Documentation:CTLT Writing Style Guide/Spelling Dictionary
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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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |