Frequently Misused Word List

STYLE/SPELLING/CAPITALIZATION WORD LIST
For some of the terms, there is more than one correct notation. The following are the accepted versions for the University.

A - when referring to a grade; is not put between quotations

ACT Assessment (formerly the American College Test)

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)

Administration (Capitalize as part of a full official name; lowercase otherwise. The University administration, Division of Administration and Finance admission (singular as adjective); but: admissions office.)

advisor (our style formerly called for adviser)

African-American (adjective), African American (noun) See black.

Affect, effect (Affect is a verb meaning to influence. How will this affect my work? Effect is almost always used as a noun meaning result. What will be the effect of my mistake?)

Alumni, alumnus (The Alumni and Alumnus are the preferred plural and singular terms of alumni of any gender. The feminine terms, alumnae and alumna, may be used given the context of the publication or the preference of the subject. Do not shorten to “alum.” Capitalize alumni as part of a full official name; lowercase otherwise.)

American Indian (okay to use, as is Native American)

Asian (avoid Oriental)

B (when referring to a grade; is not put between quotation marks)

B.A., Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts degree, bachelor's degree, bachelor's, B.A. degrees, B.A.'s

Biannual (Twice a year. May also use semiannual. For every two years, use biennial.)

Bible (in roman type, no italics), biblical

Bimonthly (Once every two months. For twice a month, use semimonthly.)

Biweekly (Once every two weeks. For twice a week, use semiweekly.)

Black (Acceptable as reference to an African American. Take the personal preference of the individual being described into account. Only use ethnic or racial distinctions when they are essential to the publication.)

Bywaters Lounge (Do not abbreviate.)

C (when referring to a grade; is not put between quotation marks)

campuswide

CASE, Council for the Advancement of Secondary Education

CD, CDs (compact disc)

CD-ROM (adjective, noun)

CEO (chief executive officer; no periods), CEOs (no apostrophe)

Chair (For internal office, use chair and not chairman.)

Chairman, chairwoman, chairperson (For external offices, use chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson given the preference of the office holder.)

CIC, Council for Independent Colleges

Consortium (Consortium is singulair; consortia is plural. Capitalize when part of a full, formal name; lowercase otherwise.)

coursework (one word)

credit hour; a 3 credit hour course (we don't hyphenate it)

Cross-country (Hyphenate when referring to the sport.)

cum laude (in roman type, no italics)

curriculum, curricula

curriculum vitae, CV (no periods); plural, curricula vitae, CVs; synonym,
vita, plural, vitae

data processing

database

dean (generic-the dean of SPEA); Dean Dykstra

Dean's List

Department of English; the department

disabled, person with disabilities is preferred over a disabled person for University publications. Handicapped is often used in government publications, but should be avoided for general use.

disc (used for read-only media, such as a compact disc)

disk (used for media that you can both read and write to, such as a floppy disk)

distinguished professor (lowercased except when it precedes the name or when used in a list)

Division (Capitalize as part of a full official name; lowercase otherwise.)

doctoral degree, doctorate (see Ph.D.)

dormitory, dorm (the term residence hall is preferred)

east (capitalize if referring to a specific geographic location but not if referring to a compass direction. Don't spell out in street addresses,
i.e., 400 E. Seventh Street)

Ed., editor (usually styled in italics)

Effect, affect (See affect, effect)

e-mail, electronic mail (not capped; not email)

emerita (feminine singular), emeritus (masculine singular), emeritae (feminine plural), emeriti (masculine plural or masculine-feminine plural); adjectives; they follow the words professor(s), president(s), etc.

entry-level (adjective, i.e., entry-level job); entry level (noun phrase, i.e., hired at the entry level)

extracurricular

F (when referring to a grade; is not put between quotation marks)

Farther, further (Farther refers to physical distance.Further refers to an extent of time or degree.)

FAQ, frequently asked questions

FLD, Thomas S. and Virginia Field Academic Hall (acceptable to use Field Hall)

fax (not in all-capital letters; it's just a shortened form of facsimile)

file name (two words)

first-class mail

first-semester courses

first summer session

foreign students (avoid; use international students instead)

Founders Day (no apostrophe)

Franklin County extension, the MBU (formerly Pacific/St. Clair), extension is only capitalized in titles, headlines, and promo material.

freshman (with an a) applicants (not freshmen applicants)

full-time (adjective, e.g., full-time student), full time (adverb, i.e., works full time)

fundraising

GED (stands for General Educational Development in all references)

general education courses (no hypen)

GI Bill

GPA of 2.0 (C); grade of C (2.0)

grade point average (GPA)

graduate-level (adjective, i.e., graduate-level course); graduate level (noun phrase, i.e., studies at the graduate level)

grayscale (one word)

groundbreaking

handicapped (see disabled)

hands-on (adjective)

hardworking (adjective)

health care (no hyphen as adjective or noun)

high tech (always two words)

Hispanic; Hispanic or Latino

home page

honors students

HTML (hypertext markup language)

http:// (hypertext transfer protocol; not used; i.e., www.mobap.edu)

I (when referring to the grade of Incomplete; is not put between quotation marks)

ID, ID card

i.e. (in roman type, not italics, and it's followed by a comma)

Internet (Always capitalize.)

