divergent spelling

The deliberate misspelling (or a non-standard alternative spelling) of a word. Divergent spelling is often used in brand names. Also known as sensational spelling.

See also:

• The 200 Most Commonly Misspelled Words in English
• Store Name Puns
• Verbal Play

Examples and Observations:

• "Please ptell me Pterodactyl,
  Who ptaught you how pto fly?
  Who ptaught you how pto flap your wings
  And soar up in the sky?"
  (Charles Connell, Please Ptell Me Pterodactyl. Littlehampton Book Services, 1978)



• "A bit of talcum
  Is always walcum."
  (Ogden Nash, "Babies")



• Cheez-It Crackers
  (name of an American snack food cracker)



• "I'm not dreaming anymore. I had eight shots of espresso, a six-pack of Jolt Cola, and a large bowl of Froot Loops with extra sugar. You don't sleep; you don't have nightmares."
  (Steve Urkel in Family Matters, 1997)



• "With over 200 different flavors in lip balms and lip glosses from some of the sweetest brands on the market, Lotta Luv brings you the joy and fun of what it’s like to be a kid in a candy store!"
  (Lotta Luv)



• Inglourious Basterds
  (title of a film directed by Quentin Tarantino, 2009)



• "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah"
  (title of a song by Allan Sherman, 1963)



• "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"
  (title of a song by Sly and the Family Stone, 1970)



• "I Would Die 4 U"
  (title of a song by Prince and the Revolution, 1984)



• "California Gurls"
  (title of a song by Katy Perry, 2010)



• While-U-Wait Car Radio Repair
  (name of a business in Bloomfield, New Jersey)



• Nick at Nite
  (name for a block of nighttime programming on the Nickelodeon cable television network)