I'm just posting with a query, as I noticed in Plastikos's poem Absinthe that Americans still retain the dipthong in the word phœnix. I suppose I expected something that would look unusual to my eye, like'phenix' or somesuch.
I thought that strange, considering that you spell encyclopædia as encyclopedia, pædiatrics as pediatrics etc...
I was curious as to what other major variantions I might have missed, I'd love to have a list of variations up here to help me.

Oh, Matty, there are no rules in the US; they just write how they want to.
I thought a dipthong was a type of Korean underwear fondue type of thing...or thong.
Sorry for the frivolity - I won't do it again.

I would suggest this as a reference work

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0130151661/ref=pd_sim_books_1/102-8588705-4938516?v=glance&s=books

*eep*
Suggesting books is great, but I'm a student who can barely afford his coursebooks... ...I'll have a look for it in the library, but any further help would still be appreciated.
Cheers all!
Matt.

Much of the orthography of American English owes itself to Noah Webster, the first great lexicographer in the US. Webster wanted to do more than write a dictionary of American English, he also wanted to proclaim an American language distinct from that of Britain, this during a period of strong currents of American nationalism. Part of his program concerned spelling; Webster simply changed British forms, the most common being: -re-->-er (centre/center), -our-->-or (colour/color),
y-->i (tyre/tire), as well as other examples too numerous to mention here (gaol/jail).

You would probably have to ask her that. Canada has maintained the British spelling for a number of words. Although I must admit there are exceptions: I recall seeing the sign "tire centre" on a K Mart there.

Websters are rare here, but I know the Concise Oxford is relatively better with regards to providing word origins (which the Collins I have doesn't do).
I prefer my Oxford a lot more, and it provides a good coverage of the word variants between U.S and Commonwealth, I've just discovered My memory is terrible!
Yes, but 'Tire Centres' have a habit of turning up in places like New Zealand too, it's funny how much influence America has... ...it's a huge cause of culture death! I notice that schools in New Zealand now accept 'program' instead of 'programme'.

One of the practical reasons why phoenix retains that spelling may be because a famous city in the USA retains that spelling as do the Phoenix Islands. Spelling gave me a great deal of difficulty growing up because I extensively read English authors (or should it be authours).

Waitte a minit... are y'all sayin' thars sumthin' wrong?

I was the spelling champion of my school when I was in the eighth grade. I lost out at the next level because I misspelled...reindeer.... (I have never told that story to anyone). Actually, it could have been 'raindeer', or reigndeer, or....

tel est la vie

Ken

P.S. Notice I didn't say I was the typing champion

(Sorry for the levity...won't happen again. I realize or relise this is a serious subject).

Then try explaining Albuquerque!

Must have been a Brit who spelled/spelt it that way, All those U's!

And speaking of: What is the difference between spelled and spelt? I always spelled things wrong ( still do) I never spelt them wrong though.

"Albuquerque, Affonso de. Known as “Affonso the Great.” 1453-1515.

Portuguese colonial administrator considered the founder of the Portuguese empire in the East."
[source]

Perhaps it's Portuguese (Portugese? ) then?

The city in New Mexico, U.S., is named for a Spanish viceroy of New Spain, Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva Enriquez, Duque de Alburquerque y Marques de Cuellar (viceroy from 1701-1711). The story has it that, in 1706, provisional governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdes suggested that the town be named after the viceroy as incentive for the viceroy to grant villa status to the town, which didn't quite meet villa standards (requiring 30 families to be living in the area; there were only 18 at the time). The governor got what he wanted and the viceroy got his name in lights, as it were. The full, original name of the villa was San Francisco de Alburquerque. Phillip V of Spain apparently did not like that name and changed it to San Felipe de Alburquerque (not a bit narcissistic, that Phillip). The king's concern with such details didn't pay off in the end, as the San Felipe de was dropped from the town's name (just takes too long to say!).

The Cueva family held the title Duque de Albuquerque dating back to the 1460s when Enrique IV conferred it on Don Beltrán de la Cueva.