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caesarean or cesarean?
The British spelling is caesarean and in the US, cesarean. Archaic spellings are 'caesarian' (British) and in the 'cesarian' (American).
Caesar
Not to be spelt Ceasar, Ceazar, Caezar or Czar.
caesar salad
No need for a capital C, unless it's the start of a sentence.
Caesars Palace
The famous place does not use an apostrophe.
caddie or caddy?
Caddy is for golf and caddie is for tea.
Calcutta or Kolkata?
Nowadays it's Kolkata.
callipers or calipers?
The UK spelling is callipers and the US spelling calipers.
calibre or caliber?
calibre: The British spelling is 'calibre'; 'caliber' is American English.
cancelling or canceling?
The British spellings are cancelled and cancelling, and the US spellings are canceled and canceling.
cannabis
Bill Clinton is famous for having smoked but not inhaled it, but too frequently it is reported that other people (who perhaps wish they hadn't) have experimented with it. To experiment with something is something normally reserved for scientists. Smoked is smoked, so if someone allegedly "experimented with cannabis", the fact of the matter is: they "once smoked cannabis".
canon or cannon?
A canon is a body of writing, as in Shakespeare's canon, and a cannon is what you'll find on 17th Century pirate ships. So the camera and photocopier brand isn't named after a weapon.
canvas or canvass?
A painter will use a canvas, a politician and his supporters will canvass for votes.
carat or karat?
The British spelling is carat and karat is American English.
carburetor or carburettor?
carburettor: The British spelling is 'carburettor'; 'carburetor' is American English.
career woman and career girl
To describe a woman as a career woman is old fashioned and terribly un-PC in today's day and age. Call her a career girl at your own risk.
carousel or carrousel?
carousel: The British spelling is 'carousel'; 'carrousel' is American English.
cashmere or Kashmir?
Cashmere is the fabric (famously linked by many to George Costanza of Seinfeld) and Kashmir is the place famously linked to a geopolitical tug-o-war.
casket or coffin?
coffin: The British prefer 'coffin and Americans generally talk about a 'casket'.
cauldron or caldron?
cauldron: The British spelling is 'cauldron'; 'caldron' is the preferred spelling in American English.
cause célèb
if you are going to use this import, use the accents.
CDs or CD's
CDs.
censor or censure?
To censor is to prevent publication of and censure is to criticise.
centenary or centennial?
centenary: Both words have the same meaning, but only in their respective regions. British use 'centenary' and Americans use 'centennial'; while 'centennial' in British English is only (if) used as an adjective. The same is true of 'bicentenary' and 'bicentennial'.
centre or center?
center: The British spelling is 'centre'; 'center' is the preferred spelling in American English. Make sure to use the 'center' spelling even in British English when referring to an American entity; World Trade Center.
centre on or centre around?
(US: center on or center around.) The most common preposition used with this word is centre on. The other common preposition is centre in. Avoid 'centre around' because they have opposite meanings. A report can centre on its topic, a discussion might centre on something else, just don't say it 'centres around' (or round). You might consider using revolve around instead.
chairman or chairwoman?
The agreed term nowadays is chair, strange as it is. A surprising number of people aim to be a chair.
changeable or changable?
The British and US spelling is always changeable.
channelling or channeling?
The British spellings are channelled, channeller and channelling, and the US spellings are channeled, channeler and channeling.
chastise or chastize?
chastise: The British and American spelling is always 'chastise'.
check or bill?
bill: The British word is 'bill' when asking to pay for a meal. The word 'check' is only ever used in American English.
check or cheque?
cheque:
checkout or check out?
The checkout is where you pay for your groceries, but check out is what you do either at a hotel or on the beach.
Chennai or Madras?
Nowadays it's Chennai.
children's
Don't forget the apostrophe.
chilli or chili?
chilli: The British spelling is with -ll- and American -l-, hence 'chilli' and 'chili' respectively.
chords or cords?
Chords are to do with music, and all other types of cords are spelt without an h, including the type that were popular in the 1970s.
