In general, this manual recommends American English to be used consistently for all documents and correspondence, as opposed to British English. The following are a few examples of the difference between the two. A recommended reference for spelling is the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
“–ize” vs. “–ise”
Instead of “organise,” “organisation,” and “organising,” use, “organize,” “organization,” and “organizing.”
The spelling of proper nouns are retained: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
“–our” vs. “–or”
Use “labor,” “favor,” “humor,” “favorite,” and “neighbor” instead of their UK English spelling counterparts: “labour,” “favour,” “humour,” “favourite,” and “neighbour.”
“–er” vs. “–re”
Use “center,” “fiber,” and “meter,” intead of “centre,” “fibre,” or “metre.”
List of examples:
|
U.S. (preferred )
|
UK
|
| e– vs. ae– |
| anemia |
anaemia |
| anesthesia |
anaesthesia |
| encyclopedia |
encyclopaedia |
| etiology |
aetiology |
| gynecology |
gynaecology |
| hemoglobin |
haemoglobin |
| hemophilia |
haemophilia |
| leukemia |
leukaemia |
| pediatric |
paediatric |
| o– vs. oe– |
| ameba |
amoeba |
| diarrhea |
diarrhoea |
| dyspnea |
dyspnoea |
| edema |
oedema |
| esophagus |
oesophagus |
| estrogen |
oestrogen |
| maneuver |
manoevre |
| –led vs. –lled/–ling vs. –lling |
| labeling |
labelling |
| modeled |
modelled |
| channeling |
channelling |
| –or vs. –our |
| behavior |
behaviour |
| Color |
colour |
| Favor |
favour |
| favorite |
favourite |
| flavor |
flavour |
| harbor |
harbour |
| Honor |
honour |
| Humor |
humour |
| labor |
labour |
| neighbor |
neighbour |
| rumor |
rumour |
| tumor |
tumour |
| –ic vs. –ical |
| anatomic |
anatomical |
| biologic |
biological |
| geographic |
geographical |
| immunologic |
immunological |
| –er vs. –re |
| caliber |
calibre |
| center |
centre |
| fiber |
fibre |
| liter |
litre |
| luster |
lustre |
| meter |
metre |
| specter |
spectre |
| theater |
theatre |
| titer |
titre |
| –yze vs. –yse |
| analyze |
analyse |
| catalyze |
catalyse |
| dialyze |
dialyse |
| hydrolyze |
hydrolyse |
| paralyze |
paralyse |
| Z spellings |
S spellings |
| agonize |
advise (verb) |
| civilize |
arise |
| colonize |
chastise |
| criticize |
circumcise |
| emphasize |
concise |
| equalize |
despise |
| familiarize |
devise |
| finalize |
excise |
| generalize |
exercise |
| globalize |
expertise |
| hypothesize |
franchise |
| metabolize |
improvise |
| minimize |
incise |
| pasteurize |
revise |
| realize |
supervise |
| recognize |
surmise |
| stabilize |
surprise |
| standardize |
televise |
| summarize |
treatise |
| Other examples |
| aging |
ageing |
| alternate |
alternative |
| aluminum |
aluminium |
| among |
amongst |
| analog |
analogue |
| catalog |
catalogue |
| defense |
defence |
| disk |
disc |
| dispatch |
despatch |
| license |
licence |
| mold |
mould |
| offense |
offence |
| orient |
orientate |
| practice |
practise |
| pretense |
pretence |
| program |
programme |
| quantitate |
quantify |
| skillful |
skilful |
CONFUSING WORDS AND PHRASES
On etc and et cetera
As much as possible, use etc.
On thru and through
We are inclined to using through.
On advise and advice
Advise is a verb, which is to give recommendation. Advice is the recommendation given.
On despite and in spite
Most references consider both terms to be of the same function. For brevity, use despite (p. 227, The Chicago Style Manual: 16th Edition). The common error is when writers add of after despite. Despite of is incorrect. On the other hand, in spite should be followed by of.
On on behalf of and in behalf of
The phrases differ. In behalf means “for the benefit of” or “in the interest of.” On behalf means “in place of,” “as a substitute of,” or “as an agent of.”
e.g.
Speaking on behalf of the entire crew, I am demanding that we acquire a better sanitation service.
My brother paid for the repairs in my behalf.
On regard/s and toward/s
Omit the s in towards. Never say with regards; it is only used for complementary closes of letters. Omit the s. Regarding, in regard to, and regards are preferred to in regards to.
e-mail versus email
This guide recommends the use of “email,” without the hyphen, which is the official spelling in the Merriam-Webster 11th Collegiate Dictionary, instead of “e-mail.”
Web site versus website
“Website” is preferred.
Among/while versus amongst/whilst
For consistency with the use of the U.S. English spelling, this guide recommends using among and while instead of amongst and whilst.
WORDS WITH THE SAME SINGULAR AND PLURAL FORMS
The following are examples of words that have the same singular and plural forms.
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
|
fish
|
fish
|
|
evidence
|
(pieces of) evidence
|
|
furniture
|
(pieces of) furniture
|
|
aircraft
|
aircraft
|
|
news
|
news
|
|
species
|
species
|
