grey, gray

Canadians prefer the spelling grey, although gray is also correct. Grey is the preferred spelling in Britain, while gray is favoured in the United States.

  • A tolerant and forgiving person, my aunt never saw the world in black and white, but always in shades of grey.

Always check the spelling of proper names.

  • The Grey Cup was named for an early governor general.
  • The “Aboriginal” conservationist Grey Owl was in fact an Englishman named Archie Belaney.
  • On the doctor’s desk were a dog-eared copy of Gray’s Anatomy and a poetry book open to Gray’s Elegy in a Country Churchyard.

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© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
A tool created and made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada

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