Editing Australian English (section)

==Spelling and style==<!-- [[Australian spelling]] redirects here-->
As in all English-speaking countries, there is no central authority that prescribes official usage with respect to matters of [[orthography|spelling]], grammar, punctuation or style.

===Spelling===
There are several dictionaries of Australian English which adopt a [[linguistic description|descriptive]] approach. The ''[[Macquarie Dictionary]]'' and the ''[[Australian Oxford Dictionary]]'' are most commonly used by universities, governments and courts as the [[standardization (linguistics)|standard]] for Australian English spelling.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spelling |url=https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/grammar-punctuation-and-conventions/spelling |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Australian Government Style Manual}}</ref>

Australian spelling is significantly closer to [[American and British English spelling differences|British]] than [[American and British English spelling differences|American spelling]], as it did not adopt the systematic [[spelling reform|reforms]] promulgated in [[Noah Webster]]'s [[Webster's Dictionary|1828 Dictionary]]. Notwithstanding, the Macquarie Dictionary often lists most American spellings as acceptable secondary variants.

The minor systematic differences which occur between Australian and American spelling are summarised below:<ref name="Macquarie Dictionary 8th Edition">"The Macquarie Dictionary", 8th Edition. Macquarie Dictionary Publishers, 2020.</ref>
* French-derived words which in American English end with '''or''', such as ''col'''or''''', ''hon'''or''''', ''behavi'''or''''' and ''lab'''or''''', are spelt with '''our''' in Australian English: ''col'''our''''', ''hon'''our''''', ''behavi'''our''''' and ''lab'''our'''''. Exceptions are the [[Australian Labor Party|Australian ''Lab'''or''''' Party]] and some (especially [[South Australia]]n) placenames which use ''Harb'''or''''', notably [[Victor Harbor, South Australia|Victor ''Harb'''or''''']].
* Words which in American English end with '''ize''', such as ''real'''ize''''', ''recogn'''ize''''' and ''apolog'''ize''''' are spelt with '''ise''' in Australian English: ''real'''ise''''', ''recogn'''ise''''' and ''apolog'''ise'''''. The British [[Oxford spelling]], which uses the '''ize''' endings, remains a minority variant. The Macquarie Dictionary says that the ''-ise'' form as opposed to ''-ize'' sits at 3:1. The sole exception to this is ''capsize'', which is used in all varieties.
* Words which in American English end with '''yze''', such as ''anal'''yze''''', ''paral'''yze''''' and ''catal'''yze''''' are spelt with '''yse''' in Australian English: ''anal'''yse''''', ''paral'''yse''''' and ''catal'''yse'''''.
* French-derived words which in American English end with '''er''', such as ''fib'''er''''', ''cent'''er''''' and ''met'''er''''' are spelt with '''re''' in Australian English: ''fib'''re''''', ''cent'''re''''' and ''met'''re''''' (the unit of measurement only, not physical devices; so ''gasomet'''er''''', ''voltmet'''er''''').
* Words which end in American English end with '''log''', such as ''cata'''log''''', ''dia'''log''''' and ''mono'''log''''' are usually spelt with '''logue''' in Australian English: ''cata'''logue''''', ''dia'''logue''''' and ''mono'''logue'''''; however, the ''Macquarie Dictionary'' lists the '''log''' spelling as the preferred variant for ''ana'''log'''''.
* A double-consonant '''l''' is retained in Australian English when adding suffixes to words ending in ''l'' where the consonant is unstressed, contrary to American English. Therefore, Australian English favours ''cance'''ll'''ed'', ''counse'''ll'''or'', and ''trave'''ll'''ing'' over American ''cance'''l'''ed'', ''counse'''l'''or'' and ''trave'''l'''ing''.
* Where American English uses a double-consonant '''ll''' in the words ''ski'''ll'''ful'', ''wi'''ll'''ful'', ''enro'''ll''''', ''disti'''ll''''', ''enthra'''ll''''', ''fulfi'''ll''''' and ''insta'''ll'''ment'', Australian English uses a single consonant: ''ski'''l'''ful'', ''wi'''l'''ful'', ''enro'''l''''', ''disti'''l''''', ''enthra'''l''''', ''fulfi'''l''''' and ''insta'''l'''ment''. However, the Macquarie Dictionary has noted a growing tendency to use the double consonant.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Macquarie Dictionary|url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/features/word/search/fulfil/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.macquariedictionary.com.au}}</ref>
* The American English ''defen'''se''''' and ''offen'''se''''' are spelt ''defen'''ce''''' and ''offen'''ce''''' in Australian English.
* In contrast with American English, which uses ''pract'''ice''''' and ''lic'''ense''''' for both nouns and verbs, ''pract'''ice''''' and ''licen'''ce''''' are nouns while ''pract'''ise''''' and ''licen'''se''''' are verbs in Australian English.
* Words with '''ae''' and '''oe''' are often maintained in words such as '''''oe'''strogen'' and ''p'''ae'''dophilia'', in contrast to the American English practice of using '''e''' alone (as in '''''e'''strogen'' and ''p'''e'''dophilia''). The ''Macquarie Dictionary'' has noted a shift within Australian English towards using '''e''' alone, and now lists some words such as ''encyclop'''e'''dia'', ''f'''e'''tus'', '''''e'''on''<!--see https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/features/word/search/eon/--> or ''h'''e'''matite'' with the '''e''' spelling as the preferred variant and hence Australian English varies by word when it comes to these sets of words.

