Did Dunkin’ change how we spell ‘donut’?

Wickedpedia

The coffee chain’s choice of spelling decades ago may have shaped how we write “doughnut” today.

Every New Englander loves Dunkin’— but did you know the brand may be the reason you spell the word “doughnut” as “donut”? 

Dunkin’ Donuts was founded in 1950 by Bill Rosenberg, and opened its 1,000th franchise location just 29 years later. Around the same time, “donut” began trending in popularity — a shift that, according to Google Ngram Viewer, coincided with the company’s own use of the shorter spelling.

“Language doesn’t exist within a vacuum, but is very much informed by the way that we live our lives and the cultures that we may be part of,” said Adam Cooper, Director of Linguistics at Northeastern University. “In this particular case, the brands that we may be fond of or have strong associations with.”  

How ‘donut’ became the popular spelling

By the late 20th century, “donut” had become so widespread that Merriam-Webster added it as a variant spelling. “It was certainly helped along by famous doughnut purveyors – both Dunkin’ and Mister,” the publisher noted.

Mister Donut was founded by Harry Winokur, the brother-in-law of Dunkin’ founder Bill Rosenberg. The two originally went into business together, but after a “falling out” over the operations, Winokur launched his own chain. While they couldn’t agree on business, they both agreed on spelling — “donut” stuck.

Mister Donut operates mostly out of Asia today, but Dunkin’s parent company acquired its U.S. operations in 1990, further cementing “donut” as the dominant spelling.

‘Donut’ in everyday speech

Cooper suggests the rise of “donut” could be considered a genericization—a spelling shaped by brand identity and everyday speech. Words have become shorter due to their online-usage, he said, pointing to what he calls “internet speak.”

While “doughnut” reflects the word’s origins (dough) and hence the more etymologically informative form, “donut” better matches how the word sounds when spoken out loud. 

“[Donut] is more direct, this is shorter, this is to the point,” Cooper said. “I think this gives you a clear sense of how the word is actually pronounced.”

AP still says ‘doughnut’

Despite the cultural dominance, the Associated Press remains loyal to “doughnut,” writing on Facebook in 2022: “Our style is doughnut, not donut. We are aware that this causes consternation for some of you. But it is in keeping with dictionary recommendations.”