A reader wants to know if it is correct to use ‘words ending in’ instead of ‘words ending with.’ in a sentence.
‘with’ and ‘in’ can be used with the verb ‘end’ and therefore both ending with ...and ending in ... are correct. Here are some examples from the Oxford Dictionaries website:
*Many verbs that end in -ize in American English can also end in -ise in British English. For example, in British English, all of the following spellings are acceptable: finalize/finalise; organize/organise; realize/realise. In American English, the only correct spellings are finalize, organize, and realize.
*There are also a few verbs that always end in -yze in American English. Examples are: analyze, catalyze, paralyze, dialyze, psychoanalyze.
But, ‘end something with something’ is the correct form. Look at these examples:
*Can we end a sentence with a preposition?
*Why don’t we end the programme with a dance?
Another readert wants to know if it is correct to use ‘Spelled with…’ instead of ‘Spelled in…’
It is not easy to say whether the word ‘spelled’ should be followed by the preposition ‘with’ or ‘in’. We can make sentences using either of the prepositions as in the following examples:
*In both American and British English, there are a small set of verbs that must always be spelled with -ise at the end. The main reason for this is that, in these words, -ise is part of a longer word element rather than being a separate ending in its own right. For example: -cise (meaning 'cutting) in the word excise; -prise (meaning 'taking') as in surprise; or -mise (meaning 'sending') in promise.
How is the word spelled in British English?
—rayanal@yahoo.co.uk