Aluminum or Aluminium - Which is it?

Alumin(i)um is a chemical element with an atomic numer of 13, known for its relatively low density compared to most metals and the widespread use of its alloys in aviation, automotive and other engineering applications. This metal is often the center of controversy when it comes to what it should be called. Depending on which dialect of English you speak, you may feel odd when hear the other form. Americans and Canadians often wonder why some people call this silvery lightweight metal 'aluminium', while the rest of the English-speaking world feel that the American English form 'aluminum' seems crude. 

When my students ask me which pronunciation/spelling is correct, I usually reply with: "Long story or short?"

The Short Story

• Americans and Canadians call it 'aluminum'
• The 'aluminium' spelling is used in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and other English-speaking countries
• Scientific organizations (based on IUPAC - the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry adopting the name in 1990) have adopted 'aluminium' as the standard name, however to add to the confusion the 'aluminum' spelling is also acknowledged by them. 
• Both forms are correct, however aluminium seems to preferred in international publications and discourse.

Long Story

The year is 1808 and chemist/heartthrob Humphry Davy managed to isolate a metal from alum salts in an article. Davy coined the name 'alumium' for this material referring to to the term 'alumine', a natural oxide of the metal. However, Davy was many things, but consistent was not one of them. In his 1811 book, Davy used the 'aluminum' spelling rather than his original coinage. Davy's colleague, Thomas Young, anonymously proposed an alternative spelling with the ending -ium so that aluminium would be in line with the naming of elements like magnesium or helium. What makes the matter more interesting is that there are plenty of elements with the -um ending like molybdenum or platinum. The classical naming argument proposed by Young eventually led Davy to start using the -ium spelling, along with most Europeans. 

Humphry Davy contemplating how to spell alumin(i)um

A decade later, Noah Webster was in the process of compiling his American Dictionary of the English Language and selected 'aluminum' spelling for his lexicon. By the 1830s, most Americans were using the -um spelling and the rest is history. During this same period, Europeans adopted the -ium  ending full-heartedly and the division was essentially forged. Once the Hall-Heroult process became widespread and the price of the metal dropped and the availability skyrocketed the -um spelling was used in the resulting advertisements and media coverage in the United States and by the end of the 19th century the -ium spelling was practically nonexistent in the United States and Canada. In 1925, the 'aluminum' spelling was formally accepted by the American Chemical Society and this spelling continued to be used among the American scientific community, until 1990 when IUPAC officially determined that 'aluminium' would be the proper term used in scientific discourse. However in 2005, the -um spelling was recognized as also being appropriate by the same organization. 

Conclusion

The history of the aluminum/aluminium dichotomy only seems to complicate the debate on which form is correct. After explaining why there is a difference between the two forms, I tell my students that choosing which form of  alumin(i)um they should use depends purely on which dialect of the language they are speaking.

• Aluminum for Am.E and Can.E
• Aluminium for Brit.E and Aus.E

That still doesn't answer, which form is correct. Personally, I believe that aluminium is the more appropriate term for its use in the professional sphere because of its acceptance in scientific publications. However, I catch myself using aluminum when speaking casually due to my American upbringing. The main point is that there is really no purpose in splitting hairs over which form is correct or better. It's more important to be communicative rather than worrying if a native speaker is going to be concerned with which name of element 13 you choose to use.  

Engineering Vocabulary

• atomic numer - alternatively called the proton numer, refers to the number of protons in an atom. Aluminium has a atomic number of 13. 
• silvery - term used to describe the color and luster of materials - Aluminium appears as a silvery metal.
• luster/lustrous - how shiny a metal is / the state of being shiny - Aluminium is very lustrous when it is polished, but oxidizes very easily. 
• applied chemistry - the branch of chemistry dedicated to using chemistry to solve engineering problems and commercializing chemistry innovations Applied chemistry is responsible for many of the adhesives, paints, and solvents used by industry. 
• to skyrocket - to increase rapidly - The price of bitcoin skyrocketed in 2021.