JDOC

Words to watch

From Joomla! Documentation

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Words to Watch are words commonly misspelled or which may have variations that depend on the Joomla! style guide choices.

An entry, which is just a word without a comment, is to show how we are spelling that word.

If an entry has something rather than something else then it should be read as, "We are using the spelling of the first something rather than the other possible spellings shown in something else".

Accepted Word Unacceptable Word Detail
accessory Spell with a double c and a double s; the ending is -ory.
accommodate Spell with a double c and a double m and an o before and after the m's.
Administrator administrator Always capitalise when referring to the Joomla user level or the backend Administrator. (Use of the latter should be limited to avoid confusion. Refer to this area as the Control Panel when referring to the facilities and backend when comparing to the frontend.
address Spell with a double d.
aggression Remember to spell with a double g and a double s.
allege Use a double l and spell with -ege at the end.
a lot alot Use as two words, not one.
amend and amendment Spell with a single m at the beginning.
apologize or apologise Spell with -olo- in the middle.
apparent Use double p but only one r and end in -ent.
argument Do not put an e after the u, as you would in argue.
article Do not capitalise the word article when referring to the element of Joomla content, but capitalise it when referring to the Article Manager.
author or Author Do not capitalise the word author when referring to authors, but capitalise it when referring to the Author user group (like Administrator).
AutoCorrect One word with camel case capitalisation.
backend Backend or Back-end Ensure it is never capitalised and never hyphenated when referring to the Administrator area of Joomla.
backup and back up Use backup when used as an adjective, as in "he had a backup disk in his bag" or as a noun, as in "he saved a backup." Use back up when using it as a verb, as in "don’t forget to back up your hard drive".
banner and Banner Manager Do not capitalise the word banner when referring to the element of Joomla content, but capitalise it when referring to the Banner Manager.
bitmap bit map or bit-map One word, not hyphenated or two words.
business bisiness, biznes Spell with busi- at the beginning
cacheable cachable The 'e' should not be dropped.
category and Category Manager Do not capitalise the word category when referring to the element of Joomla content, but capitalise it when referring to the Category Manager.
checkbox check box
check-in (noun/adjective) and Global Check-in checkin (noun/adjective) Use check-in, which must be capitalised when referring to a specific function, menu Item, or button such as the Global Check-in. It is correct to use check in (verb) as in "check in your materials."
command comand Use double m.
component Do not capitalise the word component when referring to the element of Joomla.
consensus and consensual concensus Spell with -sen- in the middle.
contact and Contact Manager Capitalise the word Contact when referring to the Contact Manager, but not when referring to an individual contact.
Control Panel control panel Capitalise when referring to the Joomla backend functional area.
controversy contraversy
CSS css Always capitalise except in code or when used as a file extension.
database data base One word, not two.
desperate desparate Spell desperate with -per- in the middle.
dial-up dialup dial up Include the hyphen between "dial" and "up."
disappoint and disappointment dissapoint disapoint dissappoint Remember to spell with one s and a double p.
dropdown drop-down drop down One word not hyphenated
eighth eigth Remember to use -hth at the end.
email E-mail email Email is obviously correct at the start of a sentence! Use email (lowercase and no hyphen) for consistency.
extension(s) Extension(s) Refer to components, modules, and plug-ins collectively as extensions. Always capitalise when referring to the Extension Manager.
embarrass embbaras Spell with a single b, double r, and a double s.
extraordinary extrordinary Do not omit the “a” of extra.
fascinate and fascination facination Spell with an s before the c.
file name filename Two words rather than one.
friend Spell with -ie- in the middle.
frontend Front-end, front-end Ensure it is never capitalised and not hyphenated when referring to the user (public) area of Joomla.
Front Page or front page Frontpage frontpage Always two words. Capitalise the words Front Page when referring to the menu Item element of Joomla content or the Front Page Manager.
fulfil fulfill Spell with one l in the middle and one at the end
gateway gate way One word, not two.
gauge gage Spell with -au- in the middle.
grateful gratful or graitful Begin with grate-. Single ‘l’ at the end
harass and harassment harrass and harrassment Spell with a single r and a double s.
hard disk hard-disk Two words. No hyphenation
hardware hard-ware One word. No hyphenation
home page homepage Always two words.
HTML HTM html Always capitalise, except in code or when a file extension.
hypocrisy hypocrasy hypocrisey Begin with hypo- and end with -isy.
immediate and immediacy imediate Spell with a double m.
independent independant End with –ent rather than -ant.
instalment installment Spell with one l
itinerary itinery End with -erary.
JavaScript javascript Java Script One word but with the J and S capitalised.
Joomla! and Joomla joomla!, joomla Always capitalise and include the exclamation mark on the first usage on a page (usually a title). Otherwise, like in code, capitalise and don't include the exclamation mark.
joomla_root/ Use as the starting point to all references to directories within the core installation to avoid confusion with the web server or database root.
