This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 46-page UK English Localization Style Guide (adapted from US English, originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any UK English content. Restructured and reformatted as a general UK English translator reference by ChatsControl.
English (UK) Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶
TL;DR¶
- Use UK spelling: -ise (not -ize) for verbs (organise, recognise, customise); -our (not -or) for nouns (colour, behaviour, favour); -re (not -er) for ending (centre, theatre); -ll- (not -l-) for past tense (travelled, cancelled).
- Use en dash – with spaces for parenthetical insertions (not em dash —); UK punctuation uses single quotation marks ‘…’ for primary quotes, double “…” for nested.
- Replace US acronyms with UK equivalents: ED (US Department of Education) → DfE (UK Department for Education); EPA → Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — first occurrence spelled out, abbreviation thereafter.
- Avoid US-specific words: program (software context) is OK; otherwise programme. Use ‘autumn’ (not ‘fall’), ‘mobile’ or ‘mobile phone’ (not ‘cell phone’), ‘lift’ (not ‘elevator’), ‘lorry’ (not ‘truck’).
- Address users with ‘you’ directly; use plural ‘they/their/them’ for generic singular references; avoid ‘he/she’ and ‘s/he’ constructions.
- TL;DR
- Register and tone
- Word choice
- US vs UK spelling key differences
- US vs UK common words
- Sample voice usage
- Inclusive language
- Language-specific standards
- Localization considerations
- FAQ
- What are the main UK-vs-US spelling differences I need to apply?
- Should I use em dash or en dash in UK English?
- What punctuation marks differ from US English?
- Which acronyms should be localized for UK audiences?
- How is gender bias handled in UK English translation?
- Which US words have UK English equivalents I should use?
- How are dates and numbers formatted in UK English?
- Sources
Register and tone¶
Three principles: warm and relaxed; crisp and clear; ready to lend a hand.
Clear, friendly and concise. Conversation language rather than formal technical English.
Consistency is vital — applies to tone, style, terminology and formatting.
Words and phrases to avoid¶
| en-US to avoid | Preferred en-GB |
|---|---|
| Achieve | Do |
| As well as | Also, too |
| Attempt | Try |
| Configure | Set up |
| Encounter | Meet |
| Execute | Run |
| Halt | Stop |
| Have an opportunity | Can |
| However | But |
| Give/provide guidance, give/provide information | Help |
| In addition | Also |
| In conjunction with | With |
| Locate | Find |
| Make a recommendation | Recommend |
| Modify | Change |
| Navigate | Go |
| Obtain | Get |
| Perform | Do |
| Purchase | Buy |
| Refer to | See |
| Resolve | Fix |
| Subsequent | Next |
| Suitable | Works well |
| Terminate | End |
| Toggle | Switch |
| Utilize | Use |
Word choice¶
| en-GB word | Usage |
|---|---|
| App | Use app instead of application or program |
| Pick, choose | Use ‘pick’ in fun/informal (‘pick a colour’); ‘choose’ for more formal. Don’t use ‘select’ unless necessary for UI |
| Drive | General reference to any drive type (hard drive, external hard drive). Use specific drive type if necessary |
| Get | Synonym for ‘obtain’ or ‘come into possession of’; avoid for other general meanings |
| Info | Use in most situations; use ‘info’ when pointing reader elsewhere (‘for more info, see ‘) |
| PC | Use for personal computing devices; use ‘computer’ for situations about PCs and Macs |
| You | Address user as ‘you’; avoid third-person references like ‘user’ which sound formal/impersonal |
US vs UK spelling key differences¶
| US English | UK English |
|---|---|
| customize, organize, recognize | customise, organise, recognise |
| color, behavior, favor | colour, behaviour, favour |
| center, theater, meter | centre, theatre, metre |
| traveled, canceled, modeled | travelled, cancelled, modelled |
| catalog, dialog | catalogue, dialogue (UI dialog box may keep ‘dialog’) |
| gray | grey |
| analog | analogue |
| program | programme (except for software/computer programs) |
| license (verb and noun) | licence (noun) / license (verb) |
| practice (verb and noun) | practice (noun) / practise (verb) |
| defense | defence |
| aluminum | aluminium |
| tire (wheel) | tyre |
| curb (road edge) | kerb |
| check (financial) | cheque |
US vs UK common words¶
| US English | UK English |
|---|---|
| fall (season) | autumn |
| cell phone | mobile, mobile phone |
| elevator | lift |
| truck (large) | lorry |
| apartment | flat |
| cookie (plain) | biscuit |
| flashlight | torch |
| garbage, trash | rubbish |
| trash can | rubbish bin, bin |
| parking lot | car park |
| sidewalk | pavement |
| French fries | chips |
| chips | crisps |
| sweater | jumper |
| pants | trousers (UK ‘pants’ = underwear) |
| diaper | nappy |
| eraser (pencil) | rubber |
| zip code | postcode |
Sample voice usage¶
Addressing the user to take action¶
| US English | UK English |
|---|---|
| The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive. | The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case sensitive. |
