Donut vs Doughnut: What’s the Correct Spelling?
Whether you call them doughnuts or donuts, we can all agree that they’re delicious! But should you use “donut” or “doughnut?” The donut vs. doughnut debate hasn’t been settled, but we can tell you more about where each term came from and when you should choose one over the other.
What is a Doughnut?
The word “doughnut” first appeared in 1782. The first part of the word “dough” comes from the fact that doughnuts start as dough, like all bread and pastries. But where does the second part of the word “nut” come from?
What we can say with some certainty is that in the 18th century, people realized that a round piece of dough wouldn’t cook evenly, leaving the dough in the center raw and undercooked. They came up with two possible solutions: replacing the dough in the center with actual nuts or cutting out the center of the pastry and leaving a hole in the middle.
Most dictionaries list doughnut as the preferred spelling, as does the Associated Press. Doughnut is the spelling most often used outside of the United States and in more formal contexts.
What is a Donut?
“Donut” has been an alternate spelling of “doughnut” since the early 1800s, probably because it’s simpler and more phonetic – it’s spelled how we say it!
In the early 1800s, spelling was not standardized, so donut was just one alternative to “doughnut” – people also spelled it as “donote” or “downut!” Nobody really uses either of those spellings anymore, but “donut” is here to stay!
In the United States, where we’ve simplified the spellings of lots of English words – think of how we took “colour” and modified it to “color” – the spelling donut has been popular for hundreds of years. This may be because words with “ough” are tricky – think of how through, though, bough, and sought all sound different.
The simplified spelling “donut” really took off in the United States in the 1950s after the now ubiquitous chain Dunkin’ Donuts was founded in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1948. Since then, many Americans have preferred the spelling donut to a doughnut.
Donut vs Doughnut: What’s the Difference?
Donut vs doughnut – which should you use? They mean the same thing, but “doughnut” is more formal than donut. Donut is also used about as often as “doughnut” in the United States, but rarely, if ever, in other English-speaking countries.
In 2021, a senior librarian at the Los Angeles Central Library surveyed the library’s collection of cookbooks. 310 of the books used the spelling donut, and 307 used doughnut, so it was an almost even split.
Trick to Remembering Which One to Use
Here are some donut vs doughnut tips and tricks if you’re not sure which spelling to use!
“Doughnut” is a more formal spelling than “donut.” That means if you’re writing an article for a newspaper or writing a paper for one of your classes, spelling it doughnut is the way to go!
“Doughnut” and “donut” are both used in the United States in less formal contexts. English speakers in other countries tend to prefer “doughnut.” So, if you’re writing to your friend from Columbus or San Diego, donuts and doughnuts are both fine! If you’re sending a text to your cousin in Singapore or your pen pal in London, “donut” might look strange to them, so use doughnut instead.
Final Thoughts
Donut vs doughnut? Unless it’s a formal context – like a school assignment or an Associated Press newspaper – or a country outside of the United States, both spellings are correct. There’s nothing wrong with either spelling. In most contexts, you can use whichever version you like best!
