Writing Tips:

How to Spell Computer Terms Correctly

Copyright © 2007 Lynette M. Smith

The following alphabetical list has been compiled to help you decide how to correctly spell, capitalize and punctuate computer terms in your writing. In creating this list, three sources were consulted: The Associated Press Stylebook 2006; The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition; and NetLingo, The Internet Dictionary. Cited beside each entry in the list are the initials AP, CM, and/or NL, to indicate the consulting source(s) for each version. Whenever you encounter multiple forms of a word or term, use the version that conforms most closely to the writing style or style manual you already use in your writing. If no manual is specified, choose the style you like best and use it consistently. 

Appreciation is extended to my friend and associate, Sharon Deutsch, for her help in refining this list to only the most pertinent terms.

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R 

  S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z 

A

autoresponder (NL)

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B

bandwidth (NL)
baud (NL)
BlackBerry (NL)
Bluetooth (NL)
BMP or .bmp (NL)
Boolean logic (NL)
broadband (NL)
byte (NL)

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C

cache, caching (NL)
CAD (NL)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS (NL)
coaxial (AP/NL) 
Cold Fusion (NL)
com or .com (NL)
COM port (NL)
COMDEX (NL)
coopetition (NL)
Copy [icon/command] (CM)
Ctrl [key] (CM)
Cut [icon/command] (CM)

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D

Delete [key/command] (CM)
disc (as in laserdisc, videodisc, disc brake, phonograph records and disc jockey) (AP)
disc (as in CD, DVD, CD-ROM) (NL); or
disk (for all computer-related references) (AP); or
disk (as in floppy, floppy disk, floppy diskette, hard disk drive) (NL)
disk operating system (never abbreviated) (AP)
DOS (always abbreviated) (NL)
dot-com (AP/NL)
dot-commers (NL)

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E

e-article (CM)
e-book or ebook (NL)
e-card (NL)
e-commerce (CM/NL)
e-distribution (NL)
e-document (NL)
e-dress (NL)
e-journal (NL)
elancer (NL)
e-learning (NL)
e-mail (AP/CM); e-mail or email (NL)
e-marketing (CM)
emoticon (AP/NL)
EPS or .eps (NL)
e-publishing (NL)
e-reading (NL)
ethernet (NL)
Exit [command/menu item] (CM)
e-zine (CM/NL)

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F

FAQ (always abbreviated) (NL); or
FAQ (abbreviated in headlines only; always spelled out in copy) (AP)
fiber-optic cable (NL)
fiber-optics (NL)
frequently asked questions (always spelled out in copy; can be abbreviated FAQ in headlines) (AP)
FrontPage (NL)

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G

GEnie (NL)
GIF or .gif (NL)
gig (NL)
gigabit (NL)
gigabyte or GB (AP/NL)
Google (NL)
googling (NL)
GUI (NL)

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H

hard copy or hardcopy (be consistent) (CM)
hertz (exclusively spell out) (AP); or
hertz or Hz (NL)
hexadecimal (NL)
Home [key] /(CM)
home page (never capitalized) (AP); or
Home Page (formal page name or on larger company websites) (NL); or
homepage (less formal) (NL)
Hotmail (NL)
HTML (AP)
HTTP (alone) or http (as part of web address) (AP/NL) 
HTTPS (alone) or https (as part of web address) (AP/NL)
hyperlink (AP/NL)
hypertext (AP/NL)
Hz or hertz (NL)

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I

I/O error (NL)
I-commerce (NL)
in-line image (NL)
Internet (AP/NL)
intranet (AP/NL)
iPod (NL)

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J

JavaScript (AP/NL)
JIT (just-in-time) (NL)
JPEG or JPG or .jpg (NL)

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K

kilobyte or KB (AP/NL)
kluge or kludge (NL)

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L

LAN (AP/NL)
Linux (NL)
LISTSERV (product of L-Soft International,
     not to be used as a generic term) (NL)
Lycos (NL)

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M

Mac (NL)
Macintosh (NL)
Macromedia (NL)
macrosite (NL)
mailbot (NL)
malware (NL)
Mapedit (NL)
MapQuest (NL)
McAfee (NL)
meta tag (NL)
metabrowser (NL)
metacrawler (NL)
microbrowser (NL)
MIDI (NL)
MIME (NL)
morph or morphing (NL)
Mosaic (NL)
MOV or .mov (NL)
Mozilla (NL)
MP3 (AP/NL)
MPEG (NL)
MS-DOS (NL)

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N

nanosecond (AP/NL)
nanotechnology (AP/NL)
Napster (NL)
nav bar or navigation bar (NL)
net or .net (NL)
netcentric (NL)
Netscape (NL)
Norton Anti-Virus (NL)
Novell (NL)

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O

OASIS (NL)
org or .org (NL)
OS/2 (NL)

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P

Paste [icon/command] (CM)
PayPal (NL)
pay-per-click (NL)
phish or phishing (NL)
Photoshop (by Adobe) (NL)
pixel (NL)
plugin or plug-in (NL)
podcast (NL)
PostScript (by Adobe) (NL)
Print [command/menu item] (CM)

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Q

QuickTime (by Apple) (NL)

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R

RAM (AP/NL)
raster graphics (NL)
read-only memory (never abbreviated) (AP); or
Read-Only Memory or ROM (NL)
README or readme (NL)
real time chat (NL)
RealAudio (NL)
RealPlayer (NL)
ROM or Read-Only Memory (NL)
RTF or .rtf (NL)

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S

SAT phone (NL)
Save [command/menu item] (CM)
Shift [key] (CM)
spoofing (NL)
sysadmin (NL)

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T

techie (NL)
terabyte (AP/NL)
TIF or .tif (NL)
tilde or ~ (NL)
Trojan horse (AP/NL)

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U

Unix (NL)
URL (AP/NL)
Usenet (NL)

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V

vaporware (NL)
vCard (NL)
VeriSign (NL)
VirusScan (by McAfee) (NL)
VM or voice mail (NL); or
voice mail (never abbreviated) (AP); or
voice mail or VM (NL)

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W

WAV or .wav (NL)
WBMP or .wbmp (NL)
Web (AP/CM/NL)
Web page (CM)
Web site (CM) or website (NL)
webcast (NL)
webcentric (NL)
WebCrawler (NL)
Webinar (NL)
website (NL) or Web site (CM)
WebTV (NL)
whois (NL)
Wi-Fi (AP/NL)
wildcard (NL)
Windows NT (NL)
WinZIP (NL)
World Wide Web (AP/CM/NL)

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X

Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) (NL)
Xmodem (NL)

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Y

Y2K (NL)
Yahoo (AP)
Yahoo! (NL)

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Z

zine (NL)
ZIP or .zip (NL)
Zip Disk (NL)

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