Dialogue used in American English?

[Torsten]

Hi,

I sometimes see US websites uses the word "dialogue" (British spelling). What might be the reason for this?

Thanks,
Torsten
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Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Mister Micawber]

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I don't think that those spelling differences are so strictly observed as grammar books would suggest, Torsten. The difference is there, but it is crumbling-- especially with Canada in the middle, so to speak. The same is true of others pairs--'theater/theatre', 'color/colour', etc. In this case, for many AmE writers, 'dialog' seems like an abbreviation, I think, and 'dialogue' seems more formally correct.

Where writers are writing for publication, their publishers certainly have stricter guidelines, but websites are pretty much editor-free, aren't they?
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Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mister Micawber

[Yankee]

Hi Torsten

As you've noticed, 'dialogue' is not just the "British" spelling. It is also American spelling. If you check an American dictionary, you'll see that 'dialog' is a variant spelling used in AmE (i.e. 'dialog' is also used).
http://www.bartleby.com/61/56/D0195600.html

In American English, I do not think using the spelling 'dialog' rather than 'dialogue' is comparable to using 'catalog' rather than 'catalogue', for example. I'd say 'catalog' is more firmly fixed as "the" usual American spelling than 'dialog' is.
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