Spelling
University-specific spellings and commonly misspelled or misused terms.
Preferred Spellings and Usage
For all other spelling questions, consult Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and the AP Stylebook.
| Term | Note |
|---|---|
| acknowledgment and judgment | no e after g |
| adviser | not advisor |
| affect | to have an influence on |
| effect | to bring about |
| alumnus | singular reference for a male graduate |
| alumna | singular reference for a female graduate |
| alumni | plural reference to a mixed group of male and female graduates or male graduates only |
| alumnae | plural reference for female graduates only. Do not shorten as alum. |
| campuswide | not campus-wide |
| capital | for the city |
| capitol | for the building |
| catalog | not catalogue |
| chair | not chairman, chairperson or chairwoman |
| coursework | not course work |
| credit-hour | adjective |
| credit hour | noun |
| database | not data base |
| decision making | not decisionmaking |
| fundraising | not fund-raising or fund raising |
| grade-point average | not grade point average |
| high school | noun and adjective |
| ID | short for identification. Do not use periods. |
| kickoff | noun or adjective |
| kick off | verb |
| master class | not masterclass |
| online | not on-line |
| preventive | avoid using preventative |
| smartphone | |
| student-athlete | |
| theatre | when referring to the Department of Theatre and Film; use theater when referring to a building |
| toward | not towards |
| T-shirt | hyphenate and use a capital T |
| voicemail | |
| waitlist | noun |
| wait-list | verb |
| workplace | not work place |
| workstation | not work station |
| Yoknapatawpha |