- Gray is common in American English.
- Grey is common in British English
(also in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa).
What Does “Gray” Mean?
Gray can be a noun, an adjective, and a verb.
As a noun, “gray” refers to “the intermediate color between black and white.”
When painting, I often mix up the white acrylic paint with black to get the shade of gray I desire.
Gray, the adjective, describes things that are this color.
I was looking for gray shoes to match my outfit.
As a verb, (to) gray means to become gray with age (and usually refers to hair).
Wow, I haven’t seen you in a while. Your hair sure has grayed.
So, Is It “Gray” or “Grey”
This leaves us with the question: Is it gray or grey? The answer is that both are correct, depending on who you ask.
Gray is the preferred spelling in American English, while grey is how this word is spelled in British English. Both variations of this word come from the Old English “grǣg,” and are pronounced the same.
Expressions and Quotes with the Word “Gray”
You might have heard of the phrase a gray area. This refers to a situation or field that is “ambiguous, unclear, or open to interpretation.”
Winning takes precedence over all. There's no gray area. No almosts. —Kobe Bryant
I don't have to choose between high fashion or streetwear. My brand reminds me that it doesn't have to fit in a box. It can just be in a gray area. —Virgil Abloh
Occasionally, gray is used on its own to refer to this “unclear and ambiguous area,” as in the following quote:
The color of truth is gray. —Andre Gide
Don’t Let This “Gray” Your Hair
The variations of how this color is spelled can be confusing, especially if you’re an English language learner. However, you shouldn’t let this gray/grey your hair. LanguageTool, a multilingual text editor, can detect which dialect you’re writing in, and make sure you use the correct variation of this word.
