| Word | Notes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| adviser | Note the -er ending. | The adviser recommended an option that would shorten his study time by several months. |
| aegrotat | Note the 'e'. | An aegrotat pass has no mark or grade awarded. |
| ageing | Note the 'e'. | Ageing is a an inevitable fact of life. |
| app | Short for applications, particularly those used on mobile devices. Use lower case. | Anyone can now use an iPhone to try their hand at surgery using the Bonedoc app. |
| Botanic Garden | The well-known Dunedin garden is referred to as the Botanic Garden not botanical or Gardens. | The Marsh Study Centre is located directly across the road from the Botanic Garden. |
| convener | Note the -er ending. | The convener said the next meeting would be the committee's final for the year. |
| data | Use the correct form as required:
|
All of the study participants gave permission for their personal data to be collected and then stored for up to six years. |
| driver's licence | Note the -ce ending. | You will need to present your driver's licence or similar government issued ID when requesting a new student ID card. |
| enrol / enrolment | No double 'l'. However enrolled, and enrolling. | To enrol at Otago you must complete the following process ... |
| focused | No double 's'. | The research focused exclusively on two dwellings, one led by a male primary earner, the other by a female primary earner. |
| foetus | Note the 'o'. | The Zika virus can be transmitted from mother to foetus. |
| fulfil / fulfilment | No double 'l'. However: fulfilled and fulfilling |
He hoped to fulfil his life-long dream to become the first university graduate in his family. |
| gynaecology | Note the 'a'. | Gynaecology is the branch of physiology and medicine which deals with the functions and diseases specific to women and girls, especially those affecting the reproductive system. |
| hypothesis | Use the correct form as required:
|
After must time spent hypothesising about the origins of the phenomenon, she was disappointed to learn that the hypothesis she'd spent weeks investigating had already been disproven in a recent article. |
| internet | Use lower case. | Accessing the internet is a part of everyday life for many people in New Zealand. |
| judgement | Note the 'e'. | In the examiner's professional judgement, the students' responses were too similar to be a coincidence. |
| knowledgeable | Note the 'e'. | Otago academics were knowledgeable on a wide range of topics. |
| led | This is the past tense of to lead. | She led the team to victory one last time. |
| orthopaedic | Note the 'a'. | Orthopaedic surgery or orthopaedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. |
| paediatrics | Note the 'a'. | Paediatrics is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. |
| program (computer) | Without -me ending. | He would need to install the program on his laptop before proceeding. |
| programme (non-computer) | Note the -me ending. | The popular multi-disciplinary programme focuses on human behaviour and social phenomena. |
| signalling | Note the double 'l'. | By withdrawing from his teaching commitments, he was signalling his readiness for retirement. |
| targeted | No double 't'. | The researchers say that their finding suggests that at-risk mothers and children should be better targeted for Vitamin D supplementation. |
| TB | The abbreviation for tuberculosis. | Researchers such as Otago's Professor John Crump are at the forefront in the battle against TB. |
| while | While is preferred to whilst. | Mouth breathing while sleeping may increase tooth decay risk. |