keyboard key board One word not two
licence and license Use licence as a noun for the permit you obtain to do something like hunt or drive, but use license when you mean it as a verb, to give permission to or allow someone to do something or for something to occur.
login, logon, logoff, and logout Noun: always one word, one “g”, the act of logging into or out of a computer or Web site. Also, used to refer to the username used to log in, as in "he used his login and password to access the site."
log in, log on, and log off log out Verb to go through the procedure of logging in to or out of a Web site, as in "he logged in to the password protected area."
maintenance maintainence Spell with -ten- in the middle and end with -ance.
mambot Mambot Never capitalise when used for a Joomla extension. Remember, in Joomla 1.5 this is replaced by plug-in.
Manager manager When referring to either the user level or a manager screen (Poll Manager) it is capitalised.
manoeuvre maneuver Spell with -oeu- in the middle and -vre at end
Media Manager media manager Capitalise when referring to the Joomla extension.
menu Menu Never capitalise when referring to a specific menu, except when used as the Menu Manager.
menu item Menu Item Two words and never capitalise both when referring to the specific element within Joomla, except when referring to the Menu Item Manager.
metadata meta data One word
millennium Spell with a double l and a double n.
minuscule Spell with a u after the n.
misspell mispell Spell with a double s.
module Module Never capitalise when used for a Joomla extension, but capitalise when used in the Module Manager.
multitasking multi-tasking multi tasking one word
MySQL mysql MYSQL
news feed and News Feed Manager newsfeed Newsfeed Always capitalise when referring to the Joomla component and always two words. Use lowercase when referring to a news feed item itself.
necessary and necessity neccessary Spelled with one c and a double s.
occasion occassion Spell with a double c and a single s.
OK Ok, ok capitalise both letters
omission ommission Spell with one m and a double s.
online on-line on line One word
open source Open Source (OS) Never capitalise the O and S unless used in a proper name.
original Spell with an i before and after the g.
overwrite over write over-write One word
password pass word One word
PHP php Always capitalise except when used as a file extension or in code.
poll and Poll Manager poll manager Always capitalise when referring to the Joomla component. Use lowercase when referring to a poll itself.
platform
Plug-in, plug-in plugin, Plugin Two words, hyphenated. Never capitalise except when referring to the Plug-in Manager.
possess and possession posess Spell with a double s before and after the e.
PostScript Post Script post-script One word. Capitalise P and S.
practice and practise Use practice as a noun when describing actually doing something rather than just discussing it or theories about it, as in “put your good manners into practice”. Use practise as the verb, “improving your skill by doing something over and over.”
presence presance End with -ence.
privilege privilage privildge Spell with -ege at the end.
proofread proof-read, proofed, proof read This applies to all derivatives as well, such as proofreader, proofreading, etc.
questionnaire questionare Spell with a double n and end with -aire.
really realy Spell with a double l in the middle.
receive recieve Use i before e except after c.
recommend and recommendation reccomend Spell with a single c and a double m.
restaurant restorant restaront Spell with -au- between the t and r.
rhythm writhm
secretary secratary secretery Use an e after the r and end with -ary.
section Section Never capitalise when referring to the specific element within Joomla, but capitalize when referring to the Section Manager.
seize sieze Spell with the e before the i.
separate seperate Spell with -par- in the middle.
similar simalar simillar similer End with –lar rather than -ler.
skilful, skilfully, skilfulness skillfull Watch for variations as shown
software soft ware soft-ware One word.
source code sourcecode Two words.
style sheet stylesheet style-sheet Two words, no hyphen.
subdirectory sub-directory sub directory One word
subdocument sub-document sub document One word
success and successful sucess Spell with a double c and a double s.
sufficient suficient Use a double f in the middle and end with -cient.
Super Administrator super administrator Always capitalise when referring to the Joomla user level.
surprise Spell with an r before and after the p.
tomorrow Spell with a single m and a double r.
toolbar tool bar tool-bar One word
twelfth twelth Spell with an f in the middle.
unfortunately Spell with -ately at the end.
until Use a single l at the end.
URL Url url Capitalise except when used in code. Use "a URL" and not "an URL".
user User When referring to a specific Joomla user, never capitalise the first letter, except when referring to the User Manager.
vehicle Spell with -icle at the end.
Web web Capitalise except when using to refer to a spider's trap.
Web link and Web Link Manager weblink, web-link Two words, unhyphenated. Capitalise both words when referring to the Web Link Manager.
website Web site Web Site web site Formerly, the Web was used as a proper noun, but common usage of the term websites has changed and it is commonly accepted by the Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook.
weird wierd Spell with the e before the i
wilful willfull willful Only use a single l in the middle, and one at the end.
withhold withold Spell with a double h in the middle.
World Wide Web (WWW) Worldwide Web Capitalise, as it is a proper noun. Three separate words. Capitalise the abbreviation except in URLs.



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