Documentation:CTLT Writing Style Guide/Spelling Dictionary

From UBC Wiki

The following includes words from the Canadian Oxford Dictionary and CP Stylebook with troublesome spellings. Also included are some academic words often used at UBC.


A

Word Comments
abscess
accommodate
adviser
alloted
alumnae rarely used
alumni most commonly used
alumna
alumnus
analyze not analyse
anoint


B

Word Comments
BA
bachelor's degree not capitalized
bachelor's degrees not "bachelors' degrees", and not capitalized
battalion
behaviour not "behavior"
benefited
board or board of governors in subsequent references
BSc
buoy


C

Word Comments
caffeine
carburetor
carry forward when used as a verb, as in
"I will carry forward this item to the next meeting."
carryforward when used as a noun, as in
"Place this carryforward in column three."
cemetery
centre in past tense, centred
chair a verb, as in
"she will chair the meeting"
Chair a noun, when referring to a title
cirrhosis
cocurricular
college in subsequnt references or general use
colour
coloration
compatible
confectionery
connoisseur
consensus
coordinate
cooperate
counsel
counselled
counselling
counsellor


D

Word Comments
Dean of Arts in first reference
dean in subsequent references
deductible
defence not defense
delicatessen
deterrent
dilemma
disappoint
doctoral degree not capitalized


E

Word Comments
e-Learning & e-learning
  • For headlines, as a proper noun and/or beginning of a sentence: use e-Learning (e.g. e-Learning @ UBC or e-Learning Toolkit)
  • For regular sentences: use e-learning
  • Do not use elearning, eLearning
e-mail not email
e-portfolios not eportfolios,
abbreviated as e-ports
ecstasy
e.g. meaning "for example"; use a comma before the abbreviation but not after
embarrass
emeritus (masc.)
English upper case
enrol, enrolled, enrolling
enrolment
ensure not insure (except when referring to insurance)
etc. meaning "and so on"
Do not use a comma before the abbreviation.

F

Word Comments
faculty as in a group of professors, the professoriate
faculties (plural), Faculty of Arts
  • The faculties of nursing and education
  • You can also mention the faculties separately (e.g. The Faculty of Nursing and the Faculty of Education)
  • Don't use the Faculties of Nursing and Education.
Faculty For use as part of the unit's proper name (e.g. Faculty of Applied Science)
favour
Fellow When referring to an academic Fellow, a Fellow of the Royal Society etc.
flexible learning Not capitalized when referring to the idea of flexible learning.
Flexible Learning Initiative Should be capitalized when referring to the Flexible Learning Initiative itself. When referring to flexible learning in general, use lowercase (flexible learning).
focused
focusing
fulfill
full time as an adverb,
e.g. She works here full time. (modifies a verb or sentence)
full-time as an adjective,
e.g. He is a full-time student.(modifies a noun)
fundraiser
fundraising

G

Word Comments
gauge
Governor General no hyphen, upper case only when it precedes a name
grey

H

Word Comments
harass, harassment
hemorrhage
honour
Honours BA
honours degree
honorary degree
honoris causa put in Italics, indicating Latin words
hygiene
hypocrisy


I

Word Comments
idiosyncrasy
i.e. meaning "that is to say"
Do not use comma after the abbreviation.
imposter
impresario
infallible
innocuous
inoculate
in regard to not 'in regards to'
install
installation, installed
instalment
instill
instilled
interdisciplinary no hyphen
Internet
Inuit plural noun and adjective
Inuk singular noun and adjective
iridescent


I

Word Comments
jewellery
judgment


K

Word Comments
khaki


L

Word Comments
labour
lead noun as in "a pencil lead"
lead verb, present tense of "to lead"
Learning Technology Institute Spelled out on first reference,
abbreviated as LTI
led verb, past tense of "to lead"
literature not a synonym for English
(there are many different types of literature)
library in general terms, or in subsequent reference
Library as in the Scott Library, capitalize on first reference with full name
licence noun (as in driver's licence, fishing licence)
license verb (to grant a permit to, to authorize the us of, as in)
He is licensed as a chiropractor.
The restaurant is licensed to serve alcohol.
lieutenant
Lieutenant-Governor with hyphen, upper case only when it precedes a name
litre abbreviation is "l", no period
LLD Doctor of Laws
LLB Bachelor of Laws
LLM Masters of Laws

M

Word Comments
MA
master's degree not capitalized
master's degrees not "masters' degrees", and not capitalized
metre abbreviation is "m", no period
millenium
Ms No period - It is not an abbreviation for anything.
MSc
Multilingual no hyphen
multidisciplinary no hyphen


N

Word Comments
non-profit
numbers write one through nine as words, depict 10 and up as figures


O

Word Comments
occurence
online
organization


P

Word Comments
parallel
paralleled
paraphernalia
parliament as an adverb, e.g. She works here part time (modifies a verb or sentence)
as an adjective, e.g. He is a part-time student. (modifies a noun)
pavilion
perseverance
per cent
percentage
PhD no periods, stands for doctor of philosophy
postsecondary
prerequisite
prerogative
principal noun or adjective, meaning first in rank or importance
as in the principal investigator in the research or the principal objective of the union
principle noun, meaning fundamental truth or law,
as in the moral principle or she has no principles
privilege
program not programme


Q

Word Comments
questionnaire


R

Word Comments
rarefy
reconnaissance
restaurateur note the absence of an "n"
resuscitate
rhythm


S

Word Comments
sacrilegious
screenshot (when referencing an image taken from a computer screen) not screen-shot or screen shot
semi-final
senate in second and subsequent references or general use
shepherd
siege
supersede
surmise
surprise


T

Word Comments
Teaching and Learning
with Technology
Speaker Series
spelled out on first mention,
subsequent references uses TLT
theatre not theater (unless part of a proper name, esp. in the US)
ton imperial measure
tonne metric measure
troubleshooting not trouble shooting

U

Word Comments
University referring to UBC
university referring to all others, or to universities in general
University Board of Governors in first reference
University Senate in first reference
US
USA


V

Word Comments
valour
vapour
versus
vs. use short form only in sports schedules and law cases
Vice-President capitalize only when it precedes a name,
as in Vice-President University Advancement Andrew Bourne
vice-president lower case in all subsequent references
vigorous
vigour


W

Word Comments
website not web site
weird
well-known
wiki, UBC Wiki use lower case when referring to the general term
workaround not work-around
world renowned

Y

Word Comments
Yom Kippur