When to use the word chili or chile depends on the context. Both spellings are technically correct when referring to the capsium fruit called chili pepper or chile pepper. Webster’s Dictionary provides three spellings –chili, chile and chilli–that are all defined as either hot peppers or a dish of meat and spices. And of course, we have Chile (with an uppercase “C”), the country west of Argentina.
The truth is, lots of people actually disagree about which spelling should be used.
The word chile comes from the Aztec word “chil,” which means pepper. The Spanish later added an “e” to the end of the word, making it a noun in their language.
The use of the spelling is very regional as well. In New Mexico you will frequently see it spelled chile. However, just across the border in Texas, it is more commonly spelled as chili.
I prefer to use the word chili to describe the main dish chili con carne (chili with meat) and also the powdered blend of chile peppers and spice used for seasoning chili. I use the word chile to describe the fruit or the powdered blend of chile peppers used as a spice and seasoning.
Which spelling do you prefer?
