Corporate document

Spelling and choosing the right word

Spelling and choosing the right word

Spelling

Use UK English spellings (for example, colour, tumour, authorise, optimise and leukaemia). See table 4 for some important examples and exceptions.

Table 4 Spellings
Do use Do not use

Adviser

Advisor

Among

Amongst

Dietitian

Dietician

Fetus

Foetus

Focused

Focusing

Focussed

Focussing

Formulas

Formulae

Naive

Naïve

Homeopathy

Homoeopathy

Recurring

Reocurring

Targeted

Targetted

While

Whilst

World Health Organization

World Health Organisation

Contractions

Do not use negative contractions like can't and don't. Research from the Government Digital Service shows that many users find negative contractions harder to read and they sometimes misread them as the opposite of what they say.

You can use common positive contractions (like it's or you'll).

Choosing the right word

If you're unsure about which word to use:

  • look at previous publications on similar topics and be consistent if possible

  • think about what's most appropriate for your audience

  • remember to use the simplest and plainest words possible.

Table 5 Choosing the right word
Do use Do not use

Because

As

Due to

Since

Most

The majority of

Need

Require

Shows

Demonstrates

Help

Allow

Facilitate

Done

Performed

Conducted

Start

Initiate

Look out for common errors and misuses that can lead to ambiguity. Although we should be flexible in our writing and shape it to best suit the user, make sure that you are using words and phrases correctly. For example:

  • Can or may: 'the drug can cause nausea' means that the drug definitely has the ability to cause nausea. 'The drug may cause nausea' means that there is a chance the drug causes nausea, but it's not a certainty.

  • Fewer or less: use fewer when talking about something that's plural and countable ('people have fewer side effects'). Use less when talking about percentages or things that cannot be counted ('less than 12%'; 'there is less time than we thought').

  • Compared with or compared to: use compared with when talking about how 2 things are different from each other. Use compared to when talking about how 2 things are similar.

  • Regards: use with regard to when referring to something else. Use with regards [to] when writing a letter.

  • Access, management and significant. Words like these have multiple meanings depending on the context. It's usually better to explain what you mean.

For more examples and advice, see the rules of clear writing in the writing for NICE guide.