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Promoters of Canadian English say the federal government is sending the wrong message to the world with its recent use of British spelling in official documents.
In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, five linguistics experts and an editors association representative say the simplest way to keep national elbows up is to get Canadian style down on the page.
The letter from Thursday, shared with The Canadian Press, notes the use of British spelling — such as utilisation, globalisation, catalyse (instead of utilization, globalization and catalyze) — in documents, including the 2025 federal budget.
Canadian spelling is used widely and fairly consistently in Canada — in book and magazine publishing, in newspapers and other media, and in the federal and provincial governments and their legislatures, the letter says.
“If governments start to use other systems for spelling, this could lead to confusion about which spelling is Canadian.”
In addition, Canadian spelling is a vital element of the country’s unique identity, the letter writers say.
Canadian spelling used since 1970s
The letter was signed by linguistics professors J.K. Chambers, Sandra Clarke, Stefan Dollinger and Sali Tagliamonte, Canadian English Dictionary editor-in-chief John Chew and Editors Canada president Kaitlin Littlechild.
They ask the Prime Minister’s Office, the Canadian government and Parliament to stick to Canadian English spelling, “which is the spelling they consistently used from the 1970s to 2025.”
The Prime Minister’s Office did not provide a response to a CP request for comment on the letter.
Spelling is one aspect of Standard Canadian English, a distinctive national variety of English recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary, the letter says.
“Raincouver,” “demoviction,” and “elbows up” are some of the 137 new terms added to the Dictionary of Canadianisms. Stefan Dollinger, the chief editor of the UBC creation, says updating the dictionary is all about sleuthing and comparing our use of language with other anglophone nations.
“Canadian English evolved through Loyalist settlement after the American Revolutionary War, subsequent waves of English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish immigration, and from European and global contexts.
“Today, it reflects global influences and cultures from around the world represented in our population, as well as containing words and phrases from Indigenous languages.”
Standard Canadian English is unique among the varieties of English around the world because it is historically influenced by its geographic proximity to the U.S. but has features distinctive from U.S. English and U.K. English, the letter adds.
Borrows from U.S. and U.K.
Many Canadians are passionate about spelling words “Canadian” — but there are many opinions on what exactly is Canadian, the letter writers acknowledge.
“That’s because the Canadian style has been to borrow from both Britain and the United States.”
Canadians sometimes opt for a spelling that may have originated in the U.S. — or more accurately, North America, the letter says. “For other words we follow the British style.”
However, in some cases, Canadian style never embraces the British variant (tyre for tire, gaol for jail), while on others it avoids the American version (check for cheque, maneuver for manoeuvre).
University of Alberta research linguist Daniel Hieber explains how the lack of an up-to-date dictionary could impact Canadian English.
“Canadian English evolved here and represents a unique aspect of our culture. It is part of our history and identity,” the letter says.
“Canadian English spelling must continue to be used in all communications and publications in the federal government. It’s a matter of our national history, identity and pride. These days, it’s the simplest way to take an ‘elbows up’ stance.”
