Alumni
— Alumni: plural, both female and male
— Alum: singular, non-gendered
— Alumna/alumnae: female/plural female
— Alumnus/alumni: male/plural male
Child, Children
— Use “student” or “students” instead for inclusivity (not all our students are children)
Flyer vs. Flier
— Use “flyer” for handbills
— Use “flier” for people
Kid(s)
— Use “student” or “students” instead for inclusivity (not all our students are kids)
Log in vs. log-in
— Log in without a hyphen is a verb
— Log-in with a hyphen is a noun or adjective
Makeup vs. make-up
— Use “makeup” to depict cosmetics, whether the word is used as a noun or adjective (makeup application, Kinders don’t get makeup)
— Use “make up” only as a verb when meaning missed work, for example (I need to make up an exam)
— Use “make-up” as an adjective when meaning missed work, for example (I have a make-up exam today)
Theatre vs. Theater
— Use the American English “theater” in all instances, except when “theatre” is used for an outside organization’s name (Hennepin Theatre Trust)
Work-Study
— Always hyphenate (work-study job, work-study position, work-study earnings; never work study or workstudy)