Although ax is the more etymologically-correct spelling of the two words, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, common usage has preferred axe for multiple centuries, rendering the two-letter spelling unbalanced and archaic to modern eyes. Curiously, ax has regained some popularity in American English throughout the last century and now appears in print only slightly less frequently than its three-lettered rival. Nonetheless, the standard spelling remains axe, which both American and British English prefer. The same goes for its compound uses (e.g., pickaxe, poleaxe, axeman).