Release date 07/07/2004

Oxford reveals spelling crisis

EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 8 JULY 2004

Do you 'pour over a book' or 'pore over a book'; do you 'toe the line' or 'tow the line'? Shocking new statistics from Oxford's research show that up to 50 per cent of users are getting simple words and phrases confused with one another. Research for the new edition of the world's favourite dictionary, the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, reveals that there are alarming levels of confusion because so many words in English either look alike or sound alike but have different meanings.

Are you confused?

Based on real evidence of how people speak and write, the following phrases are examples of just how confused people are:

A coach can diffuse the situation by praising the players (50% incorrect)*
A taxi driver had free reign to charge whatever he liked (26% incorrect)*
Some pointed to his refusal to tow the line under Tony Blair (21% incorrect)*
He spent his evenings pouring over western art magazines (12% incorrect)*

* Correct versions are: 'defuse the situation'; 'free rein'; 'toe the line'; 'poring over'.

Judy Pearsall, Publishing Manager of English Dictionaries, says "people are writing more than ever before, especially in less formal situations such as email, weblogs, and chatrooms, and it is here that we see the most confusion. Whether such mistakes will, in time, spill over into more formal types of writing is yet to be seen. The question is: does it matter if, in a generation's time, people are writing about 'pouring over magazines' or 'towing the line'?"

The first edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, published in 1911, was an Olympian achievement. This is the first new edition this century and it continues to carry the torch as the winning choice for people all over the world. Based on the largest amount of evidence ever - hundreds of millions of words - the Concise also offers more than double the help than ever before on tricky and controversial questions of English, giving you and your family advice on whether you should say less or fewer, a hotel or an hotel, and of course, how to use those pesky apostrophes. When it comes to new words, Oxford's unique monitoring programme also ensures that it has no rivals.

Give your English VA-VA-VOOM!**

In 1911, when the first edition of the Concise was published radio, television, cinema, and computer didn't have a place in the dictionary. In 2004 the Concise includes nearly 2,000 new words, many of which reflect innovations in the fast-moving world of science and technology: M-COMMERCE (commercial transactions conducted electronically by mobile phone), PLASMA SCREEN, CYBER WAR (use of computers to disrupt activities of an enemy country), and TAIKONAUT (Chinese astronaut).

SEX UP your English with the new Concise and find all the words in the news: the latest additions include CONGESTION CHARGE, GANGMASTER, SKY MARSHAL, and HEALTH TOURISM. POLE DANCING, BOOKCROSSING, and SPEED DATING are the things that entertain us, and from the big screen we get MINI-ME (a person closely resembling a smaller or younger version of another) and THREEQUEL (a second sequel). HANDBAGS now means 'a minor confrontation' and BUMSTERS are popular with MIDDLE YOUTH and METROSEXUALS.

The Concise also says CROESO (welcome) to some Welsh words with BORE DA (good morning) and IECHYD DA (good health) joining thousands of words from forms of English from around the world: DICKY (car boot) and BATCHMATE (classmate) from India, SPINNY (mad, crazy) from Canada, BLOVIATE (talk at length, especially in an inflated or empty way) and NOOGIE (rubbing a person's head with one's knuckles to express affection) from America, and NONI (a tropical evergreen shrub) from Tahiti.

The winning choice for people all over the world, The Concise Oxford English Dictionary sets records, and where there is confusion, it sets the record straight.

**VA-VA-VOOM = the quality of being exciting, vigorous, or sexually attractive.

The new 11th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary is published on 8 July, rrp £20.00. If you would like more information, or to interview an editor, please contact Sarah Kidd on 01865 353911 or email sarah.kidd@oup.com

See a sample list of new words added to the dictionary

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education in its worldwide publishing. The preparation of dictionaries, of all types and for all ages, has been a central part of its activities for more than 100 years.

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