English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
LITER or LITTER?
I hate to have ~liter~ around my house (nonstandard).
I hate to have *litters* around my house (nonstandard).
I have to have *litter* around my house (standard).
Small pieces of rubbish that have been left lying on the ground in public places are litter. Note that it is an uncountable noun and should not be pluralised. However, it can be used as a verb:
Clothes and newspapers littered the floor (standard).
How much do you now buy a ~litter~ (nonstandard)?
How much do you now buy a *litre* (standard; British)?
How much do you now buy a *liter* (standard; American)?
A liter is a unit for measuring the volume of a liquid or a gas, equal to 1,000 cubic centimetres.
GAB
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