Who Do You Spell Licorice?

The two spellings battled it out in American English throughout the 19th century, but, starting in 1900, "licorice" started its march to decisive victory. In the current Merriam-Webster dictionary, it is the only spelling given.

Is it spelled liquorice or licorice?

As of 2021, its English common name is spelled "liquorice" in most of the Commonwealth, but "licorice" in the United States and sometimes Canada. Historically, there were numerous other spellings.

Why is licorice spelled two different ways?

6 Answers. It actually used to be pronounced /lɪkoɹˈɛs/, as evidenced by the Old French word we borrowed it from, "licoresse". The last phoneme probably shifted from /s/ to /ʃ/ due to a similar process that happened with the words "pressure" and "sugar".