Do-nut know if it’s Doughnut or Donut? Here is what we think

National Doughnut Day is celebrated in the United States on June 4 every year and one question that always pops up is – what do we call the sweet ring-shaped, fluffy, airy, package of happiness – Doughnut or Donut? 

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Here are different perspectives on the most pressing question today:

A Mary McCoy, a senior librarian in the arts, music and recreation department at the Los Angeles Central Library told NPR that she writes doughnut. Justifying her choice, she said, “It is purely personal preference because upon looking into it, they seem to be equally acceptable.”

Let’s go by the dictionaries: 

McCoy tells NPR that the word ‘doughnut’ first appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1782. However, she adds that ‘donut’ came up in the early 1800s. 

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“We have 310 books where it’s donut and 307 where it’s the other way,” McCoy adds.

Brands like McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, LaMar’s Donuts, Shipley Do-Nuts, Winchell’s Donut House, Daylight Donuts and Honey Dew Donuts have used the shorter version of the spelling for decades. However, North Carolina-based Krispy Kreme goes with ‘doughnut’.