Why does realise have a red line underneath?

[flobadob]

Why when I type the word "realise" here it has a red squiggle underneath that suggests it is spelled incorrectly?

[Count-A-Strong]

Are you on firefox? If so it will be set to US English as the default.

[Vagrant]

probably because your spell checker is set to US not UK English - it probably expects realize.

[DickieBrakelight]

you may have your keyboard set to US English, in which case your spellchecker prefers the American 'realize' - try it with a z and see if thge underline vanishes - then revert to 'realise'

[redman41]

It's probably your spell checker questioning your spelling

[gen2]

You must be using an American dictionary for your spellchecker. Switch to a UK English one.

[flobadob]

How can I change that?

[mike11111]

The ending 'ize' is not confined to American usage. It is also the original correct English spelling and is perfectly acceptable. The ending 'ise', although correct, is a later development.

[boxtops]

There must be a way in your spell checker to add words. Just add "realise" and you won't get the red line any more.

[AlBags]

Best to switch it off altogether .. Slows it down.

[Buenchico]

At no point have you actually told us which program you're typing 'realise' into. (Word? Firefox?) Until you do so we can't tell you how to switch to a British (rather than American) dictionary.

However almost all applications allow you to get an 'error' word accepted by the current dictionary. Simply right-click on the word and select 'Add to dictionary'.

Chris

[flobadob]

I meant here as in here, on answerbank.

[Buenchico]

Well we're almost there then, Flobadob, but you've still not said which browser you're using!

If it's Firefox you need to add the British English dictionary:
https://addons.mozill...S/firefox/addon/3366/

Chris

[Hopkirk]

Right click and select 'add to dictionary'

[Quizmonster]

Re the ise/ize matter, the old rule - and one still largely followed by The Oxford English Dictionary - was that words derived from classical Greek with the letter zeta in their suffix were rendered ize in English...ie retained the ‘z'. However, many modern publishers - including The Times newspaper - prefer the Latinate and more modern ise for most such words. Thus, normal British usage has realise, organise, apologise and so on.
Certain words - eg capsize - are never modified to have an ise ending. In the same way, there are others - such as disguise, analyse, circumcise, televise - which are never given an ize ending. Apart from the exceptions mentioned above, you are basically free to use whichever form - ise/ize - you prefer! Only...be consistent.
I hope you get your spell-checker modified successfully.

[flobadob]

I mostly always use firefox so I'll have a look at the add-on cheers chris. Saying that it's not something that overly bothers me I just wondered why it was happening. I've also noticed that the word "programme" is the same as in television programme.

[jno]

yes, Americans only have programs, the poor things. Probably because programmes need to be shorter to fit in the ads.