Christian name, forename or first name?
depends: First off: the use of Christian name has all but been removed from British English for politically correct reasons so as not to offend those who aren't Christian but who still have first names -- though many older people still use it. 'First name' and 'forename' are the most commonly used forms in Britain, while 'given name' is used in American English.
chronic
Careful writers know that chronic describes something that is long lasting, such as chronic pain, and that the opposite is acute. A lot of people incorrectly use chronic as a synonym of severe.
cities and countries
It's an easy mistake to make, but take care not to list a string of cities and countries all jumbled together as in: "Our company plans to open new offices in London, Sweden, Hungary, Beijing and Australia." For lists of countries it is generally the norm to list them in alphabetical order regardless of the level of importance. The aircraft is built by companies from Finland, Germany, Italy and the US.
citizen or subject?
depends: Europeans and Americans often speak about 'citizens' when referring to the people of a country. The problem with the case of Britain is that, technically, being an unconstitutionalised monarchy, British passport holders are usually 'British subjects' rather than 'British citizens'. A better explanation is available here. Just be aware of the formal difference.
citrus or citrous?
The British spelling is citrus for the fruit and citrous as an adjective (wonderful citrous flavour) and the American spelling is citrus for all senses.
clerk
clerk: The British say clerk that rhymes with "park" and Americans rhyme clerk with "work".
cliches
For a list of common cliches, see XXXXXX.
collector's edition
A lot of companies forget the apostrophe.
colinear or collinear?
Colinear means plots lying in the same straight line. Collinear means lying in the same straight line or sequence.
at college or in college?
In the UK it is usual to use at college while the US it is in college.
collinear or colinear?
Colinear means plots lying in the same straight line. Collinear means lying in the same straight line or sequence.
colour or color?
In British English it is always colour and in US spelling it is always color. In Australia, color is creeping up on the preferred colour.
comedian or comedienne?
At some stage, comedienne went to the way of actress and businesswoman; it became neutered and is no longer PC.
commented or said?
A small difference to some, a big difference to others. Ask yourself if one of the two is more appropriate. In most cases, said is enough, unless it was a throw-away comment. There is a difference between having your say and making a comment.
common sense or commonsense?
Common sense is a noun, and commonsense is the adjective. Use your common sense and take a commonsense approach.
in comparison to or in comparison with?
Use in comparison to. It is incorrect to use 'in comparison with'. You might be thinking of in comparison with, but make sure that you know the distinction between in contrast and in comparison first.
complement or compliment?
depends: You know a complement when you you see one and you know a compliment when you receive one.
comprise
To consist of something is not the same as the word comprise. While "consists of" is correct, "comprises of" is not correct -- skip of.
confronted by or confronted with?
...
the continent
A common term in the UK is "the continent", meaning mainland Europe. Europe may be a continent, and the UK and ireland may be islands off the coast of it, the UK and Ireland are both in Europe and part of Europe regardless of the politics of it. If you must, use mainland Europe in preference to the continent.
continual or continuous?
Continual frequently occurring and continuous is non-stop.
in contrast to or in contrast with?
Use in contrast with. It is incorrect to use 'in contrast to'. You might be thinking of in comparison with, but make sure that you know the distinction between in contrast and in comparison first.
controlling or controling?
The Britsh spelling is controlling, the US spelling is controling.
controversy and controversial
Everything can and is controversial because there are very few absolutes in the world. These words are often overused and usually for the only purpose of making something appear interesting. Unfortunately, it is also used to taint reputations, so is a far from objective word. Rap artists and other artists are often labelled as "controversial". Used by lazy journalist and publicity types.
convince or persuade?
You convince someone of something is correct or true. You persuade someone to do something.
cooperation or co-operation?
co-operation:
cosmetic surgery or plastic surgery?
They are not the same. Cosmetic surgery is for those seeking to enhance their looks and plastic surgery involves procedures such as jaw reconstruction and so on.
cosy or cozy?
The British spelling is cosy and the American cozy.
crescendo
This is often used wrongly, such as in rising to a crescendo (sic). Crescendo is equal to build up or increase, but is not the peak itself. Therefore crescendo can not be the peak, it's everything leading up to it.
crucifix
A crucifix is not the cross itself; a crucifix depicts jesus on the cross. A cross on its own is not a crucifix, don't call it one.
crystallized, crystalized or crystalised?
The US spelling is usually crystallized, with -ll-., though crystalized is also a variant. In British English is either crystallised or crystallized – it is always -ll- and, depending on your house style, an -s- or -z- is used. In Australia it is always crystallised.
cull
Interestingly, cull does not mean mass killing. It means to choose or select. Animals are often culled for slaughter, but these are two separate actions. Journalists often get this wrong.
curb or kerb?
The British spelling is curb and the American spelling is kerb.
cusp
The word cusp is often used to mean verge, brink or edge. Sadly, however, the correct meaning of cusp is the intersection point where two areas converge. Think of two dinner plates side by side, touching. Where they meet or overlap is the cusp. The cusp of adolescence is really the cusp of childhood and adolescence.