Understanding the difference between grey vs gray is essential for English learners. Although both words refer to the same color between black and white, their usage depends on regional preferences.
When no color is added, the color is "neutral grey", "achromatic grey", or simply "grey". Images consisting wholly of black, white and greys are called monochrome, black-and-white, or greyscale.
Despite the American preference for gray, the spelling grey retains a healthy presence in a lot of cultural references known to Americans, appearing in brand names like Grey Poupon (mustard) and Grey Goose (vodka), both of which originated in France.
GREY definition: 1. of the colour that is a mixture of black and white, the colour of rain clouds: 2. having hair…. Learn more.
"Gray" and "grey" are both correct spellings of the word for the neutral or achromatic color—a color “without color" between black and white, like a cloud-covered sky, ashes, or lead.
Grey is an alternate spelling for the word gray, which is a color derived from mixing white and black. The word has also come to stand in for other mixtures as well.
From Middle English grey, from Old English grēġ (Anglian). The spelling grey reflects the Anglian vowel development, whereas the variant gray stems from the West Saxon form grǣġ (through Middle English gray).
The fundamental difference between “grey” and “gray” is that “gray” is the widely accepted version in American English, and “grey” is widely accepted in British English.
Grey vs. Gray: Which Is Correct and Why There Are Two Spellings
grey | gray, adj. & n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary