A Word, Please:

I’ve been reading a lot about healthcare lately, but I’ve also been reading a lot about health care. At the same time, I read about local nightlife, and I even read about local night life. That’s because I do a lot of newspaper copy editing, but I also do some magazine copyediting. Somehow, it all turns out OK, and at times even okay.

Many people know that two major style guides govern most professional writing. The “Associated Press Stylebook” is most influential in the newspaper and public relations worlds, while the “Chicago Manual of Style” is followed by book publishers and, to varying degrees, many magazine publishers.

But fewer people realize that each of these style guides has its own designated dictionary — the source where users are supposed to turn for a final ruling on any matter not covered in the style guide. AP refers users to “Webster’s

New World College Dictionary,” while Chicago tells readers to fall back on “Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.”

And if you think that doesn’t amount to much of a difference, that’s only because you haven’t spent the last five years banging your head against your desk trying to remember which one spells “night life” as one word and which spells it as two.

If that’s not enough to make you appreciate your own job a little more, consider this: Many major publications that follow AP and Chicago also have their own house style guides, chock full of exceptions to Chicago and AP. That’s why, though both the Chicago Manual and AP say to use no apostrophe before the S in decades, “1980s,” the New York Times’ house style guide says to put it in, “1980’s.”

And, just when you thought it couldn’t get any more chaotic, consider that “Webster’s New World” and “Merriam-Webster’s” don’t just disagree on the spellings of some words, they also disagree on their definitions and even what parts of speech they are.

For example, “Webster’s New World” says that “underway” is an adjective, but “Merriam-Webster’s” says it’s both an adjective and an adverb.

Combined, these issues can make any copy editor’s job a challenge. But for those of us who have to edit in both styles, they’re a bona fide mental health hazard. Here are some of the words most likely to make a copy editor go postal.

“Health care”/“healthcare.” Both “Merriam-Webster” and “Webster’s New World” prefer the one-word version. Does that mean you should, too?

Not necessarily. The Los Angeles Times prefers the one-word version and so does the “American Heritage Dictionary.” And just because “American Heritage” isn’t the default reference of AP or Chicago doesn’t mean it’s no good. On the contrary, I find “American Heritage” to be a much better dictionary than “Merriam-Webster,” and sometimes I think it’s better than “Webster’s New World,” too.

But if you opt for the two-word version, remember the basic rule of hyphenation: Whenever two words come before a noun and work together to modify it, a hyphen is often required: “I learned about health care from a health-care specialist.”

“Advisor”/“adviser”: “Webster’s New World” prefers “advisor” but also allows “adviser.” “Merriam-Webster” prefers “adviser” but also allows “advisor.”

“Shower head”/“showerhead”: “Webster’s New World” says it’s two words. “Merriam-Webster” says it’s one.

“Night life”/“nightlife”: “Webster’s New World” lists it as one word, Merriam-Webster prefers it as two.

“Copy editing”/“copyediting”: “Webster’s New World” says the verb is two words.

“Merriam-Webster” says it’s one. Oddly, both dictionaries agree that the noun “copy editor” is two words.

Unfortunately, neither dictionary offers alternate job titles for copy editors who just can’t take it anymore.

Get in touch JUNE CASAGRANDE is a freelance writer and author of “Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies” and “Mortal Syntax: 101 Language Choices That Will Get You Clobbered by the Grammar Snobs — Even If You’re Right.” She may be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com. Get in touch JUNE CASAGRANDE is a freelance writer and author of “Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies” and “Mortal Syntax: 101 Language Choices That Will Get You Clobbered by the Grammar Snobs — Even If You’re Right.” She may be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com.