6 JANUARY 1912, Page 26

" S" OR " 2i „ ?

[To THE EDITOR' OP TUE "SPECTATOR.” :SIR,—I venture, fully aware that I may be called a pedant for any pains, to protest against the spelling of words like " paralyse," " analyse," with " z " instead of " a " (see Spec-. iator, December 23rd, 1911, p. 1111, 2nd column). It is unnecessary to point out that this spelling is based on a :grossly false analogy with words in " ize." It has made its way into most newspapers, including one which professes to kle specially concerned with literary matters. And now the .,Spectator is becoming infected. Soon the dictionaries will be able to say that it is an "established usage avoided by