For the unit of measurement equaling approximately 1.094 yards, meter is the American spelling, and metre is preferred everywhere else. The same distinction applies to the terms used in poetry and music—meter in American English, and metre everywhere else. Here’s the tricky part: For any type of device (i.e., an actual machine or gadget) designed to measure time, distance, speed, or intensity or to regulate current, meter is the preferred spelling everywhere.
Examples
For example, these non-U.S. publications use metre for the unit of length as well as for the term in poetry and music:
Where a person could fall at least one metre from a building, the Australian Building Code requires balconies and barriers to be a metre high. [The Age]
Many poets and hymn-writers reworked the 23rd Psalm in metre and rhyme. [The Guardian]
See AlsoAmerica's only metric roadMetre | Rhythm, Poetry & Prosodymetre - Wiktionary, the free dictionary“Meter” or “Metre”—What's the difference? | SaplingThe first of the 43-metre ships is expected to enter service with the coast guard this year. [The Canadian Press]
Yeats was from an age when rhyming and metre were still central to a poet’s work. [Telegraph]
All versions of English use meter to denote any type ofmeasuring device—for example:
B.C.’s smart meter system will become fully operational by the end of 2012.[Canada.com]
British Gas says it has to accept the final meter reading provided by your new energy supplier. [The Guardian]
And U.S. writers use meter for all senses of the word—for example:
SomeMyrtle Beachcity leaders want to increase parking meter rates as early as this spring. [WPDE]
The finale is ablaze with a meter-fracturing folk melody in octaves. [NY Times]
He won the 400-meter dash in a time of 49.51 seconds. [Sheboygan Press]
I'm a language and measurement enthusiast, well-versed in the intricacies of linguistic nuances and the precision of units of measurement. My expertise extends to the distinctions between American and British English, as well as the usage of different measurement terms across various contexts.
Now, let's delve into the information provided in the article:
The article highlights the distinction between the American and British spellings of the unit of measurement equaling approximately 1.094 yards. In American English, it is spelled "meter," while in British English and elsewhere, it is spelled "metre."
This spelling difference also extends to the terms used in poetry and music. In American English, it's "meter," and in other English variations, it's "metre."
Here's the crucial point: When referring to any device designed to measure time, distance, speed, intensity, or regulate current, the preferred spelling is "meter" universally.
Examples from non-U.S. publications using "metre" include references to unit length and terms in poetry and music, such as the Australian Building Code requiring balconies to be a metre high and poets reworking the 23rd Psalm in metre.
On the other hand, examples from U.S. writers using "meter" include references to measuring devices, like B.C.'s smart meter system becoming fully operational and British Gas accepting the final meter reading from a new energy supplier.
In essence, the distinction in spelling depends on the context. "Metre" is used for units of length, poetry, and music in non-U.S. English, while "meter" is universally used for measuring devices, regardless of the English variation. This showcases the fascinating intricacies of language and measurement conventions.
