You Say E-mail, the AP Stylebook (Now) Says Email

The day we knew was coming is here: The AP Stylebook has changed “e-mail” to “email.” The new spelling was inevitable following last year’s announcement that “Web site” was becoming “website” (it may have made more sense to revise both terms at once, but that would’ve taken away the suspense). Although many people are cheering the change, I have mixed feelings about it. Sure, it’ll save me approximately one one-bizillionth of a second in typing time. Who doesn’t need more hours in the day (yeah, I type “e-mail” that much. E-maile-maile-mail)? But I can’t help but fear that AP is kowtowing to popular opinion rather than making a reasoned change – and this makes me worry about what we may be in for next year.

After last year’s “website” announcement, AP Stylebook posted the following on its Facebook page:

Followers of AP style — editors, writers, students, P.R. professionals, word lovers — have for several years argued that the two-word spelling of “Web site” is out of date … Clearly, the public’s voice — the preference of social media activists, including within the AP — played a significant role in AP’s decision. Social media users have no doubt been the loudest voice for change. The one-word spelling is dominant on blogs, Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere on the Internet (yes, Internet with a capital I).

Apparently bloggers are making the rules now. This frightens me. What’s next? Is “it’s” going to become interchangeable with “its”?

The rules don’t seem to be consistent, either. AP uses “website” and “webcam” – and “Web feed” and “Web page” (similarly, the new entry says to use “email” but “e-book” and “e-commerce”). What? I wasn’t the only one puzzling over this; I found the following exchange on AP’s “Ask the Editor” page:

Q. In re the recent style update on Web, website, Web feed — my colleagues and I do not understand the difference between terms like website, webcam and webmaster being downcase and 1 word, and terms like Web feed and Web page being uppercase and 2 words. Can you please explain the logic here? Seems to us that all common “web” terms should be the same, but … Thanks in advance. – from Escondido, CA on Wed, Apr 21, 2010
A. Compounds are lowercase: website, webcam, webmaster, webinar, etc. Certain other terms remain two words, cap-W for the proper noun, in AP usage: the Web and Web page.

Is there an answer somewhere in there? Oh, right, now I see it: “Because we said so.”

Finally, in case those two concerns aren’t reason enough to grumble about the new spelling, I think “email” looks funny.

I use AP style, however, so I’ll follow the rules. Just don’t ask me to justify them.

P.S. My guess for next year’s big announcement? “Internet” will become “internet” (yes, internet with a lowercase i).