Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

programme vs program

English answer:

Be and AE (but computer prograM - both UK & US)

Added to glossary by lafresita (X)
Oct 11, 2004 18:06
19 yrs ago
7 viewers *
English term

programme vs program

Non-PRO English Other Linguistics
It probably is a very daft question, but what is the difference between them?

For example, I always thought that cumputer programs was supposed to be written as programmes...

Responses

+16
1 min
Selected

Be and AE

programme is British English and program is American English

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Note added at 1 min (2004-10-11 18:08:21 GMT)
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typo: read BE

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Note added at 4 mins (2004-10-11 18:10:44 GMT)
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However, even in BE program is commonly used in texts related to computers

Oxford Dictionary of English

program

noun & verb US spelling of programme (also widely used in computing contexts)


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Note added at 12 mins (2004-10-11 18:19:37 GMT)
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Chambers 21st Century Dictionary

programme or (N Amer) program noun
(...)
5. (usually program) computing a set of coded instructions to a computer for the performance of a task or a series of operations, written in any of various programming languages.

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Note added at 38 mins (2004-10-11 18:45:07 GMT)
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Also see the answers for a similar question
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/393762
Peer comment(s):

agree ileania
0 min
Thanks
agree Ariser
1 min
Thanks
agree María Teresa Taylor Oliver : Same as with favo(u)rite, colo(u)r, etc.
2 mins
Thanks
agree Lucie Fourneyron
2 mins
Thanks
agree sonja29 (X)
5 mins
Thanks
agree Alaa Zeineldine : When it relates to computers it is written program specifically when it is a computer program.
9 mins
Thanks
agree David Knowles : In UK English, program is universal for computer program, and programme everywhere else.
13 mins
Well, I would say not universal but common
agree John Bowden : With David - "programme" in BE except when referring to computers (verb and noun)
19 mins
I agree with David; use of "program" related to computers is common, but there are many who still prefer to use programme, I suppose the young people opt for program
agree Anna Tomashevskaya
54 mins
Thanks
agree Nazim Aziz Gokdemir
2 hrs
Tesekkur ederim
agree senin
2 hrs
Tesekkur ederim
agree RHELLER : no difference :-)
3 hrs
Thanks
agree Kardi Kho
6 hrs
Thanks
agree Jörgen Slet
6 hrs
Thanks
agree Syeda Tanbira Zaman
15 hrs
Thanks
agree nlingua
2 days 22 mins
Thanks
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to all very much!"
+5
5 mins

almost no difference

I'm not sure, but the difference - if there is one at all - is very slight. It may only be a difference between English and American, "program" being the American version, though I have seen "programme" used infrequently in the US to describe the acts in a play or musical performance for example. :-)
Peer comment(s):

agree sonja29 (X)
1 min
agree María Teresa Taylor Oliver : Yep, I've seen that use for "programme", too, in AE.
2 mins
neutral Refugio : Americans wishing to seem a little more high-class may opt for (sometimes old-fashioned) British spellings, such as programme, theatre, and Ye Olde ... Shoppe.
10 mins
agree Jörgen Slet
6 hrs
agree mportal : in the UK ,I think it can depend on whether the subject area is perceived to be American/ultra-modern, or not: computer programs, a programme on the radio,for example.
15 hrs
agree Marijke Singer
19 hrs
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+19
1 min

UK v. US

+

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Note added at 3 mins (2004-10-11 18:09:50 GMT)
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No difference except for British v. American spelling .

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Note added at 9 mins (2004-10-11 18:16:11 GMT)
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We Americans have a tendency to streamline spelling, e.g., esthetics for aesthetics, encyclopedia for encyclopaedia, color for colour, etc.

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Note added at 12 mins (2004-10-11 18:19:26 GMT)
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Also, our British colleagues have demonstrated a preference for adhering more closely to etymological spelling. Programme comes from the Latin and Greek programma.

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Note added at 2 days 33 mins (2004-10-13 18:40:08 GMT)
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Of course, by way of the French, as Peter points out. ;~}
Peer comment(s):

agree ileania
0 min
Thanks, Ileania
agree Ariser
1 min
Thanks, Ariser
agree sonja29 (X)
5 mins
Thanks, Sonja
agree mardes (X)
7 mins
Thanks, Mardes
agree jccantrell
15 mins
Thanks, JC
agree Enza Longo
16 mins
Thanks, Enzalo
agree John Bowden : "Program" for computers in BE, taken over from AE, but "a TV programme" etc.
18 mins
Thanks, John
agree Anna Tomashevskaya
54 mins
Thanks, Anna
agree KathyAnna O
1 hr
Thank you, Kathy
agree Nazim Aziz Gokdemir
2 hrs
Thank you, Nazim
agree senin
2 hrs
Thank you, Senin
agree RHELLER : no difference :-)
3 hrs
Thanks, Rita
agree Anna Maria Augustine (X) : No difference. Both spellings are used.
4 hrs
Thanks, Anna
agree Jörgen Slet
6 hrs
Thank you, Jörgen
agree Syeda Tanbira Zaman
15 hrs
Thank you, Syeda
agree Peter Linton (X) : Worth pointing out that the Oxford English dictionary gives preference to "program", by analogy with anagram, diagram, telegram. Programme was adopted from French, not Latin, and OED says it is now established except in connection with computing.
18 hrs
Thanks, Peter
agree Tehani
20 hrs
Thanks, Tehani
agree nlingua
2 days 21 mins
Thanks, nlingua
agree Eva Olsson
7 days
Thank you, Eva
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