| This product key didn’t work. Check it and try again. | This product key didn’t work. Check it and try again. |
| All ready to go | All ready to go |
| Would you like to continue? | Would you like to continue? |
| Give your PC a name—any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings. | Give your PC a name – any name you’d like. If you want to change the background colour, turn high contrast off in PC settings. |
Explanatory text and support¶
| US English | UK English |
|---|---|
| The updates are installed, but Windows 10 Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off. | The updates are installed, but Windows 10 Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off. |
| If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. | If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work. |
| This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. | This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties. |
| Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. | Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive. |
Promoting a feature¶
| US English | UK English |
|---|---|
| Picture password is a new way to help you protect your touchscreen PC. You choose the picture—and the gestures you use with it—to create a password that’s uniquely yours. | Picture password is a new way to help you protect your touchscreen PC. You choose the picture – and the gestures you use with it – to create a password that’s uniquely yours. |
| Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info. | Let apps give you personalised content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture and other domain info. |
How-to guidelines¶
| US English | UK English |
|---|---|
| To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to. | To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to do. |
| To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. | To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture. |
| It’s time to enter the product key. When you connect to the Internet, we’ll activate Windows for you. | It’s time to enter the product key. When you connect to the Internet, we’ll activate Windows for you. |
Inclusive language¶
General guidelines¶
Comply with local language laws. Use plain language. Be mindful of politically disputed cities/countries. Represent diverse perspectives. Don’t generalise or stereotype. Don’t use profane or derogatory terms.
| Use this | Not this |
|---|---|
| primary/subordinate | master/slave |
| perimeter network | demilitarised zone (DMZ) |
| stop responding | hang |
| expert | guru |
| meeting | pow wow |
| colleagues; everyone; all | guys; ladies and gentlemen |
| lunch and learn; learning session | brown bag session |
| parent | mother or father |
Avoid gender bias¶
| Use this | Not this |
|---|---|
| chair, moderator | chairman |
| humanity, people, humankind | man, mankind |
| operates, staffs | mans |
| sales representative | salesman |
| synthetic, manufactured | manmade |
| workforce, staff, personnel | manpower |
For generalisations, use plural noun forms (people, individuals, students).
Don’t use gendered pronouns (she, her, he, him) in generic references. Instead:
- Rewrite using second or third person (you, one)
- Rewrite with plural noun and pronoun
- Use articles instead of pronouns (the document not his document)
- Refer to person’s role (reader, employee, customer, client)
- Use ‘person’ or ‘individual’
| Use this | Not this |
|---|---|
| A user with the appropriate rights can set other users’ passwords. | If the user has the appropriate rights, he can set other users’ passwords. |
| Developers need access to servers in their development environments, but they don’t need access to the servers in Azure. | A developer needs access to servers in his development environment, but he doesn’t need access to the servers in Azure. |
| When the author opens the document… | When the author opens her document… |
| To call someone, select the person’s name, select Make a phone call and then choose the number that you’d like to dial. | To call someone, select his name, select Make a phone call and then select his number. |
If you can’t write around the problem, plural pronoun (they, their, them) is acceptable in generic references to a single person. Don’t use he/she or s/he.
When writing about a real person, use the pronouns the person prefers.
Accessibility¶
Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use pity words (stricken with, suffering from, afflicted with, confined).
| Use this | Not this |
|---|---|
| person with a disability | handicapped; differently abled |
| disabled people; people with health conditions and impairments | the disabled |
| person without a disability; non-disabled | normal person; healthy person; able-bodied |
| blind person; partially sighted person; person with a visual impairment; person with low vision | sight challenged; vision-impaired |
| Select | Click |
Keep paragraphs short. Aim for one verb per sentence. Spell out ‘and’, ‘plus’, ‘about’. Screen readers misread &, +, ~.
