Editing Encyclopedia:Manual of Style (section)

===Retaining the existing variety===
{{Shortcut|MOS:RETAIN}}
{{See also|#Retaining existing styles|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Retaining the existing format|Wikipedia:Article titles#National varieties of English}}
{{redirect|WP:RETAIN|the general editing policy|WP:PRESERVE}}

When an English variety's [[#Consistency within articles|consistent usage]] has been established in an article, maintain it in the absence of consensus to the contrary. There is only very exceptionally (such as when a topic has [[#Strong national ties to a topic|strong national ties]], or the change reduces ambiguity) a valid reason for changing from one acceptable option to another.

{{anchor|FPSR|FMC}}When no English variety has been established and discussion does not resolve the issue, use the variety found in the first post-[[Wikipedia:Stub|stub]] revision that introduced an identifiable variety. The established variety in a given article can be documented by placing the appropriate [[:Category:Varieties of English templates|variety of English template]] on its talk page.

An article should not be edited or renamed simply to switch from one variety of English to another. {{tlxs|uw-engvar}} may be placed on an editor's talk page to explain this.