Sensational spelling is the deliberate spelling of a word in a non-standard way for special effect.[1]

Branding

edit
 
Weet-Bix branding

Sensational spellings are common in advertising[1] and product placement. In particular, brand names[1] such as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (crispy cream), Weet-Bix (wheat, with bix being derived from biscuits), Blu-ray (blue), Kellogg's Froot Loops (fruit) or Hasbro's Playskool (school) may use unexpected spellings to draw attention to or trademark an otherwise common word.[2]

edit

Some bands in the mid-1960s (e.g. The Byrds and The Monkees) adopted sensational spelling. The Turtles successfully resisted an effort by their label, White Whale Records, to name them "The Tyrtles."[3]

Other examples include Def Leppard, and Led Zeppelin, in which "led" was deliberately misspelled to make clear it is pronounced /lɛd/ (as in the metal lead)[4] rather than the other pronunciation of "lead", /ld/.

Other

edit

In modern fantasy,[clarification needed] the spelling faerie (also fae or fey) may be used in place of fairy, to distinguish it from the childish connotations of fairy tales.[5]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Rozakis, Laurie E. (2008). I Before "E" Except After "C": Spelling for the Alphabetically Challenged. Citadel Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-8065-2884-7.
  2. ^ Ross, Nigel (2006). "Writing in the Information Age". English Today. 22 (3). Cambridge University Press: 40. doi:10.1017/S0266078406003063. S2CID 143850443.
  3. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 1196. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  4. ^ Keith Shadwick (2005). Led Zeppelin The Story of a Band and their Music 1968-1980. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 36. ISBN 0-87930-871-0.
  5. ^ Lassen, Martin (2022-08-24). "Faerie vs. Fairy - Which Spelling Is Correct?". Grammarhow. Retrieved 2022-09-23.