Spelling Preferences

British versus American Spelling

Change British spelling to American.

Analog, not analogue
analyze, not analyse
anesthesia, not anaesthesia
color, not colour
estradiol, not oestradiol
homolog, not homologue
orthopedics, not orthopaedics
titer, not titre

Exceptions: aerobic, anaerobic, proper names (The XYZ Programme, S. faecalis, N. gonorrhoeae)

Use the United States adopted name rather than the international nonproprietary name for drugs.

rifampin, not rifampicin
acetaminophen, not paracetamol

Other Spelling Preferences

See also Hyphens and Other Capitalization Preferences.

acknowledgment not acknowledgement
Beijing/W genotype
Cameroon not Cameroun
Côte d'Ivoire not Ivory Coast
Dhaka not Dacca
Escherichia coli O157 (use the letter O, not the number 0)
extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB)
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
helminthic not helmintic
hemorrhage
inoculation
judgment not judgement
leukocyte not leucocyte
mucus (n), mucous (adj)
multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB)
occurred, occurrence
omit, omitted
precede, proceed
protozoon (n, s), protozoa (n, pl) protozoan (adj)
repellent
Réunion Island, but Reunion (state)
Robert Koch Institute (not Koch-Institute)
supernatant not supernate
villus (n), villous (adj)

Additional Information:

Abbreviations
Capitalization
Dates
Geographic Designations
Preferred Usage
Punctuation
Scientific Nomenclature
Grammar

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