Web Wise
Even the dictionary people aren’t sure.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Web site ˈwɛbˌsaɪt - Show Spelled Pronunciation [web-sahyt] Also, web site, web·site
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - e-mail ˈiˌmeɪl - Show Spelled Pronunciation [ee-meyl] Also, E-mail, email.
Well, which is it? Email or email? Internet or internet? Website or website or web site or Web site? If you’re looking for definitive answers, give it up. I’ve seen all of these spelled every which way and each time, it’s touted as the definitive answer. I’m here to tell you, there aren’t any. Definitive answers, that is.
It does appear that “Internet” gets a capital “I,” though why, I cannot tell. Maybe it’s just because it’s so big. But, if that’s the case, shouldn’t “universe” and “galaxy” measure up for an initial capital letter? I mean, they’re pretty big, too. World Wide Web we also like capped, it seems, though there is no consensus on Web site, website, web site or Website.
And did you know that the Web is not the same as the Internet? According to www.webguest.com, “The Web is not the Internet, it is a subset of the Internet.” Sigh. I have so much to learn.
I work with words and I would like to know how to spell and capitalize the terms correctly when speaking about the Internet/internet. After all, I write websites/Web sites/web sites/Websites for a living.
