Aunty vs. Auntie

The main difference between the words Aunty and Auntie are two, the first one is that Aunty is more frequently used in British English while Auntie is more frequently used in American English. The other is that Aunty is mostly used in a more formal tone while Auntie is considered a less formal word.

Comparison Chart

Basis of Distinction Aunty
Auntie
Definition A relative that has at least 25% of genetic relationship with the person. A genetic connection that is pretty close to the person who can call them their relative.
Connection Aunty is considered the casual term for Aunt. Auntie is considered the casual term for Aunty.
Usage Mostly used in British English Mostly used in American English
Origin In the early 18th century In 1970’s

What is Aunty?

The term Aunty can be defined in two different ways, the first one being that an aunty is a sister of either your father or mother, it can also be called to someone who is the wife of your uncle. The second definition will be that which is not related to anyone. In more technical terms it can be defined as a relative that has at least 25% of the genetic relationship with the person they are a relative with. It should be noted that most of the people use the same word for their grandparent which are then called grand-aunt.

Aunty

The etymology of this word gives an interesting read as it is derived from the world ante which is a French word, this word itself was originated from Latin language word amita which means like a mother. This shows that the word is closely related to the family but in the English language, the word has somewhat changed to a formal way of calling your relative which is not that close. It is more used as well, especially in British English. The best example of this word will be “I have come to drop this letter for your son, Aunty” this gives the impression that the person is known to the other properly. The word itself has been existing for a long time and has roots well in the 18th centuries when it was properly introduced in the English language from French.

What is Auntie?

It can then be defined as the adult female friend or an unknown person who is in some sort of connection with a young one. This term is also associated with women who like to gossip a lot or the ones who like to talk more than others in a daily routine.

Auntie

But most important thing perhaps to know about it is that this word belongs to the American English and therefore can be called a synonym of Aunty in the American language. It can, therefore, be said that this term can be used for someone you love or someone you do not have any sort of affection with, but that can differ in the way the words is uttered.

There are many ways of describing the word, it is the less formal term and is usually associated with people who do have some sort of emotional resemblance. It also has been associated with kids who like to call elders with a different name and therefore it converted from aunty to auntie though there are no proper proofs for it.

For most language purposes Auntie is considered the informal term for Aunt and has been used in most books which are not that closely connected to literature. This word is considered more formal and mostly used this way in Language. The term can be explained in several ways with the help of examples such as “Hello Auntie, looks like you have cooked something delicious for dinner tonight” It gives the impression that the person is being talked by someone who knows them and has some sort of connection with them.

Key Differences between Aunty and Auntie

The Key Differences between Aunty and Auntie between Aunty vs. Auntie are given below:

  1. The word Aunty has been used for well over two centuries while the world Auntie has been recently introduced as late as 1970’s.
  2. The term Aunty is mostly used in British English while the term Auntie is mostly used in American English.
  3. In more technical terms the word Auntie is used for someone with whom you have a blood relation while the term Aunty is used for someone who is not genetically related to the other person.
  4. The best example of Aunty will be “I have come to drop this letter for your son, Aunty” while the best example of the world Auntie will be “Hello Auntie, looks like you have cooked something delicious for dinner tonight.”
  5. The word Aunty is considered the casual term for Aunt while the world Auntie is considered the casual term for Aunty.

Leave a Comment