Dispatch and despatch are two, commonly argued over, spellings of a word, meaning "to send". Many people today frown upon improper grammar and spelling. With computers, it is almost impossible to misspell a word, or use any word or phrase in an improper way. Now, there are spelling and grammar checks galore, available in nearly every program available on a computer; even certain phones enable
. this feature.Dispatch comes from the Italian word dispacciare (sic) and despatch comes from the Spanish word despacher. Both words mean the same thing, however in Britain, the people rather use the despatch form of the word. According to the Oxford dictionary, as well as several other sources, both variations - whether dispatch or despatch - are correct.The 19th century, American English slowly phased out the use of the "e" vowel with this word and replaced it with an "i", making despatch now dispatch. Before the 19th century, both dispatch and despatch were very commonly used, with out any controversy. The different spelling and slight pronunciation difference came from England, where vowel centered words tend to vary slightly in the spelling, such as: colour, theatre and so on. Despatch is rarely ever used in modern print, although British and similar cultures continue to us it due to the belief that it is the only correct spelling. Before the 1900s, despatch could be found with out much searching in text books and novels. Now, it is very difficult to find the variance of the word.Ultimately, the difference between dispatch and despatch is not one that is beyond the difference of the spelling. Many express that the spelling differences are up to the person who is using the word. Others, such as college professors or educators, prefer that one stays with the spelling option dispatch.
