Toward vs. Towards

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hello.

Hi, who’s this?

This is Julie calling from Fort Worth, Texas.

Well, hello, Julie. What’s on your mind?

Well, I’ve always been taught that there’s no such word as towards with an S on the end, but I see it that way all the time, so I’m confused as to which is correct. Is it toward or toward?

So T-O-W-A-R-D-S, you’ve been told by whom that it’s incorrect?

By my English teacher in high school, that it’s not a real word.

Toward with the S is not a real word?

That’s what I was told in high school.

Okay. And how do you feel about that?

Well, it’s kind of become a pet peeve of mine when I see it with an S and then I see it everywhere. So now I’m starting to think that maybe he was wrong.

Julie, I have some advice for you. Don’t move to England, whatever you do.

Okay.

Okay. Because that’s one of the differences between British English and American English. Over there you will see towards much more often than you’ll see toward. But in this country, the prevalent usage is toward without the S. There’s no harm in just sticking to toward, and there’s no harm in following the rule. But I would say that if you’re getting peeved off every time you see somebody using an S, just remember that there are tens or hundreds of millions of English speakers who do use the S.

Well, I haven’t berated anyone or anything. It’s just been an internal irking.

You didn’t break any windows or key any cars or anything like that?

No, no.

Something violent.

Yeah.

Yeah, that’s great.

Yeah, well, I would just say simplify your life. This is a grammar tip for tough economic times. Just simplify. Just use toward. Leave off the last S for savings, yes.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for calling, Julie.

Bye-bye.

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