Gage or gauge – which one is correct?

Gage or gauge? Frankly, gage and gauge are the two variants of the same word and are both pronounced /ɡeɪdʒ/. So what makes them different apart from the spelling? Let’s get lost in the details!

Gage or gauge – what’s the difference?

The first and primal diversity between them is the geographical split of their usages. Gauge is more widespread, and gage is its less common spelling variety that is sometimes used in the US territory.

Gage and gauge – what does it mean and when do we use it?

As mentioned before, gage and gauge are synonyms; thus, they might be used interchangeably. Both words can appear in sentences as a verb and a noun. The first concerns the activity of measuring and making a judgment about something. The latter appertains to a device measuring the amount or size. In the engineering field, it can mean the distance between the rails or the thickness of a material.

Examples of gage and gauge in sentences

Cantore, whose Twitter coverage alone often spans multiple states, is an expert gage on the severity of adverse weather.

Molly Weisner, Louisville Courier Journal

Over the course of a conversation, eye contact is made through a series of glances – by the speaker, to make sure the other person has understood or to gage reactions, and by the listener to indicate interest in either the other person or what’s being said.

Carol Kinsey Goman, Forbes

Polls are the easiest way to gauge what might happen in the midterm elections.

Henry Olsen, The Washington Post

The survey team also used data from a regional water management agency gauge 2.5 miles upstream from the mouth of the Steinhatchee River.

Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today