Lesson
The origins of OK (the original spelling) are mysterious, but everyone agrees that the word comes from the U.S., and that it is probably the most successful Americanism in the world. It’s used in practically every country—even in those with little access to international media—and it means the same everywhere.
People generally seem to write Okay in one of four ways, of which only the first two are valid:
- okay - correct,
- OK - correct,
- Okay - incorrect (the first letter should only be capitalised at the beginning of a sentence)
- O.K. - incorrect (no need for the points)
Though the idiosyncratic New York Times likes the faux-abbreviation O.K.—for example:
We’ve done O.K. in the downturn because we started selling online in 2007.
There’s no fixed rule as to whether you should use OK or okay in your writing. It’s a matter of personal style (although it may well get overridden by a publisher’s house style). Personally, I prefer okay. It looks more like a word, so it’s less jarring on the page.
Okay, okay, I’ll stop right here.:)
Enjoy studying!
