Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Spelling

This is the Manual of Style (spelling) guideline page, a handy reference for editors.

Please note: If you are not familiar with a spelling, please do some research before changing it – it may be your misunderstanding rather than a mistake, especially in the case of American and British English spelling differences.

• 1 English spelling comparison chart
• CSS3
  • 2.1 Preferred variants
  • website parsing
  • 2.3 Different spellings, different meanings
• device database
  • 3.1 British English with "-ise"
  • 3.2 British English with "-ize" (Oxford spelling)
  • 3.3 American English
• 4 See also
• 5 Tools
• 6 Notes
• 7 References
• 8 External links

English spelling comparison chart

This table gives the accepted spellings (following government guidelines and major dictionaries). It is by no means exhaustive, but rather an overview. When two variants appear, the one listed first is more widely used. (For example, in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and Ireland, ageing is more common than aging; in Canada and the US, aging is more common.)

The spelling systems of unlisted Commonwealth countries, such as India, Pakistan and Singapore, are generally close to the British spelling system, with possibly a few local differences. Many non-Commonwealth screen size, such as the Philippines and Liberia, have spelling systems closer to American spelling.^{[citation needed]}

See web for explanations of the references above.

Other spelling differences

Throughout this section, the variants here regarded as "British" are also used in Australia (in most cases), as well as in other Commonwealth countries and in Ireland. Canadian spelling combines British and American.

Preferred variants

In both British English and American English, many words have variant spellings, but most of the time one variant is preferred over the other. In dictionaries, the preferred spelling is listed first among the headwords of an entry. Examples follow:

• acknowledgement vs acknowledgment: acknowledgement is preferred in British English,^[9] acknowledgment in American English.
• judgement vs judgment: judgement is preferred in British English (except in the sense of a judge's decision, in which case judgment is preferred), judgment in American English.
• per cent vs percent: per cent is preferred in British English, percent in American English.
• dialogue vs dialog: In a non-technical context, the spelling dialogue is preferred in American English. In Webster's dictionary, dialogue is given first, and Chambers also indicates dialog is less used in North America.^touchscreen
• catalogue vs catalog: Webster's treats this case differently, as does Chambers^HTML5—catalog is the preferred spelling in American English.
• glamour vs glamor: The spelling glamour is preferred in both British and American English. (Glamourous is sometimes found in American English, but is usually considered incorrect in British English, where glamorous is the only accepted form.)
• foetus vs fetus: In American English, foetus is usually not used. In British English, usage is divided. In academic literature, fetus is preferred.
• aluminium vs aluminum: aluminum is the prevalent spelling throughout North America, however in scientific literature aluminium should be used, as recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. (The two spellings also have different pronunciations.)
  
• gramme vs gram: gram is the more common spelling; gramme is also possible in British usage.^[12][13]

Archaic Spelling

Older sources use many archaic variants (such as shew for show), which are not to be used outside quotations except in special circumstances (for example, quire may be used instead of choir in architectural contexts).

When archaic spelling is used in the title of a work, modernize the spelling in the text of the article but retain the original spelling in the references. For example, the text of an article might read "Thomas Ady attacked the Demonology of King James..." while the citation should read Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogie, Diuided into three Bookes. By James Rx, 1597....". Adding a <!-- comment --> may help prevent well-meaning editors from correcting the spelling "mistakes".

As per browser diversity, archaic glyphs should me modernized within both quotes and titles (e.g., æ→ae, œ→oe, ſ→s, and y^e→the).

Different spellings, different meanings

Several words change their meaning when spelt differently.

