If the word you are looking for is not included in the list below, consult Canadian Press Caps and Spelling first, then the Oxford Canadian Dictionary second.
A
alumna (singular female graduate) alumnae (plural female graduates) alumn (singular gender neutral) alumnus (singular male graduate) alumni (either plural male graduates or group of graduates comprising both sexes) |
analogue |
analyze |
antennas (found on televisions etc.); antennae (found on an insect) |
award-winning (adj.) |
B
behaviour |
bioplastic (one word not bio plastic) |
booklist |
brand name (n.); brand-name (adj.) |
built-in (adj.) |
C
campus’ (plural possessive) |
campus’s (singular possessive) |
centre (not center) |
cheque |
child care (two words) |
classwork |
closed-circuit |
colour |
co-operative |
coordinator |
counsel, counselling, counselled, counsellor |
coursework |
credentialing, credentialed |
Criminal Record Check (capitalize when used in program prerequisites or requirements) |
curriculum (singular); curricula (plural) |
D
datum (singular); data (plural) |
Day 1 (It’s been the best program since Day 1.) |
daycare (one word) |
decision making (n.); decision-making (adj.) |
defence |
degree-granting institution |
drop-in (adj.) |
E
Elder (capitalize) |
emeritas (feminine form), emeritus (masculine form) |
enrol, enrolled, enrolling, enrolment |
entry-level job |
F
fast-track (v.), fast track (n.) |
first-come, first-served basis |
first-hand |
first-year student |
follow up (v.); follow-up (n.) |
front line (n.); front-line (adj.), i.e., front-line workers |
full-load equivalent |
full-time classes available full time |
G
gauge |
GED® (always has the registered trademark symbol following it) |
go-kart |
Grade 12 (singular); grades 7 and 8 (plural); grades 9 to 11 (plural) |
grey (not gray) |
H
hands-on (adj.) |
head-on (adj.) |
head start |
health care (n.), health-care (adj.) |
high level of proficiency |
high school (not high-school) |
high-demand admission process; high-demand skills |
high-quality |
high-tech training |
home page |
home study |
honour, honourable, honorary |
I
Indigenous (capitalize) |
internationally recognized |
interprofessional |
Internet (capitalized) |
intranet (not capitalized) |
J
job ready “students are job ready“; job-ready “job-ready students” |
journeyperson (not journeyman) |
judgment (not judgement) |
jump-start |
L
labour |
leading-edge technology |
learning-centred |
licence (n.); license (v.) |
life-changing (adj.) |
lifelong |
litre |
log in (v.), login (n., adj.) |
long-term care |
lowercase (n., v.) |
low-income |
M
mail out (v.), mailout (n.) |
metre |
mid-term |
Millenials (caps) |
modelling |
myriad (n., adj.) |
N
nationally recognized, nationally accredited |
neighbour |
note taking (v.) |
O
on campus (n. and prep.); on-campus (adj.) |
on hand |
online |
on-site (adj.) |
one-on-one |
one to two years |
overrepresent (one word) |
P
part-time (adj., adv.); part-timer |
per cent (two words) |
personalize |
post-degree (adj.) |
post-secondary (adj.) |
practice (n.), practise (v.) (Nurses practise a variety of health care practices.) |
practicum (singular); practicums (plural) |
prerequisite (n., adj.) |
preschool |
province-wide |
R
real-life learning, real-life approach |
real-world training |
reapply |
resumé |
ribbon cutting (n.); ribbon-cutting (adj.) |
role-play |
S
short order |
short-term (adj.) (short-term investment); short term (n.) (in the short term) |
skilful |
sold-out (adj.) |
stepping stone |
storyteller, storytelling (one word) |
subject-matter expert |
T
theirs, its (possessive pronouns) (not their’s or it’s) but “it’s” for contraction of it is (It’s going to rain today) |
tipi |
top-level |
toward (not towards) |
troubleshooting |
U
Ukraine (not “the Ukraine”) |
undergrads (one word) |
under-represented |
undersubscribed |
up-to-date |
uppercase (n., v.) |
user-friendly |
W
waitlist |
wastewater (one word) |
web page |
website (one word, not capitalized) |
well-being (n.) i.e., a happy state |
well-known (adj.) |
well-rounded (adj.) |
wide range of student services |
wide-ranging (adj.) i.e., wide-ranging skills |
Wi-Fi |
work site |
work term |
workday (one word) |
workforce |
workload |
workplace |
work-ready, workplace-ready (adj.) |
World Wide Web (capitalized) |