Disc vs. Disk- What is the Difference?

Disc vs Disk

Disc is the preferred spelling in British English which commonly refers to a round object like a CD, a Frisbee, or a part of the body situated between the spinal bones.

Disk is also used for circular objects, but it is a preferred spelling in American English.

Is it disc or disk? After all, both the words mean the same and are used for thin, flat, or circular objects. So disc and disk are just different spellings of the same word. The pronunciations are also the same, but the usage differs according to the writing convention you follow.

When is disc used?

Disc is the preferred spelling in British English which commonly refers to a round object like a CD, a Frisbee, or a part of the body situated between the spinal bones. For instance,

  • I love throwing the Frisbee with my friends.
  • Mary has a slipped disc; she is advised bed rest.
  • He is the most popular disc jockey in town.

When is disk used?

Disk is also used for circular objects, but it is a preferred spelling in American English. In addition, it is also referred to as computer hardware or a storage device; interestingly, a storage device such as a floppy diskette or a hard drive that is rectangular is also called a disk. For instance,

  • I copied all my music on a hard disk.
  • Floppy disks have become obsolete.

We hope we have helped you get clarity on the difference between disc and disk.

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