The Pongo Blog
So Which Is It: Web site or website?
August 19, 2010 (10:00AM) by Jim Scaglione
Today’s guest post was written by Jim Scaglione, a User Interface (UI) Specialist here at Pongo Resume. Jim holds a B.S. in Communications/Media and is known to indulge in the occasional orange soda. This blog topic was inspired by his real-life quest to find the definitive answer to the Web site vs. website quandary.
Have you ever wondered what the correct spelling of Web site really is? Those of us who specialize in the field of Internet Communications and Web Development have often pondered that question, especially when writing a resume. Is it one word or two? Should the W be uppercase? How about a hyphen between the two words? Oh, what a tangled Web we’ve woven.
A Google search reveals that many people have questioned its spelling and given their opinion on which form is correct. Many sources—ranging from Yahoo! to Merriam-Webster to the Associated Press (AP)—have stood by their own variations.
Let's talk about the AP Stylebook for a minute. Journalists have long referred to it as their bible for proper grammar usage. The AP had always said the proper term was two words, Web site, with the letter W capitalized. While this was accepted among journalists, the single-word, lowercase website had become the standard spelling for many online and print publications.
However, it appears that just recently, the AP officially changed its guideline from Web site to website. Furthermore, the recently published Yahoo! Style Guide, which is being touted as the new bible for writers and editors in the digital world, agrees that website is the way to go. (But both of these sources still capitalize the W when referring to “the Web.” Go figure.)
Now, one might argue that if you are not in the field of journalism, the AP Stylebook is not the proper source for such questions. Some literary purists may prefer the good ol’ fashioned dictionary for their spelling and grammar questions.
In the interest of those who prefer using a dictionary, I’ve consulted Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary and found its main entry for the word was the AP Stylebook’s former spelling: Web site.
So what’s the verdict? Is it Web site or website? I would say both are acceptable for now, but the single-word website seems to be winning out. If you’re looking to get hired as a reference librarian, perhaps Merriam-Webster (or is that web ster?) should be your guide. If you’re a journalist or content writer trying to land a job, I’d consider using the AP- and Yahoo!-sanctioned spelling.
Now, what if you were referring not to a collection of pages on the World Wide Web, but to the location of an arachnid’s place of residence? I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself.
Have you encountered any similar spelling or word usage controversies in your job search or on the job? Leave a comment below.
RELATED LINKS
Resume and Cover Letter Words That Can Trip You Up
How Do YOU Spell Resume?
Quiz: Are You Smarter Than a Spell Checker?
Hi Jim- Great 1st post! So what about email or e-mail? And log in or login? Those 2 always confuses me. Thanks for the help!
Posted by: Cookie | August 19, 2010 at 10:39 AM | Quote This Comment
AP says: e-mail (hyphenated)
Yahoo! says: email (one word, no hyphen)
login (n., adj.) log in (v.) log in to (v.) One word for noun or adjective; two words for verb, which may be followed by the preposition to.
Posted by: Jim's Editorial Assistant | August 19, 2010 at 11:07 AM | Quote This Comment
Yes, I have often wondered what the correct spelling of the word is. I have been spelling it as one word, without the hyphen or the capital letter. Both the AP Stylebook and the Yahoo! Style Guide can't be wrong. I have, always, understood the importance of spelling correctly, both in my personal life and in my professional life. There is no excuse for poor spelling, with the computer. It only takes a minute a minute to use the spellcheck function on the computer. People are either too lazy to or they do not know how to use it. Thank you very much for your choice of blog topic; it was very helpful.
Posted by: Linda A. Dziubala | August 21, 2010 at 1:42 AM | Quote This Comment
In Jesus's name (-: (see below) thanks for absolutely best essay I've seen on a troublesome question. I tend to follow New Yorker, New York Times (AP book?) for many practices, big help on such issues as apostrophes with plurals when dealing with my last name or golfer Tiger's, where a noun might belong to Wood or Woods, or to our families the Woods or the Woodses. I guess "Web" was thought to be part of a proper noun WWW. Literary bible seems to be CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style). I have one pragmatic argument for email over e-mail. The word "email" does not break at the end of a typewritten line, as most mail systems to not provide for an unbroken hyphen.
Posted by: James S. Wood | August 29, 2010 at 3:58 PM | Quote This Comment
Hi Linda, James - I'm glad that my post is of some value to the both of you. I found it to be quite an interesting topic. :-)
Posted by: Jim Scaglione | September 17, 2010 at 10:55 AM | Quote This Comment