SPELLING

THE difficulties which a writer encounters who has not firmly anchored himself to some recognized authority are many, and for those who have found this refuge to remain consistent is almost an impossibility. To the complications occasioned by variations in spelling certain words given authority by the different recognized dictionaries, there has been added more recently the bewilderment of the “reformed” spelling. To lay down hard-and-fast rules, therefore, would be an act of folly, but a safe guide to follow is to note that when two or more forms exist in any good usage, including good minority usage, or recent usage among bibliographers, scientists, and other systematic writers, the following rules are observed:

(a) Prefer the form most correct etymologically

(b) Prefer the shortest and simplest

(c) Prefer the more phonetic form

(d) Prefer English spelling rather than foreign.

With this as a basis, the following rules may be formulated:

NUMBERS

1. Percentage should always take figures: e.g., ¹⁄₂ of 1 per cent. {32}

2. Spell out references to specific decades: e.g., Back in the eighties.

3. Spell out years and months in stating ages: e.g., Edward is five years and four months old.

4. Spell out numbers of centuries, dynasties, military bodies, streets and thoroughfares, sessions of Congress.

5. In statistical or technical matter figures should be used: e.g., The paper to be used is 33 × 44 inches, and weighs 120 pounds to the ream.

6. Spell out, in ordinary reading matter, all numbers of less than three digits: e.g., We have twenty-five titles, amounting to 250,000 volumes in all.

7. If, in a group of numbers, some consist of three digits and others of less, use figures for all: e.g., The packages contain, respectively, 50, 85, and 128 sheets, not fifty, eighty-five, and 128.

8. Spell out round numbers, but use figures for specific, even though approximate statements: e.g., The population of the United States is about one hundred millions; but, The population of the United States is 92,000,000.

9. Always spell out a figure, whatever its size, when it begins a sentence. If for any reason this is impracticable the sentence must be reconstructed.

10. In ordinary reading matter spell out the time of day, but in enumerations, and {33} always in connection with A.M. and P.M., use figures, omitting the word o’clock: e.g., The doors open at 7:30 P.M.

DIPHTHONGS

1. Avoid all diphthongs, especially æ and œ, but retain æ and œ in Latin words and in nominal English forms like formulæ and other plurals, arbor vitæ, etc. Established English words having now or formerly the ligature æ or œ are generally written with the simple e.

SIMPLE RULES OF ORTHOGRAPHY

1. Monosyllablic words which end in f, l, or s, when preceded by a single vowel, double their final letter: e.g., muff, still, lass. Exceptions: clef, of, if, bul, nul, sal, sol, as, gas, has, was, yes, gris, is, his, this, pus, us, thus.

2. Monosyllabic words which end in consonants other than f, l, or s do not double their final letter. Exceptions: abb, add, ebb, odd, mumm, inn, bunn, err, purr, burr, butt, mitt, fizz, fuzz, buzz.

3. Monosyllabic words ending in a consonant immediately following a diphthong or a double vowel do not double their final letter. Exception: guess.

4. In monosyllables and words accented on the final syllable ending with a single consonant (excepting h or x) preceded by a single vowel, or by qu and a vowel, the final consonant is doubled before an added {34} termination beginning with a vowel, irrespective of the addition of another syllable: e.g., stop, stopped; regret, regretting. When, however, the place of the accent is changed by the added termination, the final consonant is not doubled: e.g., prefer´, pref´erable.

5. In monosyllables and words not accented on the last syllable, an added termination does not double the final consonant when it is preceded by a diphthong or by two vowels: e.g., profit, profited; cancel, canceled; benefit, benefited; equal, equality, novel, novelist, and all the derivatives of parallel.

6. Words which end in any double letters retain the double with a termination not beginning with the same letter. This rule also holds for derivatives formed by means of prefixes: e.g., agreeing, calling, recall. Exceptions: instalment, enrolment, skilful, wilful, enthralment, pontific, withal, until, and similar derivatives.

7. Words ending in -our, the u being unsounded, are spelled -or, with the exception of Saviour and glamour. The English custom is to retain the -our in most words having this ending.

8. Words derived from words ending in silent e after a consonant retain the e when the added termination begins with a consonant: e.g., state, statement, stately; pale, paleness; move, movement. Exceptions: abridgment, {35} acknowledgment, judgment, lodgment, nursling, wholly, wisdom.

