Sensational spelling

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

Contents

Branding

Weet-Bix branding Weet-bix- Early 20th century Tin.jpg
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]

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] Although similar, The Beatles is a word play that fuses 'beat' and 'beetles'.

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

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 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.
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