zsh

    
# Zsh
function argn { echo $#; }

var='spaced string'
argn $var
# Prints 1: makes sense, no word splitting here

var=(array 'of strings')
argn $var
# Prints 2: makes sense, I'm using a 2-wide array where I would
#           want 2 arguments (the second one happens to have
#           a whitespace in it)

  

    
# Bash
function argn { echo $#; }

var='spaced string'
argn $var
# Prints 2: non-array variable gets split in 2 with this simple reference;
#           I hate it, but hey, it is what it is

argn ${var}
# Prints 2: no, braces do not prevent word splitting as I think you suggested

var=(array 'of strings')
argn $var
# Prints 1: ... what?

echo $var
# Prints array: ... what?!?
#               It implicitly takes the first element?
#               At least it doesn't word-split said first element, right?

var=('array of' strings)
argn $var
# Prints 2:

  

    
# Bash
mkdir /tmp/bashtest ; cd /tmp/bashtest
touch 'file 1'
touch 'file 2'

stat file*
# Prints the expected output of 'stat' called on both files;
# no quotes or anything, globbing just expands into
# 2 arguments without *word* splitting

files=('file 1' 'file 2')
stat $files
# stat: cannot statx 'file'
# stat: cannot statx '1'
# WHY? WHY DOES GLOBBING ACT SENSIBLY WHEN ARRAYS DO NOT?

  

    
# ... continued from before
stat "prefix ${files[@]}"
# stat: cannot statx 'prefix file 1'
# (regular 'stat' output for 'file 2')