Towards vs. Toward

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Leslie in Taos, New Mexico.

Hi, welcome to the show.

Hi, Leslie.

Hi, thank you.

Well, I do some editing and proofing and came up against this issue of toward versus towards. You know, the writer, the author that I’m working with feels like towards is what’s comfortable for him, what he feels is normal. And I kind of feel like toward is the way it should go, and I just want some clarification.

And where is he from, Leslie?

Well, he lives in California now, but I think he grew up somewhere in the East Coast.

Okay. And why do you feel it’s the other way?

Toward? I just think that’s what I’ve always seen and that the S seems unnecessary.

So we’re talking about toward, T-O-W-A-R-D, versus towards, T-O-W-A-R-D-S, right?

Okay.

Right.

And there’s a pretty simple distinction. It’s much more common in the U.K. to say towards with the S on the end, and it’s much more common in this country to say it without the S on the end.

Okay.

Would he be grammatically incorrect if he wants to keep the S?

I wouldn’t say he’d be grammatically incorrect. I mean, it’s not really about grammar. Yeah, it’s more like about style. So stylistically, whatever the house style guide is. So if you, say, are the editor of a book publishing company, you might have house style that says, even though you have an American audience, you might prefer the S on toward, and that would just be the way that you would do it.

Yeah.

But by no means is it clear cut. Certainly, as the Internet over the last 20-plus years has exposed more Americans to British writing and more British to American writing, it’s become more kind of confused.

Okay, because he likes to write in his, like, speaking voice.

Very interesting that you mention that, Leslie, because I was just about to say, now that I’m thinking about it, when I’m speaking, I will say towards.

Yeah.

But when I’m writing, I don’t use the S.

Interesting.

Isn’t that funny?

Yeah.

And I guess that’s just the way he grew up.

Yeah, or he reads a lot of, you know, in his field, he reads a lot of British writing. You know, maybe a lot of British academic journals. Maybe just he picked it up.

Yes.

But in any case, it’s not a major style error or violation, but I would be consistent throughout the document that you’re editing. Whichever you choose, make sure you stick with it.

Okay.

Well, thank you.

Sure thing.

Glad to help.

Okay.

Thanks, Leslie.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

And, you know, the great thing is that it’s a written document because there’s the whole difference of opinion. Yeah, the pronunciation of T-O-W-A-R-D, the kind of, how shall we put this, classic, maybe even elitist pronunciation is toward, T-O-R-D. But many, many, many, many people throughout the English-speaking world, throughout the Anglosphere, say toward. They say it toward. They say it like it’s written. They pronounce the W. It’s two syllables, not one.

You know, I think I grew up saying it one syllable, toward.

With the W.

Yeah, with the W.

So there’s three pronunciations there. So toward, toward, and toward.

So I’m glad Leslie didn’t call about that.

Yeah, well, I think we’ve cleared that up anyway.

Have we?

Yeah, say whatever you want, then go forth.

No, it’s almost to the point of being snobby to insist that someone say toward, because it is so incredibly rare these days.

Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about it. At least in this country or this continent, people tend not to say toward.

Right, right.

And it’s a word that comes from toward, to in that direction.

Right.

Yeah.

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