Manual - Spelling and Writing Rules

All texts on the SSWM Toolbox are spelled using British English grammar. Make sure your auto-correction settings are set to ‘English (UK)’. If you’re unsure, consult the dictionary of your choice, e.g.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/

On SSWM Toolbox we employ a language that is easy to understand, also for non-native speakers. Yet, is it important that all texts on the Toolbox meet a certain quality standard and give a favourable impression.

If English is not your native language, use an online dictionary that exemplifies which words are used in which contexts, e.g.

http://www.dict.cc

http://www.leo.org

Many different standards exist for spelling titles. On SSWM, we agreed on the following rules:

Capitalise:      

• The first and the last word in the title
• All nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs

Do NOT capitalise:

• Articles (the, a, an), conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, with), prepositions (to, over, towards, at, on, …)

Example: ’Common Elements of a Dug Well’, ‘Child Hygiene and Sanitation Training (CHAST)'

4.1) E.g. versus i.e.

• e.g.: means: for exemple (exemplis gratia). You provide an example or several examples.
• i.e.: means: ‘that is? (id est). You specify or elaborate more on an issue.

4.2) Punctuation (Setting Commas)

Setting commas correctly is a challenging task even for native speakers. Have a look at: http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/commaand use intuition. :-)

4.3) British English versus American English

There are several areas in which British and American spelling are different. These are the main ones to be aware of.

Words ending in –re

British English words that end in -re often end in -er in American English:

Words ending in -our

British English words ending in -our usually end in -or in American English:

Words ending in -ize or -ise

Verbs in British English that can be spelled with either -ize or -ise at the end are always spelled with-ize at the end in American English:

Words ending in -yse

Verbs in British English that end in -yse are always spelled -yze in American English:

Words ending in a vowel plus l

In British spelling, verbs ending in a vowel plus l double the l when adding endings that begin with a vowel. In American English, the l is not doubled:

Words spelled with double vowels

British English words that are spelled with the double vowels ae or oe are just spelled with an e in American English:

Note that in American English, certain terms, such as archaeology, keep the ae spelling as standard, although the spelling with just the e (i.e. archeology) is usually acceptable as well.

Nouns ending with –ence

Some nouns that end with -ence in British English are spelled -ense in American English:

Nouns ending with –ogue

Some nouns that end with -ogue in British English end with either -og or -ogue in American English:

The distinctions here are not hard and fast. The spelling analogue is acceptable but not very common in American English; catalog has become the US norm, but catalogue is not uncommon; dialogue is still preferred over dialog.

Aside from spelling differences, many items and practices have different names in British and American English. To explore further, see British and American terms.

Source: Oxford Dictionaries (2013)