Possible Duplicate:
“Whereäs” as an alternative spelling of “whereas”
I've always wondered which is the correct spelling: "naïve" or "naive"? Are both correct, and it is just whichever you feel comfortable with?
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2Possible duplicate: the question of naïve is covered in the top answer.– KosmonautFeb 15, 2011 at 20:07
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@Kosmonaut: yes, good catch. The question is different, but the answer covers this one very nicely; this’ll be a useful redirect to have to that one.– PLLFeb 15, 2011 at 20:29
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4FWIW in my 68+ years this is the first time i've seen "whereas" with a diaeresis; for that reason, i'd not call “Whereäs” as an alternative spelling of “whereas” a duplicate of this thread or vice versa, rather imho the two threads complement each other. Typing diacriticals and the diaeresis is greatly facilitated when one uses the Windows US-international keyboard.– gerryLowryFeb 4, 2016 at 9:30
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3some may enjoy reading The Curse of the Diaeresis by Mary Norris, The New Yorker, 2012-04-26– gerryLowryFeb 4, 2016 at 9:33
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naïve is the correct and official spelling/writing but naive is accepted, mostly because people can't be bothered putting the two dots on the i.– user29418Jan 11, 2017 at 3:01
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1 Answer
Either way. The dieresis is optional. Mostly it gets left off because people find it difficult to add it.
Actually, spelling it "naïve" is seen less and less, at least in the U.S., and is probably moribund if not actually archaic at this point here.
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2Presumably you mean the spelling with the diaeresis is moribund? In UK usage at least, the word per se seems common enough. Feb 15, 2011 at 20:25
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1@Neil Coffey: Yes, I thought it was clear from context. I'll make it explicit just in case.– RobustoFeb 15, 2011 at 20:26