[U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual]
[Chapter 5 - Spelling]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
(See also Chapter 7 ``Compounding Examples'' and Chapter 9
``Abbreviations and Letter Symbols'')
5.1. GPO uses Webster's Third New International Dictionary as its
guide for the spelling of words not appearing in the GPO Style
Manual. Colloquial and dialect spellings are not used unless
required by the subject matter or specially requested. The
tendency of some producers of computer-assisted publications to
rely on the limited capability of some spell-checking programs
adds importance to this list.
Preferred and dif. cult spellings
5.2. In addition to indicating the preferred forms of words with
variant spellings, the list also contains other words frequently
misspelled or causing uncertainty. (See also ``Word Division,''
a supplement to the GPO Style Manual.)
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Anglicized and foreign words
5.3. Diacritical marks are not used with anglicized words.
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5.4. Foreign words carry the diacritical marks as an essential part of
their spelling.
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Plural forms
5.5. Nouns ending in o immediately preceded by a vowel add s to form
the plural; nouns ending in o preceded by a consonant add es to
form the plural, except as indicated in the following list.
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5.6. When a noun is hyphenated with an adverb or preposition, the
plural is formed on the noun.
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5.7. When neither word is a noun, the plural is formed on the last
word.
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5.8. In forming the plurals of compound terms, the significant word
takes the plural form.
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5.9. Nouns ending with ful form the plural by adding s at the end;
if it is necessary to express the idea that more than one
container was filled, the two elements of the solid compound
are printed as separate words and the plural is formed by
adding s to the noun.
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5.10. The following list comprises other words the plurals of which
may cause difficulty.
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Endings ``ible'' and ``able''
5.11. The following words end in ible; other words in this class end in
able.
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Endings ``ise,'' ``ize,'' and ``yze''
5.12. A large number of words have the termination ise, ize, or yze.
The letter l is followed by yze if the word expresses an idea
of loosening or separating, as analyze; all other words of this
class, except those ending with the suffix wise and those in
the following list, end in ize.
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Endings ``cede,'' ``ceed,'' and ``sede''
5.13. Only one word ends in sede (supersede); only three end in ceed
(exceed, proceed, succeed); all other words of this class end
in cede (precede, secede, etc.).
Doubled consonants
5.14. A single consonant following a single vowel and ending in a
monosyllable or a final accented syllable is doubled before a
suffix beginning with a vowel.
bag, bagging red, reddish but
format, formatting rob, robbing total, totaled,
totaling
input, inputting transfer, transferred travel,
traveled,
traveling
5.15. If the accent in a derivative falls upon an earlier syllable
than it does in the root word, the consonant is not doubled.
refer, reference prefer, preference infer, inference
Indefinite articles
5.16. The indefinite article a is used before a consonant and an
aspirated h; an is used before a silent h and all vowels except
u pronounced as in visual and o pronounced as in one.
a historic occasion an herbseller but
a hotel an hour an H-U-D
directive
a human being an honor a HUD directive
a humble man an onion
a union an oyster
5.17. When a group of initials begins with b, c, d, g, j, k, p, q,
t, u, v, w, y, or z, each having a consonant sound, the
indefinite article a is used.
a BLS compilation a GAO limitation a WWW search
a CIO finding a UFO sighting
5.18. When a group of initials begins with a, e, f, h, i, l, m, n, o,
r, s, or x, each having a vowel sound, the indefi nite article
an is used.
an AEC report an NSC (en) proclamation
an FCC (ef) ruling an RFC (ahr) loan
5.19. Use of the indefinite article a or an before a numerical
expression is determined by the consonant or vowel sound of the
beginning syllable.
an 11-year-old an VIII (eight) classification
a onetime winner a IV-F (four ef) category (military
draft)
a III (three) group a 4-H Club
Geographic names
5.20. The spelling of geographic names must conform to the decisions
of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) (http://geonames.
usgs.gov). In the absence of such a decision, the U.S.
Directory of Post Offices is to be used.
5.21. If the decisions or the rules of the BGN permit the use of
either the local official form or the conventional English
form, it is the prerogative of the originating office to select
the form that is most suitable for the matter in hand;
therefore, in marking copy or reading proof, it is required
only to verify the spelling of the particular form used. GPO's
preference is for the conventional English form. Copy will be
followed as to accents, but these should be consistent
throughout the entire job.
Nationalities, etc.
5.22. The table on Demonyms in Chapter 17 ``Useful Tables'' shows
forms to be used for nouns and adjectives denoting nationality.
5.23. In designating the natives of the States, the following forms
will be used.
Alabamian Louisianian Ohioan
Alaskan Mainer Oklahoman
Arizonan Marylander Oregonian
Arkansan Massachusettsan Pennsylvanian
Californian Michiganian Rhode Islander
Coloradan Minnesotan South Carolinian
Connecticuter Mississippian South Dakotan
Delawarean Missourian Tennessean
Floridian Montanan Texan
Georgian Nebraskan Utahn
Hawaiian Nevadan Vermonter
Idahoan New Hampshirite Virginian
Illinoisan New Jerseyan Washingtonian
Indianian New Mexican West Virginian
Iowan New Yorker Wisconsinite
Kansan North Carolinian Wyomingite
Kentuckian North Dakotan
5.24. Observe the following forms:
African-American
Alaska Native (Aleuts, Eskimos, Indians of Alaska)
Amerindian
Native American (American Indian)
Puerto Rican
Part-Hawaiian (legal status)
but part-Japanese, etc.
Native American words
5.25. Words, including tribal and other proper names of Indian,
Aleut, Hawaiian, and other groups, are to be followed literally
as to spelling and the use of spaces, hyphens, etc.
Transliteration
5.26. In the spelling of nongeographic words transliterated from
Chinese, Japanese, or any other language that does not have a
Latin alphabet, copy is to be followed literally.