IP address

Incomplete, I (when talking about the grade)

instructor (instructor in, not instructor of)

Internet, the; the Net

Its, it’s ( “Its” is the possessive form of the prounoun it. “It’s” is the contraction for it is.)

Jefferson College extension

jobs fairs, Fall Jobs Fair, Summer Jobs Fair

Jr. (use without comma preceding it, e.g., P. A. Mack Jr.)

Junk-Kellogg Library (Use formal name on all first references. After first reference, Library may be used. Avoid: MBU Library. )

Latina (female), Latino (male)

law school; School of Law

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

lecturer in [subject] (i.e., lecturer in accounting; contrast professor of accounting)

Less, fewer (See fewer, less)

level (hyphenate before level when it's part of a compound, e.g., undergraduate-level courses)

LISTSERV (trademarked software for a listserver, a program that maintains an Internet discussion group; it may be clearer to call the group an electronic mailing list, e-mail list, or e-list)

long-range, long-term (hyphenate these when used as an adjective; otherwise leave open, i.e., What are your goals over the long range?)

longtime (adjective)

M.A., Master of Arts, Master of Arts degree, master's, master's degrees, M.A.'s

Mabee Great Hall

MBU (not M.B.U.)

Macintosh computers

magna cum laude (in roman type, no italics)

Master of Science in Nursing program (capitalize the subject area if it is part of the actual title of the degree), M.S.N. degrees, M.S.N.'s

MasterCard

master's degree, master's degrees

M.B.A. (use M.B.A. to refer to a degree, not to a student), M.B.A.'s; M.B.A. student

Media, medium (Media is plural. Medium is the singular form of the noun, used to indicate one type of media.)

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

middle age (noun), middle-aged (adjective); but the Middle Ages

midlife, midsemester, midterm, but the mid-1990s

Midwest, Midwestern

Missouri Baptist University (Use formal name on all first references. After first reference, MBU is acceptable. Avoid: Mobap, Missouri Baptist, Missouri Baptist College.)

M.S., Master of Science, Master of Science degree, Master of Science degrees, M.S.'s

multicultural, multidisciplinary, multiethnic, multimedia, multiracial, multitasking (no hyphens)

nationwide

Native American (prefer American Indian)

nonacademic, nonalumni, noncertified, noncredit, nondegree, nondiscrimination policy, nonfiction, nonimmigrant, nonlaboratory courses, nonmajor, nonnative, nonprofit, nonresident, nonscholarship, nonthesis, nontraditional students, nonuniversity, nonviolent (usually there is no hyphen, en dash, or space after non)

non-astronomy major, non-Missouri resident, non-teaching major (an en dash is used after non to join it to a two-word, unhyphenated phrase)

non-need-based assistance, non-work-study students (a hyphen is used after non in these cases)

north (capitalize if referring to a specific geographic location but not if referring to a compass direction; don't spell out in street addresses, i.e., 1600 N. Wall Street)

North Residence Hall (NH)

off-campus (hyphenate as an adjective before a noun; otherwise leave open)

on-campus (hyphenate as an adjective before a noun; otherwise leave open)

100-level courses

one-third

one-year-old child

online (adjective and adverb, e.g., online database, to work online)

on-site

open-ended (adjective)

part-time (adjective, e.g., a part-time student); part time (adverb, e.g., our assistant works part time)

Pass/Fail, Pass/Fail option

percent

Ph.D., Ph.D.'s, doctoral degree (not doctor's degree), doctorate (not doctorate degree)

Pillsbury Chapel and Dale Williams Fine Arts Center (Only acceptable use. Avoid any abbreviation.)

Pillsbury-Huff Residence Hall (PH)

policy maker

postbaccalaureate, postdoctoral, postmodern, postsecondary, postwar (no hyphen)

Provost: Dr. Arlen Dykstra, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

practicum, practicums

preadmission, prebaccalaureate, precalculus, preclinical, precollege, predentistry, preeminent, preenrollment, preexisting, pregame, prelaw, prelaw major, premajor, premedicine, premedical, premed, premodern, prenursing, preprofessional, preschool, preservice, prewar (usually there's no hyphen or en dash after pre)

President Lacey; R. Alton Lacey, the president of the University

president-elect

prizewinner, prizewinning

professor of (not professor in -- but, professorship in)

problem-solving (adjective); problem solving (noun)

