While the -our words are always seen in British spelling, [1] the Oxford dictionary does not follow the method of Stormonth, who changes many verbs ending in -ize to -ise, as in civilise, realise, utilise.
WORDS ENDING IN -ISE
- advertise
- advise
- affranchise
- apprise (to inform)
- chastise
- circumcise
- comprise
- compromise
- demise
- despise
- devise
- disfranchise
- disguise
- emprise
- enfranchise
- enterprise
- excise
- exercise
- franchise
- improvise
- incise
- mainprise
- manumise
- merchandise
- premise
- reprise
- revise
- surmise
- surprise
- ↑ The u is frequently omitted when the termination -ous is added to any of the -our words, as in clamorous, dolorous, humorous, laborious, odorous, rancorous, rigorous, valorous, vaporous, vigorous. In many words derived from nouns ending in -our the u is omitted, as in armory, colorable, honorary, invigorate, invigoration. There are a few English authors of authority who prefer clamor, pallor, and tremor, but English usage is largely in favor of the retention of the u.
Saviour, as the synonym of Christ, retains the u in all dictionaries but that of Webster. "Aiming to write according to the best usage of the present day, I insert the u in so many of these words as now seem most familiar to the eye when so written. ... If this book should ever, by any good fortune, happen to be reprinted, after honour, labour, favour, behaviour, and endeavour shall have become as unfashionable as authour, errour, terrour, and emperour are now, let the proofreader strike out the useless letter not only from these words, but from all others which shall bear an equally antiquated appearance." Goold Brown's Grammar of English Grammars, p. 197.
