Dispatch or Despatch?

[catkingirl]

which one is it - I should probably know this and feel mildly stupid for asking. Can I just not spell or are both versions in existance?

[Cetti]

Both Dispatch and Despatch have the same meaning and one is just a variant of the other. 1.send off to a destination or for a purpose. 2.perform(a task etc.) promptly; finish off. 3.official written message, esp. military.news reportto a newspaper. 4.kill, execute. Since I started using a computer I find I am now unsure of spellings of the simplest words!!

[omblod]

The word originates from the Italian, "Dispacciare" and both spellings are equally valid. I've even seen both spellings used in the same document.