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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Adjective: Alphabetic vs "Alphabetical

I am confused about the proper use of the adjective "Alphabetic"  vs "Alphabetical".   What is the proper grammar to express a request to arrange items from 'A to Z'?

  1. The list names should be arranged in Alphabetic order.
  2. The list of names should be arranged in Alphabetical order.
 
NOTE: I attempted to find an answer with searches on Google for phrases like "Grammar Alphabetical vs Alphabetic",  "Definition:Alphabetical", "Definition:Alphabetic", etc.  Unfortunately, the two words are all so commonly used in the discussion of word and dictionaries themselves.  Finding guidance on their proper use via a search engine has proven too challenging for me.
  

Top answer

They are synonymous. This happens with a number of -ic/-ical adjectives.

— Mister Micawber

  • They are synonymous.
  • This happens with a number of -ic/-ical adjectives.
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3 Answers
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They are synonymous. This happens with a number of -ic/-ical adjectives.
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Personally, I would use only alphabetical order.

I'd be interested in hearing who would use alphabetic.
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In a web search. try using "contrast" or "Compare" to find differences. The software does a great job then showing differences and similarities.

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