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Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.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

labour, labor, laborious

The spelling labour is preferred in Canada, although labor is also accepted.

  • His hands worn by years of labour, his face creased by years of laughter, the old man prepared to face another day.
  • Marsha was in labour for 12 hours before giving birth to her second child.

The u is dropped in laborious.

  • Mike and Andrée managed to avoid the laborious task of spring cleaning well into autumn.