Spelling

One word, hyphenated or two words?

Use UK spelling and words

Spelling

We adhere to the Collins online dictionary (if there are several options, choose the first use):

3D not 3-D

advisor not adviser

ageing not aging

al-Qaeda not al-Qaida or al-Queda

amid not amidst

among not amongst

bednet not bed net

benefited/benefiting not benefitted/benefitting

Chagas’ disease not Chaga’s disease

citizen jury not citizens jury or citizens’ jury

cooperate not co-operate

cooperative not co-operative

co-opt not coopt

coordination not co-ordination

cross-section not cross section

curriculums not curricula

cutoff not cut-off

dengue not dengue fever

DFID not DfID

diaspora not Diaspora

director-general not director general

dotcom not dot com or dot.com

dyke not dike

email not e-mail

etc. not etcetera (but avoid using)

extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis not extremely

fertiliser not fertilizer

focusing not focussing

forums not fora

fulfil not fulfill

ghettos not ghettoes

gross domestic product not Gross Domestic Product (but acronym in capitals)

an HIV vaccine not a HIV vaccine

hotspot not hot spot

internet not Internet

intranet not Intranet

Koran not Quran or Qur’an

landmine not land mine

manifestos not manifestoes

mosquitoes not mosquitos

mucus for the noun, mucous for the adjective

nonactive not non-active

no one not no-one

okay not OK

online not on-line

organisation not organization

per cent not percent

preventive not preventative

referendums not referenda

savannah not savanna

Sida not SIDA

slideshow not slide show

stadiums not stadia

Swahili not Kiswahili

sync not synch

tef not teff

useable not usable

Taliban not Taleban

the web not the Web (meaning World Wide Web)

while not whilst

X-ray for the noun and x-ray for the verb

One word, hyphenated or two words?

any more

betel nut*

break-up (noun)

break up (verb)

breastmilk*

build-up (noun)

build up (verb)

clear-cut

cut-out

e-waste

follow-up (noun)

follow up (verb)

fresh water (noun)

freshwater (adjective)

germ line (noun)

germline (adjective)

groundwater*

healthcare*

herpesvirus

high tech (noun)

high-tech (adjective)

inpatient

in-tray

landmine

long term (noun)

long-term (adjective)

meta-analysis

microorganism

phosphorus (noun)

phosphorous (adjective)

policymaker

policymaking

polio virus

real time (noun)

real-time (adjective)

sea floor (noun)

sea-floor (adjective)

sea water (noun)

seawater (adjective)

second hand (noun)

second-hand (adjective)

seed bank

short term (noun)

short-term (adjective)

sugar cane

think-tank

transpacific

under way

vice-president

vice-principal

world-view

*These forms differ to those used by Collins

Use UK spelling and words

UK spelling                US spelling

adrenaline                   epinephrine

aetiology (avoid)          etiology

anaesthetist                 anaesthesiologist

analyse                        analyze

archaeology                 archeology

colour                           color

dialyse                          dialyze

fibre                              fiber

leukaemia                     leukemia

mould                           mold

oestrogen                    estrogen

palaeontology              paleontology

scepticism                    skepticism

sulphur                         sulfur

tumour                         tumor