Minor systematic difference which occur between Australian and British spelling are as follows:<ref name="Macquarie Dictionary 8th Edition">"The Macquarie Dictionary", 8th Edition. Macquarie Dictionary Publishers, 2020.</ref>
* Words often ending in ''eable'' in British English end in ''able'' in Australian English. Therefore, Australian English favours ''liv'''able''''' over ''liv'''eable''''', ''siz'''able''''' over ''siz'''eable''''', ''mov'''able''''' over ''mov'''eable''''', etc., although both variants are acceptable.
* Words often ending in ''eing'' in British English end in '''ing''' in Australian English. Therefore, Australian English favours ''a'''ging''''' over ''ag'''eing''''', or ''rout'''ing''''' over ''rout'''eing''''', etc., although both variants are acceptable.
* Words often ending in ''mme'' in British English end in '''m''' in Australian English. Therefore, Australian English favours ''progra'''m''''' over ''progra'''mme''''' (in all contexts) and ''aerogra'''m''''' over ''aerogra'''mme''''', although both variants are acceptable. Similar to Canada, New Zealand and the United States, ''(kilo)gra'''m''''' is the only spelling.

Other examples of individual words where the preferred spelling is listed by the ''Macquarie Dictionary'' as being different from current British spellings include ''ana'''log''''' as opposed to ''ana'''logue''''', ''gue'''r'''illa'' as opposed to ''gue'''rr'''illa'', ''verand'''ah''''' as opposed to ''verand'''a''''', ''bur'''q'''a'' as opposed to ''bur'''k'''a'', ''past'''ie''''' (noun) as opposed to ''past'''y''''', ''neuro'''n''''' as opposed to ''neuro'''ne''''', ''hic'''up''''' as opposed to ''hic'''ough''''', ''anne'''x''''' as opposed to ''anne'''xe''''', ''ra'''cc'''oon'' as opposed to ''ra'''c'''oon'' etc.<ref name="Macquarie Dictionary 8th Edition">"The Macquarie Dictionary", 8th Edition. Macquarie Dictionary Publishers, 2020.</ref> Unspaced forms such as ''onto'', ''anytime'', ''alright'' and ''anymore'' are also listed as being equally as acceptable as their spaced counterparts.<ref name="Macquarie Dictionary 8th Edition">"The Macquarie Dictionary", 8th Edition. Macquarie Dictionary Publishers, 2020.</ref>

