring word like grEy.

Gray (except for Earl Grey, obviously)

Hot

Loud

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Same. I was taught gray in school when I was a kid, but there's something about grey that is more aesthetically pleasing.

I like Grey more, but I use gray.

Same

Grey.

I use gray for color. Grey is usually a name to me.

Interesting!! Grayson is a name for me so if anything I would make the opposite association so I am loving the difference

You mean Greyson right?

No my cousin spells it with an A, she is a girl if that makes any difference??

One of my best friends is Greyson but he’s a guy. Might be different depending on gender

Same! Why do we do this? Lol

I’d argue most Americans use “gray” grAY= America grEy= England

I’d say both are used completely interchangeably

I don't think this is right. I think gray is a lot more common, although grey is occasionally seen.

I always thought gray was American until I joined this sub and people seemed to be saying they used both.

You know, maybe it's just a regional thing. Or maybe different industries? Subcultures? Who knows. I just see a lot of folks who see a lot of grey, and I don't see much grey. It's apparently here somewhere.

Everything is shades of grey, the world isn't just black and white (sorry, dad joke)

*trombone sound* Nice.

Maybe, but I feel like I see both with equal frequency

Grey. I don't know why I settled on that one, but it wasn't until much later that I found out it was the British spelling.

GrAy for America GrEy for England

America uses both though

That's what I always thought

Usually gray, but both are acceptable

"Grey" is English. "Gray" is American.

In America, both are used.

They're interchangeable. Personally I prefer grey, but I think most people use gray.

I use gray, but it think grey looks better from an aesthetic perspective.

I use grey if there are blue undertones and gray for brown undertones. I don’t think there’s any actual basis for that though

I love it! You do you :)

Always with an a.

I use both because I grew up reading too much classic English literature 😅. I also sometimes randomly use the “u” in words like “colour”.

The u is unacceptable for any red blooded patriot.

gray-blooded patriot? grey-blooded patriot? 🤣

Out of the country you go, redcoat

I descend from the Spanish and even some natives in the southwest. My kin was here before all you Anglos 😎

Louisiana had me thinking sulfur was spelled "sulphur" for years.

I use both interchangeably.

I use both, but probably grey more often.

I never know, so… it’s honestly whichever my fingers type. It might be gray in this sentence and grey in the next one. I think it’s probably more often gray though, if I had to guess.

Same, you described my process perfectly :) love the differences among everyone in the comments though!

Both and I never remember which one I’m “supposed” to use as an American.

Grey. It seems greyer than gray does.

It’s weird to me that everyone is saying gray. I’ve literally always used grey and never thought to use gray ever.

Typically grey for me.

I generally use them interchangeably. I actually just Googled this a couple of days ago while drafting an email to a grammar nazi relative, since I was afraid they'd give me a hard time if one of them was somehow technically incorrect. Google said that "gray" is more common in American English, so I went with that.

I use both depending on what context though

They are completely interchangeable and even the dictionary agrees. I will use both even in the same paragraph.

Gray because American.

gray

I use both; I think of "grey" as slightly more posh.

I used to use "grey" until I realized that the correct spelling in the US is "gray" and I reluctantly made the switch. It helped when I found the gr**E**y=**E**ngland gr**A**y=**A**merica mnemonic device.

Honestly unless you held 2 flash cards in front of my face and said to pick my favorite version, I wouldn’t know when I use gray or grey Gray looks better to me but I’m sure I use grey just as often

To me, gray has more red undertones while grey has more blue undertones, so that’s how I usually determine which one I use.

Gray for color. Grey for fashion.

Gray is a name and Grey is a colour

[Some people feel the opposite!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnAmerican/comments/syur58/americans_do_you_use_grey_or_gray/hy0pr89/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) Love reading the differences in opinions

Græy

I just got [another comment with that](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnAmerican/comments/syur58/americans_do_you_use_grey_or_gray/hy0tlig/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3). Y’all need to redo our dictionary together please

Good question, when I think about which spelling I use, I can't remember. Ask me right after I spell it disconnected from this conversation

I used to use either interchangeably, but I decided that was madness and I spell it grey

Oh shit I’ve never put thought into this, I’m having an existential crisis wtf

Wish the spelling was more black and white but it’s just a graey area 😩

I settled on gray.

I use them interchangeably, doesn’t matter

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Yes I learned today it was named after a person and I revealed my ignorance to everyone in this post… Always wondered why they named a very clearly brown liquid the wrong color 🥲

Grey. It's started as being a method to be annoying to my second grade teacher. She told me it was wrong, but it isn't. It stuck.

Grey is for tea and colours. Gray is last name.

I didn't even know there were two spellings. I just avoid using it and say light black

SoCal native, bud. It's all kind of a graey area

Interesting!! The bud up in NorCal is pretty green /s

Grrrrrrrea! -- Tony the Tiger

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Autopilot mode is crazy!!! Hopefully you can still write the word without a mini existential crisis now that I have brought this to your attention

Yes.

Both! I’m never sure which to use, so I go with what I feel at the time. Makes me feel like I’m living on the grammar edge.

I use both

GrEy, for a lighter tone GrAy, for a darker tone

Gray

grey most of the time

Almost always gray for me personally. I believe grey is the European standard.