R (when referring to Thursday classes in schedules)

real-life (adjective, e.g., a real-life situation); real life (noun phrase, e.g., in real life)

reapplication, reelect, reenrollment, reestablish, reevaluate; but re-create (to create again)

registration

Renaissance (capped only when referring to the period)

residence hall (not dormitory or dorm)

Resident Life (the department)

resume (as opposed to resumé or résumé)

RSVP (no periods, either in the abbreviation for the French phrase or in the name of the interactive automated telephone system for student financial assistance)

S (when referring to a satisfactory grade; is not put between quotation marks)

SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test, formerly Scholastic Achievement Test); SATs

scholar (Lowercase)

second-semester courses, second-year courses

second summer session

self-acquired competency, self-acquired competency credit (avoid pluralizing the word competency)

self-evaluation (most self words are hyphenated)

semester I; first-semester courses

Semiannual (Twice a year. May also use biannual.)

            Semimonthly (Twice a month. For once every two months, use bimonthly.)

            Semiweekly (Twice a week. For once every two weeks, use biweekly.)

shall (avoid; replace with should, must, or will as appropriate)

short-term (adjective, e.g., short-term gains); short term (noun phrase, i.e., in the short term)

sign-up (adjective, noun), sign up (verb)

single-handedly

sixties; the '60s; the 1960s

size (not sized), as in Olympic-size pool or passport-size photograph

Social Security number (lowercase n); but SSN

socioeconomic

south (capitalize if referring to a specific geographic location but not if referring to a compass direction; don't spell out in street addresses, i.e., 1600 S. Wall Street)

south central Missouri

southeast, southwest

southern Missouri

spring; spring semester; spring break

state of Missouri (lowercase the s)

state-of-the-art (hyphenate when used as an adjective)

statewide

student ID number; student identification number

summa cum laude (in roman type, no italics)

summer, summer session(s), second summer session, summer session I

team teach (verb); the class was team taught; but it was a team-taught class

theatre

Their, there, they’re( “Their” is a plural possessive pronoun. I really admired their work. “There” is an adverb meaning at or in that place. Put it over there on the table. "They're" is the contraction of “they are.”)

timeline (when referring to a timetable or plan for events to come); time line (when referring to a chronology of historical events)

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

toll-free number; call toll free

the Trustees of Missouri Baptist University; the trustees

T-shirt (not tee-shirt)

Troy/Wentzville extension (no hypen)

twentieth century; twentieth-century literature

under way (adverb; e.g., plans are under way)

university

Unix (refers to a computer operating system); UNIX (refers to a specific software product used for Unix)

upperclassmen (use advisedly. Means juniors and seniors only; the term does not include sophomores. It is still preferable to the elitist-sounding upperclass students or upper-class students. If the desired meaning is nonfreshmen, then use sophomores, juniors, and seniors.)

up-to-date (hyphenate in all positions)

URL (uniform resource locator)

U.S. (adjective only; use United States for the noun)

user-friendly (hyphenate in all positions)

user ID

USSR (okay in historical references, but in current references to the states of the former Soviet Union, use Russia, Georgia, etc., as appropriate)

VA hospital, Indianapolis (full name is the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Administration Medical Center)

versus (avoid the abbreviation vs., especially in running copy; in titles of court cases, though, abbreviate as v.)

Veterans Administration (now called Department of Veterans Affairs, though the abbreviation is still VA; there's no apostrophe after veterans)

veterans benefits

vice president

videocassette, videoconferencing, videodisc, videotape, but video recorder

Visa card

voice mail, v-mail

vita (plural vitae), curriculum vitae (plural curricula vitae) or CV (no periods; plural CVs)

W (when referring to the grade of Withdrawal; is not put between quotation marks)

WWW, the Web

Washington, DC (in addresses); Washington, D.C. (in running text); but Washington, D.C., the nation's capital (note comma after D.C.)

webmaster, Web site, Web page

Welcome Weekend (Use formal title as determined by director of student activities i.e. Discover MBU.)

well-being (noun)

well-known (most compounds with well are hyphenated when used as an adjective before a noun; otherwise leave open, i.e., my methods are well known)

west (capitalize if referring to a specific geographic location but not if referring to a compass direction; don't spell out in street addresses, i.e., 1481 W. Tenth Street)

WF (grade of Withdrawal with a failing grade; is not put between quotation marks)

white (lowercase when referring to race)

winterum

Withdrawal, W (when talking about official withdrawal from a course)

work out (verb); workout (noun)

workforce, workplace, workstation

work-study, work-study program, Federal Work-Study Program

World Wide Web; the Web; WWW (but lowercase www in URLs)

world-class (adjective; hyphenate in all positions)

worldview

worldwide

WP (grade of Withdrawal with a passing grade)

Xerox (brand name; preferred term is photocopy)

X ray (noun); X-ray (adjective, verb)

yearlong
year-round (adjective, adverb)

zip code

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