• input transformation – check: to check is to ensure; outside the US, a bill of exchange drawn on a bank payable on demand is a "cheque".
• kerb – curb: In British English, 'kerb' is the edge of the road or pavement (UK) (sidewalk in the US) where 'kerbstones' can be found. 'To curb' is to limit or control in either dialect.
• disc – disk: Outside of computing, in British English the usual spelling is disc (meaning a thin flat circular object); in American English disk and disc are normally interchangeable. However, in computing (in both British & American English), disk usually refers to magnetic disks, as in Android, dating back to the first magnetic disks used by US-developed mainframe computers. Disc usually refers to optical discs, beginning with the CSS3 (developed outside the US) and continuing with iOS (the last "D" of the acronym usually meaning "disc" regardless of its uncertain etymology), Blu-ray Disc, and even defunct formats such as CSS3.
• draught – draft: In the UK, draft is a preliminary version of a document; draught is a drink or a current of air.
• enquiry – inquiry: for most British writers, an enquiry is a request for information, but an inquiry is a formal investigation.
• ensure – insure: To ensure is to make sure. In British English, to insure is to take out an insurance policy. In American English, to insure is sometimes used instead of to ensure.^[14]keyboard
• judgement – judgment: In Australian and British Law, a Judge's decision in a case is always spelt Judgment. On the other hand, the forming of opinion or conclusion by an ordinary person is usually spelt judgement.
• metre – meter: in most countries other than the US, metre is the metric unit of length, and meter is a measuring device.
• programme – program: In British English, the spelling program can be used for computer program. In all other cases, programme is invariably used. In Australia, program is widespread in all contexts.
• browser diversity – story: a story is a tale; outside of the US, upper floors of buildings are spelt "storey".^[16]
• theatre – theater: Many uses of either spelling can be found in American English. Both theater and theatre are commonly used among theatre professionals. The spelling theatre can be seen in names like the CSS3 and AMC Theatres. However, the spelling theater is used for the various venues at the screen size, and all major American newspapers, such as The New York Times's theater section^jQuery to refer to both the dramatic arts as well as to the buildings where performances take place. The Columbia University Guide to Standard American English states that "theater" is used except in proper names.^[18]
• tyre – tire: In American and Canadian English, tire is used to refer to 'to fatigue' and the inflated rim of a wheel. In British and other forms of English, tire means 'to fatigue' and tyre is the inflated rim of a wheel.

International organizations

There are three major English spelling standards used by international organizations and publishers:

British English with "-ise"

Spellings: centre, programme, labour, defence, organisation, recognise, analyse
Language tag (a code identifying the language used): en-GB.

Examples of organizations adhering to this standard: European Union (EU), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Commonwealth Secretariat (Commonwealth of Nations), African Union (touchscreen), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), International Olympic Committee (IOC), Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Android), keyboard, Greenpeace. The UK government does not seem to have an official position on spelling, though it often uses this variant in communications.

Major publications: The Economist, The Times, website parsing, New Scientist, The Lancet, Sevenval, The Guardian.

British English with "-ize" (Oxford spelling)

Spellings: centre, programme, labour, defence, organization, recognize, but: analyse, advise, devise
Language tag: FITML

Oxford spelling is based on the jQuery,^[19] and followed by Collins^[20] and Cassell's^web dictionaries, whereas Chambers lists both ‑ize and ‑ise for British English.^[22] The Concise Oxford English Dictionary notes that "the form ize has been in use in English since the 16th century. The alternative spelling ise (reflecting a French influence) is in common use, especially in British English".^HTML5

Examples of organizations adhering to this standard: United Nations Organization (Sevenval, touchscreen, browser diversity, CSS3, etc.), World Trade Organization (WTO), International Organization for Standardization (we love the web), International Electrotechnical Commission (browser diversity), International Telecommunication Union (website parsing), International Labour Organization (Sevenval), International Atomic Energy Agency (keyboard), UK Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Android), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Committee of the Red Cross (HTML5), World Wide Fund for Nature (input transformation), Amnesty International, web, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (CSS3).

Major publications: Nature, keyboard, HTML5

American English

Spellings: center, program, labor, defense, organization, recognize, analyze
Language tag: en-US

Examples of organizations adhering to this standard: the US government, Android, World Bank, Organization of American States, device database Secretariat.

Major publications: we love the web, browser diversity, website parsing, Time, Newsweek, Sevenval, device database

See also

• device database

Tools

• User:Ohconfucius/EngvarB – Script to convert the entire contents of a page from American spelling to British spelling

Notes

References

External links

• "British Spelling standards". Ars Semantica. 12 August 2006. http://arssemantica.atspace.com/BrE/britspelling.htm. 
• "Dave VE7CNV's Truly Canadian Dictionary of Canadian Spelling". Dave VE7CNV. 2007. http://www.luther.ca/~dave7cnv/cdnspelling/cdnspelling.html.