27.05.2009 Brits all in a stir about yoghurt

British producers and retailers are currently agonising over the English word ‘yoghurt’. Should that be written with or without the letter ‘h’? The word yoghurt originates from Turkey, where it means ‘to knead’. The English equivalent of the Turkish ‘g’ is traditionally ‘gh’, therefore the British, New-Zealand and Australian spelling of the word has always been with an ‘h’. However, in the UK over the last few years, there has been a shift towards ‘yogurt’ without the ‘h’, which is unintentionally in line with the American spelling – in America that has been the correct spelling for 150 years. In the past, British language purists have resisted the American spelling of this dairy product, but nowadays ‘yogurt’ is increasingly spelt without the ‘h’ and this spelling has already made it into the Oxford English Dictionary. It is expected that ‘yoghurt’ with the ‘h’ will gradually disappear from British shelves. To read the full article, click here.