SELF-STUDY

Spelling

Correct spelling is a baseline requirement for academic writing. Sloppy spelling in a manuscript may cause an editor or reviewer to question whether the author’s work in the lab is also sloppy. Fortunately, misspellings are easy to avoid—dictionaries and spellcheckers help with that. Beware, however, of relying too much on the spellchecker. For example, in the following list, which word did you mean?

for ..... or ..... four ?
does ..... or ..... dose ?
mouse ..... or ..... mouth ?
secretary ..... or ..... secretory ?
fetal ..... or ..... fatal ?
rapture ..... or ..... rupture ?

Therefore, rely on an ‘eyeball check’ rather than a computerized spellcheck to ensure your final manuscript is misspelling-free.

American or British spelling? Unless specified in the journal’s Instructions for Authors, either is fine. The key thing to remember, though, is consistency: once you’ve decided on American or British spelling, keep to that spelling throughout the manuscript. That means, don’t mix spellings such as:

histologic (AmEng) ..... with ..... histological (BrEng)
edema (AmEng) ..... with ..... oedema (BrEng)
anesthetic (AmEng) ..... with ..... anaesthetic (BrEng)
analyze (AmEng) ..... with ..... analyse (BrEng)
tumor (AmEng) ..... with ..... tumour (BrEng)
signaling (AmEng) ..... with ..... signalling (BrEng)

You try!

Revise the following sentences for consistent spelling. Answers follow.

1.
X, a secretary protein, was analysed for its effect on tumor progression.
2.
Zone 3 eyes had better anatomical outcomes without prophylactic vitrectomy. Anatomic and visual outcomes of zone 1 and zone 2 eyes showed no significant difference between the vitrectomy and observation group.
3.
Of the eyes with a contiguous retinal component, one eye revealed juxtapapillary choroidal neovascularization with serous/haemorrhagic detachment of the neurosensory retina. In one eye, the tumor was mostly confined to the optic disc (Figure 3).
4.
OCT images and colour fundus photographs show 3 eyes with optic disc melanocytoma. The first branches of the central retinal vein in the retina (nerve fiber layer) are visible over the tumour with juxtapapillary choroidal neovascularization and serous/haemorrhagic detachment of the neurosensory retina.
5.
Rapture of a cerebral aneurysm is one of the causes of bleeding into the brain.
6.
Fetal familial insomnia (FFI) is a very rare inherited prion disease of the brain.
7.
Blood gets its color from the haemoglobin contained in erythrocytes.

Answers

1.
X, a secretory protein, was analyzed for its effect on tumor progression.
(The protein secretes; it is not a secretary! Consistent American spelling)
Or
X, a secretory protein, was analysed for its effect on tumour progression.
(consistent British spelling)
2.
Zone 3 eyes had better anatomic outcomes without prophylactic treatment. Anatomic and visual outcomes of zone 1 and zone 2 eyes showed no significant difference between the treatment and observation groups. (consistent American spelling)
Or
Zone 3 eyes had better anatomical outcomes without prophylactic treatment. Anatomical and visual outcomes of zone 1 and zone 2 eyes showed no significant difference between the treatment and observation groups. (consistent British spelling)
3.
Of the eyes with a contiguous retinal component, one eye revealed juxtapapillary choroidal neovascularization with serous/hemorrhagic detachment of the neurosensory retina. In one eye, the tumor was mostly confined to the optic disc (Figure 3).
(consistent American spelling)
Or
Of the eyes with a contiguous retinal component, one eye revealed juxtapapillary choroidal neovascularisation with serous/haemorrhagic detachment of the neurosensory retina. In one eye, the tumour was mostly confined to the optic disc (Figure 3).
(consistent British spelling)
4.
OCT images and color fundus photographs show 3 eyes with optic disc melanocytoma. The first branches of the central retinal vein in the retina (nerve fiber layer) are visible over the tumor with juxtapapillary choroidal neovascularization and serous/hemorrhagic detachment of the neurosensory retina.(consistent American spelling)
Or
OCT images and colour fundus photographs show 3 eyes with optic disc melanocytoma. The first branches of the central retinal vein in the retina (nerve fibre layer) are visible over the tumour with juxtapapillary choroidal neovascularisation and serous/haemorrhagic detachment of the neurosensory retina.(consistent British spelling)
5.
Rupture of a cerebral aneurysm is one of the causes of bleeding into the brain.
(A ‘raptured’ aneurysm is a very happy one. Watch that spellchecker.)
6.
Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a very rare inherited prion disease of the brain.
(Do fetuses suffer from insomnia?? The author is probably referring to a sleep disorder that can result in death. Watch that spellchecker!)
7.
Blood gets its color from the hemoglobin contained in erythrocytes.
(consistent American spelling)
Or
Blood gets its colour from the haemoglobin contained in erythrocytes.
(consistent British spelling)