Whisky ou whisky ? Comment l’épelez-vous correctement ?
Carsten ObliersWhisky or whiskey? Everyone who has dealt with the golden brown spirit has probably asked themselves this question at some point.
What is the correct spelling of Whisky / Whiskey?
The answer to the question is basically simple: both spellings are correct , because whisky and whiskey are both terms that refer to the world-famous alcoholic beverage made from grain malt, which is produced by distillation and aging in barrels.
Whiskey is written with the letter "e" if it is Irish or American Whiskey . The spelling "whiskey" comes from Irish Gaelic and was adopted into the English language when Irish whiskey became popular in Britain and the United States.
The spelling "Whisky" without the "e", on the other hand, is the spelling used in most countries outside of North America and Ireland .
In Scotland, for example, whisky has been spelled without an "e" for centuries , and this spelling has also been adopted in most other countries, including Canada, India, Japan, Sweden and Germany.
There are also differences in pronunciation between the two terms. Whisky is often pronounced with hard consonants, while Whiskey tends to have soft consonants.
There are also differences in pronunciation between the different regions in which Whiskey/Whisky is produced.
There are also regional differences in pronunciation in North America, although these are less pronounced than in Scotland and Ireland.
How do you write Whiskey/Whiskey in the plural?
1. Whiskies: The Scottish and Canadian Tradition
Scotland, the home of single malt and smoky peat notes, has its own way of spelling the plural of whisky: "whiskies." This rule is also followed in Canada and most parts of the world,
2. Whiskeys: The Irish and American variants
If we look at the green expanses of Ireland or the vast landscape of America, we find a different spelling. Here we speak of “whiskey” in the singular. Accordingly , the plural is formed with “whiskeys” . The difference in spelling shows not only linguistic differences, but also cultural differences and the diverse history of whiskey production in these countries.
As with the singular, there are no hard and fast rules for the plural form
If you want to make an effort, you should try to use the spelling consistently and form the plural form of the word "Whiskey" or "Whisky" according to the spelling used.
The different spellings of whiskey at a glance
| Expression | region | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Whisky (singular) | Scotland, Japan, Germany, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France, India, Iceland, Italy, Namibia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Wales etc. | The traditional spelling in most regions of the world. |
| Whiskies (plural) | The correct plural of "whisky". | |
| Whiskey (singular) | Ireland, USA | The special spelling with an additional “e” can be found in Ireland and the USA. |
| Whiskeys (plural) | The correct plural of "whiskey" in Ireland and the USA. |
The liquid in the bottle is the same
At the end of the article we would like to make it clear once again that the liquid you end up with in the bottle or glass is the same. Whisky / Whiskey is made from grain malt, which is usually barley, wheat, rye or corn.
The grain malt is ground and soaked in water to extract the starch and the resulting mash is then allowed to ferment to produce alcohol. The mash is then distilled and placed in barrels where it ages for a specific period of time.
The taste and color of the Whisky/Whiskey depends on the type of grain, the barrel in which it was stored and the length of aging, rather than the spelling.
