Spelling
Follow the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, which is the authority for CP spelling.
- centre (not center, unless part of a proper name, usually a US organization) in past tense is spelled centred
- per cent (two words, not percent or % in text)
- focused, focusing (not focussed, focussing)
- program (not programme)
- University (cap "U" when referring to York)
Dictionary
The following includes words from the Canadian Oxford Dictionary and CP Stylebook with troublesome spellings. Also included are some academic words often used at York University.
abscess
accommodate
adviser
allotted
alumnae
rarely used (See Alumni section.)
alumni
most commonly used (See Alumni section.)
alumna
alumnus
analyze
not analyse
anoint
BA
bachelor’s degree
not capitalized
bachelor’s degrees
not "bachelors’ degrees", and not capitalized
battalion
benefited
board or board of governors
in subsequent references (See Capitalization section.)
BSc
buoy
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 (See Capitalization section.)
Calumet College
college is capitalized when referring to a specific college in first reference (See Capitalization section.)
cirrhosis
cocurricular
college
in subsequent references or general use (See Capitalization section.)
colour
coloration
compatible
confectionery
connoisseur
consensus
coordinate
cooperate
Dean of Arts John Bourstin
in first reference
dean
in subsequent references (See Capitalization section.)
deductible
defence
not defense
delicatessen
deterrent
dilemma
disappoint
DLitt
Doctor of Letters
doctoral degree
not capitalized
doctorate
not capitalized
e-mail
not email
ecstasy
e.g.
meaning "for example"
Use a comma before the abbreviation but not after.
Use a comma before the abbreviation but not after.
embarrass
emeritus (masc.)
(See EMERITUS section.)
English
upper case (See Academic Subjects section.)
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.
Do not use a comma before the abbreviation.
faculty
as in a group of professors, the professoriate
Faculty
as in an academic division, the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science (See Capitalization section.)
favour
Fellow
When referring to an academic Fellow, a Fellow of the Royal Society etc. (See Capitalization section.)
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
gauge
Governor General
no hyphen, upper case only when it precedes name
governor general
lower case in subsequent references and in general use without a name
grey
GREF
(See Abbreviations section.)
harass, harassment
hemorrhage
honour
Honours BA
honours degree
honorary degree
honoris causa
put in italics, indicating Latin words (See Italics section.)
hygiene
hypocrisy
idiosyncrasy
i.e.
meaning "that is to say"
Do not use a comma after the abbreviation.
Do not use a comma after the abbreviation.
impostor
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
jewellery
judgment
khaki
labour
lead
noun as in "a pencil lead"
lead
verb, present tense of "to lead"
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 use 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 or l
LLD
Doctor of Laws
LLB
Bachelor of Laws
LLM
Master of Laws
MA
master’s degree
not capitalized
master’s degrees
not "masters’ degrees", and not capitalized
metre or m
millennium
Ms
no period -- It is not an abbreviation for anything.
MSc
(See Degrees section.)
multilingual
no hyphen
multidisciplinary
no hyphen
non-profit
numbers
write one through nine as words, depict 10 and up as figures (See Numbers section.)
occurrence
online
organization
Osgoode Hall Law School
on first reference. In subsequent references use Osgoode or the law school. (Don’t use Osgoode Hall -- it confuses the school with the court in downtown Toronto.)
parallel
paralleled
paraphernalia
parliament
no caps
part time
as an adverb, e.g. She works here part time. (modifies a verb or sentence) part-timeas 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 of Glendon College, the principal investigator in the research project or the principal objective of the union
Principal
upper case only when followed by a name, as in Glendon College Principal Henri Deveau (See Capitalization section.)
principle
noun, meaning fundamental truth or law, as in the moral principle or she has no principles
privilege
program
not programme
questionnaire
rarefy
reconnaissance
restaurateur
note the absence of an "n"
resuscitate
rhythm
sacrilegious
Schulich School of Business
semi-final
senate
in second and subsequent references or general use. (See Capitalization sections.)
shepherd
siege
supersede
surmise
surprise
Stong
theatre
not theater (unless part of a proper name, esp. in the US)
ton
imperial measure
tonne
metric measure
University
referring to York University
university
referring to all others, or to universities in general (See Capitalization sections.)
University Board of Governors
in first reference (See Capitalization section.)
University Senate
in first reference (See Capitalization section.)
US
USA
valour
vapour
versus
use long form in text
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 (See Capitalization section.)
vigorous
vigour
website
weird
well-known
world renowned
Yom Kippur
York
Common Problems
its (possessive pronoun)
The department cut its budget.
it's contraction / abbreviation for "it is")
It's going to be a busy semester.
presently
actually means in the future, soon, or after a short time, as in "He will arrive presently." It means soon. It should not be used to mean now. (Use currently if you mean now.)
entitle
actually means to give or to render, as in "The claim entitles Native Canadians to fish on the land." This word should not be used in reference to a book, unless one is speaking of the author’s act of giving the book a name, as in "He decided to entitle his book, A Life in Progress." But the book is titled or called A Life in Progress.
in regard to
not ‘in regards to’
irregardless
This is not a word. Please don’t use it. The word is regardless.