Joomla Documenter Manual
Manual Index
Words to Watch
This is a 'living document' that can be updated as needed over time.
Words to Watch (W2W) are words commonly misspelled or which may have variations that depend on the Joomla! style guide choices.
| Accepted Word | Unacceptable Word | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | administrator | Always capitalise when referring to the Joomla! User level or the Backend Administrator. When referring to the site administrator then it is lowercase |
| address | Spell with a double d. | |
| adapter | adaptor | someone who adapts; adaptor plug |
| a lot | alot | Use as two words, not one. |
| amend and amendment | Spell with a single m at the beginning. | |
| Article | Capitalise the word Article when referring to the element of Joomla! content. | |
| AutoCorrect | One word with capitalisation as shown | |
| Backend | back end back-end | One word not hyphenated or two words. |
| backup and back up | Use backup when used as an adjective, as in "he had a backup disk in his bag" and use back up when using it as a verb, as in "don’t forget to back up your hard drive". | |
| Banner | Always capitalise when referring to the Component element or Manager function. | |
| bitmap | bit map or bit-map | One word not hyphenated or two words. |
| blacklist | black list | one word not two |
| cacheable | cachable | The 'e' should not be dropped. |
| CAPTCHA | captcha Captcha | Captcha is an acronym that stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. It is pronounced as a real word and not spelled out then it should be written as captcha according to our style guide (see acronyms). |
| Category (Manager) | Always capitalise when referring to the Component element or Manager function. | |
| collapsible | collapsable | The correct spelling is -ible |
| command | comand | |
| Contact (Manager) | Always capitalise when referring to the Component element or Manager function. | |
| checkbox | check box | |
| check-in (noun/adjective) (Global) Check-in | checkin (noun/adjective) | We will be using check-in, which must be capitalised when referring to a specific function, Menu Item, or button such as Global Check-in. It is correct to use check in (verb) as in 'check in your materials'. |
| Component (Manager) | Capitalise the word Component when referring to an Extension in Joomla!. | |
| Contact | Capitalise the word Contact when referring to the element of the Joomla! Contact Component. | |
| Control Panel | control panel | Capitalise when referring to the Joomla! Backend functional area. |
| CSS | css | Always capitalise except in code or when a file extension. |
| database | data base | One word not two |
| directory | Do not use. Use folder instead | |
| dropdown | drop-down drop down | One word not hyphenated |
| E-mail e-mail | No hyphen and lower case. Except Email is obviously correct at the start of a sentence! We will be going with email (lower-case and non hyphenated) for consistency. | |
| Extension(s) | extension(s) | Refer to Components, Modules, and Plugins collectively as Extensions. Always capitalise when referring to CMPT’s. |
| file name | filename | Two words rather than one. |
| folder | Do not use directory always use folder | |
| Frontend | front-end | One word not hyphenated or two words. |
| Front Page front page | Frontpage frontpage | Always two words. Capitalise the words Front Page when referring to the Menu Item element of Joomla! content. |
| Gmail | GMail | Always capitalise the first letter only |
| Gzip | GZip | Only capitalise the first letter when referring to the name of the program |
| hard disk | hard-disk | Two words. No hyphenation |
| hardware | hard-ware | One word. No hyphenation |
| home page | homepage | Always two words. |
| HTML | HTM html | Always capitalise, except in code or when a file extension. |
| ID | Id id | Always capitalise when referring to a database ID. Lowercase when referring to a CSS id. |
| iframe | Iframe iFrame | Lower case unless at the start of a sentence. |
| information | infos | Always use information. Infos is not a real word |
| internet | Internet | Lower case unless at the start of a sentence or referring to Internet Explorer |
| IP | Ip ip | IP is an acronym that stands for internet protocal. As it is pronounced by spelling out the letters and not as a real word then it should be written as IP, all capitals with no periods, according to our style guide (see acronyms). |
| JavaScript | javascript Java Script | One word but with the J and S capitalised. |
| Joomla! joomla Joomla | See separate tradmark document | |
| joomla_root/ | Use as the starting point to all references to directories within the core installation to avoid confusion with the web server or database root. | |
| keyboard | key board | One word not two |
| licence and license | Use licence as a noun for the permit you obtain to do something like hunt or drive, but use license when you mean it as a verb, to give permission to or allow someone to do something or for something to occur. | |
| login, logon, logoff, and logout | Noun always one word one “g” the act of logging into or out of a computer or website. NOT the name of the field - that is Username | |
