Oxford Canadian Spelling

Chris Simmons is the reference librarian at Queen’s University in
Kingston.

With its Oxford Canadian Spelling and Oxford Canadian Thesaurus, Oxford
University Press has produced two new contributions to the relatively
small field of Canadian English. The two works act as companions to the
Oxford Canadian Dictionary, now in its second edition.

Oxford Canadian Spelling offers a more compact version of the Oxford
Canadian Dictionary. The entries, which are stripped of definitions and
the linguistic sources of their etymology, include the Canadian spelling
of words and the correct use of hyphens in spelling compounds. Entries
are divided by vertical bars according to phonology and etymology.
Plurals, conjugated forms of verbs, comparatives, and superlatives are
also included. Unfortunately, there is no list of commonly misspelled
words.

The Oxford Canadian Thesaurus contains features commonly found in
thesauruses, including synonyms and a select group of antonyms. Entries
include Canadian synonyms and regionalisms where applicable, homonyms,
and style (e.g., informal, literary, historical, or archaic).
Specialized vocabulary is noted and there are 185 tables listing words
that describe a specific category (e.g., fish, cooking methods). Many
entries include vernacular or literary phrases.

The thesaurus would be a useful addition to either personal and
reference collections. The spelling dictionary would be of particular
interest to learners of Canadian English.