Oxford spelling
Encyclopedia
Oxford spelling is the spelling used by Oxford University Press
(OUP). It can be recognized for its use, as in American English
, of the suffix -ize instead of -ise. For instance, organization, privatize and recognizable are used instead of organisation, privatise and recognisable. The spelling is favoured on etymological grounds, in that -ize corresponds more closely to the Greek root, -izo, of most -ize verbs. The Oxford English Dictionary
(OED), which is published by OUP, explains its use of -ize as follows:
In the last few decades, the suffix -ise has become the more common spelling in the UK. Many regard -ize as American English
, though it has been in use in English since the 16th century. The OED lists the -ise form of words separately, as "a frequent spelling of -IZE...". In digital documents, Oxford spelling can be indicated with the language tag en-GB-oed.
The use of -ize instead of -ise does not affect the spelling of words ending in -yse, such as analyse, paralyse and catalyse, which come from the Greek verb λύω, lyo, not from an -izo verb.
The Oxford spelling is the de facto spelling standard used in style guides of international organizations that belong to the UN System, for example the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization and UNESCO. UN treaties and declarations, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights follow Oxford spelling. Other international organizations that adhere to this standard include the International Organization for Standardization, the World Trade Organization, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the International Telecommunication Union and the International Baccalaureate Organization.
The University of Oxford
requires the use of "s" rather than "z" spellings in its public relations material.
Note: en-GB simply stands for British English; it is not specified whether -ize or -ise should be used. The language tag en-GB-oed, however, requires the consistent use of -ize and -ization.
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
(OUP). It can be recognized for its use, as in American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, of the suffix -ize instead of -ise. For instance, organization, privatize and recognizable are used instead of organisation, privatise and recognisable. The spelling is favoured on etymological grounds, in that -ize corresponds more closely to the Greek root, -izo, of most -ize verbs. The Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
(OED), which is published by OUP, explains its use of -ize as follows:
[I]n mod.F. the suffix has become -iser, alike in words from Greek, as baptiser, évangéliser, organiser, and those formed after them from L., as civiliser, cicatriser, humaniser. Hence, some have used the spelling -ise in Eng., as in French, for all these words, and some prefer -ise in words formed in French or Eng. from L. elements, retaining -ize for those of Gr. composition. But the suffix itself, whatever the element to which it is added, is in its origin the Gr. -ιζειν, L. -izāre; and, as the pronunciation is also with z, there is no reason why in English the special French spelling should be followed, in opposition to that which is at once etymological and phonetic. In this Dictionary the termination is uniformly written -ize. (In the Gr. -ιζ-, the i was short, so originally in L., but the double consonant z (= dz, ts) made the syllable long; when the z became a simple consonant, (-idz) became īz, whence Eng. (-aɪz).)
In the last few decades, the suffix -ise has become the more common spelling in the UK. Many regard -ize as American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, though it has been in use in English since the 16th century. The OED lists the -ise form of words separately, as "a frequent spelling of -IZE...". In digital documents, Oxford spelling can be indicated with the language tag en-GB-oed.
The use of -ize instead of -ise does not affect the spelling of words ending in -yse, such as analyse, paralyse and catalyse, which come from the Greek verb λύω, lyo, not from an -izo verb.
Usage
Several major newspapers and magazines in the UK use -ise. The Times had been using -ize until the early 1990s, when it decided to switch to the -ise spelling. The Times Literary Supplement has continued to use Oxford spelling. Oxford spelling is also used in academic publications; the London-based scientific journal Nature uses it, for example.The Oxford spelling is the de facto spelling standard used in style guides of international organizations that belong to the UN System, for example the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization and UNESCO. UN treaties and declarations, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights follow Oxford spelling. Other international organizations that adhere to this standard include the International Organization for Standardization, the World Trade Organization, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the International Telecommunication Union and the International Baccalaureate Organization.
The University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
requires the use of "s" rather than "z" spellings in its public relations material.
Language tag comparison
The following table summarizes a few general spelling differences between the four major spelling systems.Note: en-GB simply stands for British English; it is not specified whether -ize or -ise should be used. The language tag en-GB-oed, however, requires the consistent use of -ize and -ization.
| en-GB | en-GB-oed | en-CA | en-US |
|---|---|---|---|
| , |
|||
| , |
|||
| , |
|||
See also
- Spelling differences: -ise, -ize
- Wikipedia:Manual of Style (spelling)/Words ending with "-ise" or "-ize"
- Canadian English spelling
- Macquarie DictionaryMacquarie DictionaryThe Macquarie Dictionary is a dictionary of Australian English. It also pays considerable attention to New Zealand English. Originally it was a publishing project of Jacaranda Press, a Brisbane educational publisher, for which an editorial committee was formed, largely from the Linguistics...
(Australian usage) - Oxford English DictionaryOxford English DictionaryThe Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
- Oxford comma