When another vowel (except e or i) immediately precedes the final e, the final e is usually dropped before a consonant: e.g., argue, argument; awe, awful; true, truly, etc. There are, however, many exceptions to this rule: e.g., eye, eyesight, etc.

When the termination begins with a vowel, the final e is omitted: e.g., sale, salable; bride, bridal; force, forcible. Exceptions: mileage, etc.

9. When words end in ce or ge the final e is retained before added terminations beginning with a or o: e.g., change, changeable; courage, courageous.

10. In participles the final e is sometimes retained for the purpose of distinguishing them from other words pronounced the same but having a different meaning: e.g., singe, singeing, to distinguish from singing; dye, dyeing, to distinguish from dying, etc. The e is also retained in hoeing, toeing, and shoeing.3

11. Words ending in ie change their termination to y upon adding ing: e.g., die, dying; vie, vying.

12. Words ending in y preceded by a consonant change the y to i before any added termination not beginning with i: e.g., {36} merry, merriment; happy, happiness. Exceptions: adjectives of one syllable: e.g., dry, dryly; sly, slyness. Also except derivatives formed by adding ship and hood: e.g., suretyship, babyhood; but hardihood.

When the final y is preceded by a vowel, the y is usually changed to i: e.g., gay, gaiety; day, daily; pay, paid; lay, laid, etc.

13. The French ending -re in theater, center, meager, sepulcher, etc., is not now generally considered good usage.

14. The possessive of proper nouns ending in s or other sibilant is formed by adding the apostrophe and s if the word is of one syllable: e.g., James’s apple; but add the apostrophe alone if the word is of more than one syllable: e.g., For Jesus’ sake.4

15. Words which in their shortest form end in -d, -de, -ge, -mit, -rt, -se, -ss take the ending -sion: e.g., abscind, abscission; seclude, seclusion; emerge, emersion; admit, admission; revert, reversion; confuse, confusion; impress, impression. Other words take the ending -tion.5

ACCENTED WORDS

The following is a partial list of words in common use in which accented letters occur: {37}

attaché

chargé d’affaires

confrère

coup d’état

coup de grâce

crèche

débris

en arrière

en échelon

en règle

entrée

entrepôt

exposé

façade

faïence

habitué

lèse majesté

matériel

matinée

mêlée

née

papier-maché

procès verbal

protégé

régime

résumé

rôle

señor

soirée

tête-à-tête

vis-à-vis

visé

PARTICIPLES

These participles should be spelled as follows:

acknowledging

agreeing

awing

bluing

dyeing

encouraging

gluing

grudging

hieing

hoeing

icing

judging

owing

shoeing

singeing

tingeing

trudging

truing

VARIABLE ENDINGS

1. The following words are spelled with the termination ize:

aggrandize

agonize

analyze

anatomize

anglicize

apologize

apostrophize

apprize (to value)

authorize

baptize

brutalize

canonize

catechize

catholicize

cauterize

centralize

characterize

christianize

civilize

colonize

criticize

crystallize

demoralize

dogmatize

economize

emphasize

epitomize

equalize

eulogize

evangelize

extemporize

familiarize

fertilize

fossilize

fraternize

galvanize

generalize

gormandize

harmonize

immortalize

italicize

jeopardize

legalize

liberalize

localize

magnetize

memorialize

mesmerize

metamorphize

methodize

minimize

modernize

monopolize

moralize

nationalize

naturalize

neutralize

organize

ostracize

paralyze

particularize

pasteurize

patronize

philosophize

plagiarize

pulverize

realize

recognize

reorganize

revolutionize

satirize

scandalize

scrutinize

signalize

solemnize

soliloquize

specialize

spiritualize

standardize

stigmatize

subsidize

summarize

syllogize

symbolize

sympathize

tantalize

temporize

tranquilize

tyrannize

universalize

utilize

vaporize

vitalize

vocalize

vulcanize

vulgarize

2. The following words are spelled with the termination ise:

advertise

advise

appraise

apprise (to inform)

arise

chastise

circumcise

comprise

compromise

demise

devise

disfranchise

disguise

emprise

enfranchise

enterprise

exercise

exorcise

franchise

improvise

incise

manuprise

merchandise

premise

reprise

revise

rise

supervise

surmise

surprise

3. The following words have the termination -ible; words not included in this list {39} end in -able6, except a few words pronounced similarly, but spelled differently.

