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Important notice

Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.

For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!

Search Canada.ca
To begin your search, go to the alphabetical index below and click on the first letter of the word you are searching for.

defence, defense, defensive

In Canada, the preferred spelling is defence and not defense.

  • The Minister of National Defence is responsible for the Canadian Forces.
  • It would be hard to imagine anyone better on defence than Bobby Orr.

Defensive, however, is always spelled with an s.

  • Managers use various defensive strategies to ward off company takeovers.