Spell Canadian!

As Canadians more or less politely decline the invitation from the United States to become its “cherished fifty-first state,” we’re being encouraged to keep our elbows up, stand together for our sovereignty, and buy Canadian. Could we also (please) spell Canadian?

Increasingly over the last year or two, I’ve been having to change American spelling in most of the Canadian documents I edit, including both provincial and federal government documents. Colour, for example, appears as color, along with centre as center, practise (the verb) as practice, and travelling as traveling.

I’ve even resorted to putting a comment on each correction—“Canadian spelling, please!”—to get my point across. Long story short: It’s not working.

It finally dawned on me that it’s not simply a matter of many people not understanding Canadian spelling—how and why it’s different from British and American spelling—or not caring. The apps we’re using on our various devices are gradually moving us toward American spelling as the default. Whether we’re texting, emailing, web surfing, or playing games on our screens, we’re mostly seeing American spelling. Moreover, if we use Canadian spelling, it’s often either autocorrected to American or flagged with that squiggly red line for correction.

Many devices, platforms, and apps do have the option to select Canadian English as the default, but it’s not always obvious—and it often doesn’t stick. In addition, if you work for government, a corporation, or another large organization, you’re likely using institutional versions of software and may not have the option to select Canadian English if it hasn’t been selected across the board.

Another issue is the “aging out” of the latest (second) edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, now more than 20 years old. The first edition (1998) of the much-loved dictionary was a Globe and Mail bestseller for more than a year, and it quickly became the standard for Canadian editors and publishers. While it’s still reliable on the spelling front, it has fallen behind on many others, like hyphenation (for example, e-mail has long since lost its hyphen) and new words (think biohacking, climavore, rizz, and beach read).

Thankfully, help is on the way. The new Canadian English Dictionary is an exciting joint effort led by Editors Canada with the participation of the Canadian English Lab at the University of British Columbia and Queen’s University’s Strathy Language Unit. But will the multi-year project move quickly enough to stem the onslaught of American spelling? I, for one, will keep shouting from the treetops (maple trees, of course) for Canadian spelling. With my elbows up.

In the meantime

While we’re waiting for the new dictionary, check out this excellent summary of the differences between Canadian, British, and American spelling. And try a quiz or two, to check your knowledge.