There is variation between and within varieties of English in the treatment of '''-t''' and '''-ed''' endings for past tense verbs. The Macquarie Dictionary does not favour either, but it suggests that ''leap'''ed''''', ''lean'''ed''''' or  ''learn'''ed''''' (with '''-ed''' endings) are more common but ''spel'''t''''' and ''burn'''t''''' (with '''-t''' endings) are more common.<ref name="Macquarie Dictionary 8th Edition">"The Macquarie Dictionary", 8th Edition. Macquarie Dictionary Publishers, 2020.</ref>

Different spellings have existed throughout Australia's history. What are today regarded as American spellings were popular in Australia throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the Victorian Department of Education endorsing them into the 1970s and ''[[The Age]]'' newspaper until the 1990s. This influence can be seen in the spelling of the [[Australian Labor Party]] and also in some place names such as [[Victor Harbor, South Australia|Victor Harbor]]. The ''[[Concise Oxford English Dictionary]]'' has been credited with re-establishing the dominance of the British spellings in the 1920s and 1930s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.paradisec.org.au/blog/2008/01/webster-in-australia/ |title=Endangered Languages and Cultures » Blog Archive » Webster in Australia |publisher=Paradisec.org.au |date=30 January 2008 |access-date=20 September 2017}}</ref> For a short time during the late 20th century, [[Harry Lindgren]]'s 1969 spelling reform proposal ([[SR1|''Spelling Reform 1'' or ''SR1'']]) gained some support in Australia and was adopted by the [[Australian Teachers' Federation]] and minister [[Doug Everingham]] in personal correspondence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.englishspellingsociety.org/journals/j2/jimmieson.php|title=Spelling Reform 1 – And Nothing Else!|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730222013/http://www.englishspellingsociety.org/journals/j2/jimmieson.php|archive-date=30 July 2012}}</ref>

===Punctuation and style===
Prominent general [[list of style guides|style guides]] for Australian English include the ''Cambridge Guide to Australian English Usage'', the ''Australian Government Style Manual''<ref>{{cite web |author=Digital Transformation Agency|date=n.d.|title=Australian Government Style Manual |url=https://stylemanual.gov.au/|access-date=25 October 2021}}</ref> (formerly the ''[[Style Manual: For Authors, Editors and Printers]]''), the ''Australian Handbook for Writers and Editors'' and the ''Complete Guide to English Usage for Australian Students''.

Both [[Quotation mark|single and double quotation marks]] are in use, with single quotation marks preferred for use in the first instance, with double quotation marks reserved for quotes of speech within speech. [[Logical punctuation|Logical (as opposed to typesetter's) punctuation]] is preferred for punctuation marks at the end of quotations. For instance, ''Sam said he 'wasn't happy when Jane told David to "go away{{"'}}.'' is used in preference to ''Sam said he "wasn't happy when Jane told David to 'go away.{{'"}}''

The DD/MM/YYYY [[Calendar date|date format]] is followed and the 12-hour clock is generally used in everyday life (as opposed to service, police, and airline applications).

With the exception of screen sizes, [[metric system|metric]] units are used in everyday life, having supplanted [[imperial units]] upon the country's switch to the metric system in the 1970s, although imperial units persist in casual references to a person's height. Tyre and bolt sizes (for example) are defined in imperial units where appropriate for technical reasons.

In [[sports betting|betting]], [[Odds#Gambling usage|decimal odds]] are used in preference to fractional odds, as used in the United Kingdom, or moneyline odds in the United States.

===Keyboard layout===
There are [[British and American keyboards|two major English language keyboard layouts]], the United States layout and the United Kingdom layout. Keyboards and keyboard software for the Australian market universally uses the US keyboard layout, which lacks the [[pound sign|pound (£)]], [[euro sign|euro]] and [[negation]] symbols and uses a different layout for punctuation symbols from the UK keyboard layout.