VARIANTS

When a main entry is followed by the word or and another spelling, the two spellings are equal variants. Both are standard, and either one may be used according to personal inclination:

Main Entry: ocher
Variant(s): or ochre

If two variants joined by or are out of alphabetical order, they remain equal variants. The one that appears first is, however, slightly more common than the second:

Main Entry: plow
Variant(s): or plough

When another spelling is joined to the main entry by the word also, the spelling after also is a secondary variant and occurs less frequently than the first:

Main Entry: can.cel.la.tion
Variant(s): also can.cel.ation

Secondary variants belong to standard usage and may be used according to personal inclination. If there are two secondary variants, the second is joined to the first by or. Once the word also is used to signal a secondary variant, all following variants are joined by or:

Main Entry: ¹Shake.spear.ean
Variant(s): or Shake.spear.ian also Shak.sper.ean or Shak.sper.ian

Variants whose spelling differs significantly from the main entry are entered at their own alphabetical places and usually not at the main entry:

Main Entry: ¹jibe variant of GIBE

Main Entry: ³rime, rimester variant of RHYME, RHYMESTER

Variants having a usage label appear only at their own alphabetical places:

Main Entry: metre chiefly British variant of METER

Main Entry: agin dialect variant of AGAINST

 

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