How do I style a word used as a word and a letter used as a letter?
In MLA style, words used as words and letters used as letters are italicized: Accommodation is spelled with two c’s and two m’s. When the… Read More
Posts related to spelling
Are grade levels hyphened in MLA style?
MLA style hyphens grade levels in adjective form but not in noun form: a third-grade student, a student in third grade, a third grader. Read… Read More
How does the MLA style the name of the 2019 coronavirus?
The name of the 2019 coronavirus is styled by most organizations as either Covid-19 or COVID-19. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)… Read More
How do you form the plural and the plural possessive of family names ending in s?
Form the plural of family names ending in s by adding es. For example, below are the plural forms of the names Myers, Daniels, Forlines, and Collins: Myerses Danielses… Read More
Should health care be spelled as two words?
The MLA primarily follows Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for spelling, so we spell health care as two words when it is used as a noun, and we hyphen it… Read More
How should I form the plural of an abbreviation if the spelled-out form contains a plural term?
The plural of an abbreviation is formed by adding an s, even if the spelled-out form contains a plural term: prisoners of war (POWs) runs batted… Read More
What is the MLA’s stance on the use of British spelling?
MLA publications generally follow the American spelling preferences listed in Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged. When you are writing a paper for a… Read More
Should shortened generic forms of proper nouns be capitalized?
In general, lowercase generic forms of proper nouns: the United States Army, the army President Kennedy, the president the Brooklyn Bridge, the bridge Housatonic River,… Read More
When should you correct spelling in a title?
The spelling of a title should almost never be corrected, especially by students, even when the title seems to include an error. Sometimes the “error”… Read More