| log in, log on, and log off log out | Verb to go through the procedure of logging in to or out of a website for example. | |
| maintenance | maintainence | Spell with -ten- in the middle and end with -ance. |
| Manager | manager | When referring to either the User level or a Manager screen (Poll Manager) it is capitalised. |
| Media Manager | media manager | Capitalise when referring to the Joomla! function. |
| Menu | menu | When referring to a specific menu in Joomla! always capitalise. |
| Menu Item | menu item | Two words and capitalise both when referring to the specific element within Joomla! but not when generally discussing any old menu items |
| metadata | meta data | One word lower case |
| meta [attribute] | meta-description | Always two words and [attribute] is always lowercase |
| misspell | mispell | Spell with a double s. |
| Module | module | Always capitalise when used for a Joomla! Extension. |
| Multi-factor Authentication | multifactor authentication multi factor authentication | Multi-factor must always be a single hyphenated word and only the complete word should be capitalised. |
| multilingual | multi-lingual multi lingual | one word |
| multitasking | multi-tasking multi tasking | one word |
| MySQL | mysql MYSQL | |
| News Feed | newsfeed Newsfeed | Always capitalise when referring to the Component within Joomla!, and always two words. If referring to a news feed and not the component then still two words but not capitalised |
| necessary and necessity | neccessary | Spelled with one c and a double s. |
| OK | Ok, ok | Capitalise both letters |
| online | on-line on line | One word lower case |
| Open Source (OS) | Open source | Capitalise the O and S. |
| overwrite | over write over-write | One word |
| page break | pagebreak | two words not one |
| password | pass word | One word |
| lower case | ||
| PHP | php | Always capitalise except when used as a file extension or in code |
| phpass | PHPass | Always lowercase even when at the start of the sentence or in a title |
| Plugin(s) | plug-in | One word |
| PostScript | Post Script post-script | One word. Capitalise P and S. |
| practice and practise | Use practice as a noun when describing actually doing something rather than just discussing it or theories about it. | |
| program and programme | program when referring to code; otherwise programme | |
| proofread | proof-read | proofed |
| reCAPTCHA | recaptcha Recaptcha ReCaptcha ReCAPTCHA | This is the name of a specific product/service from google so should be spelt exactly this way. It is never capitalised even at the beginning of a sentence. |
| receive | recieve | Use i before e except after c. |
| RSS | rss | Always capitalise except when used as a file extension or in code |
| SEF | Sef sef | Always capitalise |
| semicolon | semi colon semi-colon | One Word |
| separate | seperate | Spell with -par- in the middle. |
| shall | Do not use. A better word is will. This will be displayed not this shall be displayed | |
| software | soft ware soft-ware | One word |
| source code | sourcecode | Two words |
| style sheet | stylesheet style-sheet | Two words no hyphen |
| subdirectory | sub-directory sub directory | One word |
| success and successful | sucess | Spell with a double c and a double s. |
| Super User | Super Administrator super administrator | Always capitalise when referring to the Joomla! User. There is no such thing as a Super Administrator |
| surprise | Spell with an r before and after the p. | |
| text area | text-area textarea | When referring to the area that you enter content then it is two words. When referring to the HTML tag then it is one word |
| toolbar | tool bar tool-bar | One word |
| twelfth | twelth | Spell with an f in the middle. |
| Twitter is a trademark so should always be with a capital | ||
| unfortunately | Spell with -ately at the end. | |
| URL | Url url | Capitalise except when used in code. |
| User | user | When referring to a specific Joomla! User always capitalise first letter |
| user group | usergroup User Group | Two words lower case |
| Username | user name | One word. You login with the Username NOT the login name |
| UTF-8 | utf-8 utf8 | Always uppercase and hyphenated |
| vCard | VCard vcard Vcard | Always spelt vCard even at the beginning of a sentence or in a label. |
| web | Web | Lower case |
| Web link Web Link | weblink web-link | Two words unhyphenated. Capitalise the words when discussing the Component variant - Web Link Manager. |
| Web services | webservices | Two words with the first word capitalised. When used in a title, label or button then the normal rules apply and both are capitalised. |
| website | web site Web Site Web site | One word not capitalised |
| whitelist | white list | one word not two |
| wi-fi | WIFI wifi WI-FI | Lower case and hyphenated. |
| Word | word | When referring to a Word document this should always be capitalised as it is a trademark |
| World Wide Web (WWW) | Worldwide Web | Capitalise, as it is a proper noun. Three separate words. Capitalise the abbreviation (except in URL’s) |