accessible

admissible

appetible

apprehensible

audible

cessible

coercible

compatible

competible

comprehensible

compressible

conceptible

contemptible

contractible

controvertible

convertible

convincible

corrigible

corrosible

corruptible

credible

decoctible

deducible

defeasible

defensible

descendible

destructible

digestible

discernible

distensible

divisible

docible

edible

effectible

eligible

eludible

enforcible

evincible

expansible

expressible

extendible

extensible

fallible

feasible

fencible

flexible

forcible

francible

fusible

gullible

horrible

illegible

immiscible

impassible7

intelligible

irascible

legible

miscible

negligible

partible

passible7

perceptible

permissible

persuasible

pervertible

plausible

possible

productible

reducible

reflexible

refrangible

remissible

reprehensible

resistible

responsible

reversible

revertible

risible

seductible

sensible

tangible

terrible

transmissible

visible

4. These are the irregular forms of the endings -sion and -tion.

adhesion

assertion

attention

coercion

cohesion

crucifixion

declension

dimension

dissension

distortion

divulsion

expulsion

impulsion

insertion

intention

occasion

propulsion

recursion

repulsion

revulsion

scansion

suspicion

tension

version

5. The following words are pronounced similarly, but the meaning changes with the spelling:

Advice counsel

advise to counsel

albumen white of egg

albumin viscous substance

alegar ale vinegar

aleger cheerful, sprightly

ante preceding

anti against

apprise to inform

apprize to value

auger tool

augur to predict by signs

Base bottom, vile

bass lowest tone

bask to lie in warmth

basque apparel

berth place to sleep

birth coming into life

breach gap

breech hinder part of a gun

Cannon gun

canon law or rule

canyon gorge

cannot denial of power

can not affirmation of power

canvas cloth

canvass to solicit

capital chief, money, stock

capitol building

caster vial

castor rodent

censer incense-pan

censor critic

cere to wax

sear to burn the surface

seer prophet

sere dry, withered

claimant one who claims

clamant beseeching

complement fulness

compliment praise

conveyer one who conveys

conveyor contrivance for conveying objects

coquet to trifle in love

coquette flirt

council deliberative body

counsel to advise

consular pertaining to a counsel

councilor member of a council

counselor adviser

corespondent one who answers jointly with another

correspondent one who corresponds by letter

Depositary receiver

depository place of deposit

discreet prudent

discrete distinct

dyeing coloring

dying expiring

Emigrant one who moves out of a country

immigrant one who moves into a country

emigration moving out

immigration moving in

empirical experimentative

empyrical combustible principle of coal

Faker cheat, swindler

fakir Oriental religious ascetic

farther as applied to distance

further signifying additional

Galipot resin or pitch

gallipot medicine pot

gantlet “running the gantlet”

gauntlet glove

grisly horrible

grizzly grayish

Hoard accumulate

horde troop

Immanent inherent

imminent impending

impassible incapable of emotion

impassable not passable

incipient commencing

insipient stupid, foolish

indict charge with crime

indite compose, write

indiscreet imprudent

indiscrete compact

intension stretching

intention determination

Lessen to reduce

lesson something to be studied

Maize corn

maze labyrinth

marten animal

martin bird

meat flesh

meet to join, proper

mete to measure

miner digger

minor under age

mucous slimy

mucus viscid fluid

O wish, imprecation

oh! an exclamation

Panel sunken plane with raised margins

pannel rustic saddle

parol oral declaration

parole word of honor

passable admitting passage

passible unfeeling

pendant ornament

pendent hanging

premices first-fruits

premises property

principal adjective

principle noun

prophecy prediction

prophesy to foretell

Rabbet groove in edge of boards

rabbit small animal

resin semi-liquid exudation of the pine

rosin solid product of turpentine

rigger a fitter of ships’ rigging

rigor muscular rigidity

riot tumult

ryot tiller of the soil

Saver one who saves

savor flavor

subtle sly, artful

suttle net weight

sheath scabbard

sheathe to cover

sleight artful trick

slight small

Theocracy government by direction of God

theocrasy mixture of worship of different gods

ton measure of weight

tun large cask

Vertical perpendicular

verticle axis, hinge

Wheal raised mark, a welt

wheel rotating disk

{45}