Language-specific standards¶
Abbreviations¶
Follow source when abbreviations have been used. Where possible, use standard abbreviations.
| Expression | Acceptable abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Article | Art. |
| Chapter | Chap. |
| example | e.g. |
| hour | h |
| Minute | min |
| Number | no. |
Acronyms¶
Localised acronyms¶
Most acronyms are international and understood by UK users. Where a local body is referenced, use UK equivalent.
| US English source | UK English target |
|---|---|
| ED (US Department of Education) | DfE (UK Department for Education) |
Unlocalised acronyms¶
Where US acronym must be retained (unfamiliar to UK users), use full form first occurrence with acronym in brackets, then acronym only.
| US English source | UK English target |
|---|---|
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Punctuation¶
Quotation marks¶
UK style: single ‘…’ for primary quotes, double “…” for nested.
En dash with spaces¶
UK uses en dash – with spaces around it for parenthetical insertions (where US uses em dash —).
| US English | UK English |
|---|---|
| Give your PC a name—any name you want. | Give your PC a name – any name you’d like. |
Period placement¶
UK places period (full stop) OUTSIDE closing quotation mark when the quote isn’t a complete sentence. US places it inside.
Serial comma¶
Optional in UK; common in US.
Capitalization¶
Same general rules as US English. Use sparingly.
Verbs¶
Use simple present and present perfect. Active voice preferred.
Localization considerations¶
Applications, products, and features¶
Product/application names trademarked, rarely translated.
Trademarks¶
Microsoft Corporation and trademarked names not localized.
FAQ¶
What are the main UK-vs-US spelling differences I need to apply?¶
Endings: -ise (not -ize) for most verbs — organise, recognise, customise, personalise (though Oxford spelling uses -ize for some); -our (not -or) — colour, behaviour, favour, neighbour; -re (not -er) — centre, theatre, metre; double-l in past tenses — travelled, cancelled, modelled; -ce (not -se) for nouns — defence, licence (noun); -se for verbs — practise (verb)/practice (noun). Other: catalogue (not catalog), grey (not gray), tyre (not tire for wheel), aluminium (not aluminum), kerb (not curb for road edge).
Should I use em dash or en dash in UK English?¶
UK English typically uses an en dash – with spaces around it for parenthetical insertions (where US English uses an em dash — without spaces). ‘Give your PC a name – any name you’d like’ (UK) vs ‘Give your PC a name—any name you want’ (US). Microsoft UK style guide examples show this convention.
What punctuation marks differ from US English?¶
Primary quotation marks in UK English are single ‘…’, with double “…” for nested quotations (opposite of US convention). Periods (full stops) go OUTSIDE closing quotation marks when the quote isn’t a complete sentence (UK style); US style puts them inside. En dash with spaces for parenthetical insertions. Serial/Oxford comma optional in UK (more common in US).
Which acronyms should be localized for UK audiences?¶
Replace US-specific institutional acronyms with UK equivalents where the reference is geographic: ED (US Department of Education) → DfE (UK Department for Education). For US acronyms that need to be retained (because they’re well-known international, like NASA, FBI, or refer to US-only entities), use full form first occurrence (Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)) with acronym subsequently. International standards (ISO, ANSI, DNS, HTML) remain as-is.
How is gender bias handled in UK English translation?¶
Use gender-neutral alternatives: chair/moderator (not chairman); humanity/people/humankind (not man/mankind); operates/staffs (not mans); sales representative (not salesman); synthetic/manufactured (not manmade); workforce/staff/personnel (not manpower). For generalizations use plural noun forms (people, individuals, students). For pronouns: rewrite to plural, use articles (the document not his document), refer to roles (reader, employee, customer), use ‘person’ or ‘individual’. If you must use singular pronoun for generic, ‘they/their/them’ is acceptable. Don’t use ‘he/she’ or ‘s/he’.
Which US words have UK English equivalents I should use?¶
Common substitutions: autumn (not fall — for season); mobile or mobile phone (not cell phone); lift (not elevator); lorry (not truck — for large goods vehicle); flat (not apartment); biscuit (not cookie — for plain ones); torch (not flashlight); rubbish (not garbage/trash); rubbish bin (not trash can); car park (not parking lot); pavement (not sidewalk); chips (not French fries); crisps (not chips — for what Americans call chips); jumper (not sweater); trousers (not pants — ‘pants’ is underwear in UK).
How are dates and numbers formatted in UK English?¶
Date format: DD/MM/YYYY (not US MM/DD/YYYY). Long form: ‘25 March 2024’ (not ‘March 25, 2024’). Time: 24-hour (14:30) or 12-hour with ‘am/pm’ lowercase. Number formatting: comma as thousands separator (1,000,000) — same as US. Currency: £ before the number with no space (£100, not 100£). Negative temperature: ‘-10°C’ (not ‘10°C below zero’).