How do you spell the word for phoning by Skype? I would like to use the word in a semi-formal way, in a work related email conversation, where I start emails with "Hi".
Skyping or Skypeing
-
I think it's called Microsofting soon... :-P– sibbaldiopsisJun 21, 2011 at 1:04
Add a comment
|
4 Answers
Use "Skyping"; just as you would "Googling" if you want to write what most people do (Based off Google hits per usage). Proper verbs (sic) seem to drop their final 'e' according to populism. That said, both are used.
Imho; Skypeing and Googleing are more correct since proper nouns are usually immutable. We don't capitalize the "i" in "iPhone" and I know of the Kennedys but not of the Kennedies.
That said I always suggest writing what others do when in doubt.
TLDR: Skyping.
In your case, it would be "skyping".
The rule for this is very simple. If the word ends in a silent 'e', and the suffix begins with a vowel, then the silent 'e' is dropped. This only applies to silent 'e', and not to any vowels. Examples are:
Hope/Hopeless/Hoping/hoped
Note how in "hopeless" the suffix doesn't begin with a vowel, so the silent 'e' is not dropped; also, "hoped" in which the suffix is "-ed", so its not "hopeed", but the silent 'e' has been dropped.
answered Jun 21, 2011 at 1:06
Although there are a few rare worlds ending "eing" ("queueing" is common and valid, although queuing is also used) in general, it's not done. Therefore I would suggest "skyping" would be the correct word.
-
The interesting question to me is how the natural inclination to drop the "e" (which I share) interacts with the proper noun Skype. Jun 20, 2011 at 23:08
-
1
-
@Ham and Bacon: I think so. According to the OED, "dying" is the correct form for "to die". The form "dyeing" exists for "to dye", though, which is a valid example for Christi's point.– CesarGonJun 21, 2011 at 1:27
-
Sorry, yes. Although I think 2 downvotes for the right answer with the wrong example a bit harsh. Ah well. Will correct.– ChristiJun 21, 2011 at 1:38
-
@Monica Cellio I feel that the rules of language should not bend to the pressures of commerce, but then I may be the only person on the planet who thinks her MP3 player is an "Ipod", however the marketing types bastardise the language.– ChristiJun 21, 2011 at 1:45
I would go with skyping because if you were to use "skypeing" you have placed two vowels together which, ignoring the few exceptions (ie dyeing which has previously been noted), is incorrect English literature.
-
However, "incorrect in English literature" is a new assertion. But it should be justified.– Andrew Leach ♦Dec 23, 2015 at 14:25