Thursday English Learning Tip "donut vs doughnut"

One day last week I had a donut for breakfast.  It wasn't so healthy, but it sure was a yummy treat!  Well, for today's tip I want to talk about the word "donut".  Sometimes you might see it written like this: "D-O-N-U-T".  And other times you might see it like this: "D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T".  Well, which one is the right spelling?

This might surprise you, but actually BOTH are correct!  Yes, that's right, there are two ways to write the word for these round, delicious treats.

The old, original spelling was actually the longer "doughnut" because they are made from dough, like bread.  But the shorter version "donut" is also pretty old, and became very popular in the names of donut shops, like Dunkin' Donuts or Mister Donut.

"Doughnut" still seems more common outside the USA and when written in books or articles.  "Donut" seems more popular in pop culture and on the internet.  But both are really OK.

So what should YOU do?  I recommend that you pick the one that appeals to you.  The one that you personally like best.  Then mostly use that one!  If you are writing something very formal (or maybe on some strict English test), you might want to use the longer spelling "doughnut".  But in most cases, it doesn't really matter which one you choose.

Personally, I have decided to use the shorter version "donut", mostly because I think it suits the casual feeling of donuts.  And the "O" is more clear and round, like the treat itself...
​
By the way, this is not the only word that has more than one spelling.  And in most cases, my advice is the same.  Think about your writing style and the kind of people who will be reading it.  Then choose your favorite and go for it!

This learning tip is part of my short daily diary.  It's in easy English so you can enjoy some listening & reading practice and learn some useful daily conversation.  Enjoy!

↓ Watch the original video mentioned in today's tip!
https://youtu.be/7QaTtnPhwAY