Maybe Noah Webster had a point. We say this because, as much as we love Australian English, some of the spellings we’ve kept from British English are confusing. Take ‘draft’ and ‘draught’. Look different written down, don’t they? So you’d assume that they must sound different, too. Think again!
‘Draft’ and ‘draught’ actually sound the same despite differing in meaning. So check out our guide to make sure you can use them correctly.
‘Draft’ began as a variant spelling of ‘draught’. Over time, however, we started to use these spellings for separate things. And in modern Australian English, we can use ‘draft’ as a noun or a verb.
As a noun, the main meanings of ‘draft’ are:
And as a verb, we can use this term to mean:
In any of these cases, then, the correct spelling will usually be ‘draft’. One exception is someone who creates technical drawings, which uses the old-fashioned spelling ‘draughtsperson’.
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We still use the older spelling of ‘draught’ in Australian English for several things, including as both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, it can refer to:
As an adjective, meanwhile, we can use it to describe the following:
In addition, we call the game with round pieces on a chequerboard draughts. American English uses ‘draft’ for all these terms except the game, which is called ‘checkers’ in the United States.
In Australian English, the words ‘draft’ and ‘draught’ have distinct meanings:
Don’t forget, too, that American English uses the spelling ‘draft’ in all cases. And to ensure your writing is error free, you can also have it proofread.
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