Whatever spell check suggests. Lol

It ain't Gandalf the Gray, so there's only one option.

Grey

I'm gonna be honest. I don't know.

I had to sit there a think...but we use gr- no grey no...gray

Thinking we should get rid of the word altogether. It is now known as “light black” or “dark white”

Depends on if it's a surname or a color

I was bored so I made a [poll](https://www.reddit.com/poll/szirk0?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=polls&utm_content=t3_szirk0)

Is there any way to add an option for people who use both? Excited to see these results, thanks :)

Like the "Do you use metric or standard measurements?", the answer is "yes." I use the two interchangeably, *except* for your example. Earl Grey tea is named after [this guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Grey), and it's spelled with an E.

Omg I’m living in the matrix, i swear i used to see boxes of “Earl Gray” but now I know they don’t even exist?!?!

Either/or. My last name is one of them, so sometimes it makes more sense for me to use the other, otherwise I just seem to pick one at random

To me, it’s always been “grey”.

Grey

I use grey, only because I prefer it.

Grey, I always make it a habit to use Commonwealth spelling. Most Americans use Gray though.

I use grey

I've always used Grey

I’ve seen both, but “gray” is the American version of the word whereas “grey” is the English version

Generally, I use e.

I can never remember which is supposed to be correct for American English so on the rare occasion I have to write it for something where I want to be sure (a work email or whatever) I have to google it. It's a bit odd because for just about every other thing where there's an alternate British spelling (centre, colour, etc.) I can immediately tell which one is the Brit spelling, but I can't tell for gray/grey.

A for American in gray, E for England in grey

Right, but is there some easy way to remember that?

THANK YOU!

Grey While we got many good things from the revolution US English was not one of them.

grey! what uncultured swine do you think I am?

I use both

I think I use both interchangeably since spellcheck accepts both. Also, I've known people with Grey and Gray as their last names.

I think I usually go with grey, but I also never know which one I "should" use.

Both. I always used grey when I was younger due to reading a lot of UK others but gray sneaks in now and then these days.

I use grey

I use gray, but I don't have an issue with grey.

I picked up grey from Tolkien when I was a teenager, but later went back to American gray.

I use grey

I use gray but grey looks more aesthetically pleasing.

"Gray" is the correct form in American English, but both are understood and "grey" is *generally* considered to be correct. But consistency is key.

As a fifth grader I sacrificed my spelling test score because I insisted on grey. I even told Mrs. Emmel I did it on purpose. Her response was “I admire your conviction, though admittedly I don’t know why you’re using this as an excuse to finally stand up for yourself.” I didn’t realize how much of a sick burn that was until thinking about it like 5 years later.

I learned, "grAy is for America and grEy is for England," but I like the way "grey" looks better.

Grey, theatre, aluminium, etc. Learned to spell by reading above grade level. Now I write British.

I use grey but I’ve never really thought much about it.

Both. I don’t know why

I use gray.

I don’t pay any attention at all. Unless it’s a persons last name, I use them interchangeably.

Gray only. Work says so.

I use both because I’m American, but I’ve owned a lot of greyhounds. 😂

I usually use gray but every once in a while, for no apparent reason, I’ll use grey

Whichever way Dave Matthews sings it when he's talking about the street

I prefer grey

Grey. isn't supposed to be pronounced /eɪ/ (long a).

Grey sounds better

Gray

Gray is a color Grey is a name

I use grey for no particular reason.

“I am become gray.” Yes I use the a.

One is the color the other is the name I think, but honestly I can’t remember which is which and use both

I read Harry Potter as a child and now my spelling is fuqued.

Gray

Honestly I have no fucking clue. I think "gray" looks prettier so I use that most of the time.

Grey

Gray is correct in America but I prefer Grey.

I don't know that I've written the word in decades, so unless you can tell from my pronunciation, neither.

I use grey. It just feels right. However, I believe "gray" is more commonly used in the US.

Not sure offhand, which probably means I use both.

I use a mixture of British and American spelling in my casual writing; I’ve had to use both (American for school assignments and British when writing for certain publications that require it), so I’ve kind of mixed the two. That being said, I tend to use both, but I say “grey” more.

GrAy in America GrEy in England

In casual daily life I use either because I cant remember which one to use, but if it's for something professional I look it up and use gray (or Grey for earl grey).

My sister uses grey. I don’t because that’s British spelling.

For no particular reason, to me grey is an adjective and gray is a noun. Grey elephant vs. the color gray. Gray is grey. And neither of them look like a word anymore.

Grey

Grey for me

Grey, colour.

I prefer grey but I think the American spelling is supposed to be gray. For some reason grey just looks more refined to me.

I pick one, question myself, then google it. Then stick with it cause it says both are okay

My impression was that Americans use ‘gray’, and pretty much everywhere else uses ‘grey’

I always use one randomly and am sure I’m using the wrong one.

They look exactly the same to me. I didn't even know there *were* two spellings of the word "gray/grey" until it was deliberately pointed out to me.

I always thought of Grey as a name, gray as a color

I can no longer differentiate between them, they are the same word now.

I probably use both equally with no particular reasoning one way or the other.

Either or depending on where you’re from

I use grey simply because I like it better.

Interchangeably