OK, ok or okay?

[stuckupmyownera]

OK, ok or okay?

[slcboston]

How about just a general "thumbs up?" :D

[slcboston]

In all seriousness - between the latter two I think it depends on context. (Waits for the grammar and spelling mavens to descend upon me.)

As for the first - unless you're writing about Wyatt Earp, my instinct would be to leave it alone.:guns:

[Harper K]

I use "okay," and nothing else -- and, as a Professional Grammar Nerd and copy editor, it'd be my instinct to change anything else. "OK" stands out too much on the page for me. Plus, it's the postal code for the state of Oklahoma.

But I've definitely seen variations on "okay" in published books. I swear I saw either "OK" or "O.K." (argh!) used throughout a YA novel I read recently, and it drove me nuts. It all comes down to the publisher's house style.

I think "okay" is the most correct.

[scope]

For what it's worth, I always use okay. I think it reads better, makes the point, and doesn't interrupt.

[KAP]

Okay. I recently finished a novel that used OK in dialogue, and it stood out and made me take notice each time. Not a good thing. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, I think.

[Dana-Lynn]

I much prefer to use Okay, also.

;)

I agree, OK jumps right off the page, and I notice it every time. Pulls me out of the story.

[DonnaDuck]

Word picks up ok as incorrect and OK as correct. In fact, Firefox picks up the former as incorrect as well and the latter correct. Usually I use okay if I need the saying drawn out (FF picks up both the upper and lowercase okay as incorrect as well, I love the FF built in spell check).

[CDarklock]

Okay.

Okey if you're Canadian.

OK means Oklahoma, so Word doesn't complain about it.

[Cathy C]

According to our previous editor (who's several decades younger than me) the current publisher preference is OK.

It doesn't work for me, so I tend to change it back to Okay (or okay depending on position in the sentence.)

Back and forth, book after book. Thus far I'm winning. ;)

[Matera the Mad]

Anyway, I think "ok" is Polish for something, and it looks like some kid who can't be bothered to capitalize an "I" wrote it.

[Flay]

Okay. It's unobtrusive, & okays or okayed looks better than OK's or OK'd.

It's a question that doesn't worry me--I tend to use all right (never alright) instead--but as long as you're consistent, oll will be korrect.

[Flay]

Okey if you're Canadian.
Eh?

[veronie]

I'm a newspaper copy editor, and our style is "OK." But, when I work on fiction or anything that is not newspaper, I prefer "okay."

[donroc]

okay always, except in my 17th century historical novel of course.

[HeronW]

'okay' unless it's the 1st word in a sentance then: 'Okay'. If your char is stretching out the word in answer, I might think of saying 'O...k...a...y...'.

[Judg]

Okey if you're Canadian.
To translate Flay's response: "Huh?"

Like what on earth are you talking about?

[BardSkye]

Lord Tunderin' Jaysus, we never says okay. We says sorry.

[IceCreamEmpress]

I like "okay".

The spellchecker on this board prefers OK.

If the publisher changes it, they change it. I've given up on worrying about that kind of thing.

[Priene]

I always use OK. Okay has an American feel.

[TsukiRyoko]

I use "okay" because "o.k." is an abbreviation for nothin in particular, and both "ok" and "o.k." look like slang to me. "Okay" feels the most correct to me.

[melaniehoo]

I use okay.

[Perle_Rare]

Okey if you're Canadian.

I'll chime in with, ummm... what's that about? Never seen that one...and Canadian I am, eh!

I've seen "okeydokey" used in dialog but that wasn't from a Canadian author.

[StephanieFox]

The AP Stylebook says, "OK" is correct. Any other use depends on the editor.

[Judg]

BardSkye, this is an English-language board. No Newfie allowed. ;)

[ascribe]

I use OK - it's less typing.

[BardSkye]

BardSkye, this is an English-language board. No Newfie allowed. ;)

:D

Couldn't resist. It's certainly no more incomprehensible than some of the Scottish dialects.

I've lived both eastern and western Canada, but never heard of "okey." I use "okay" as I find OK or o.k. pull me out of a manuscript.

[jannawrites]

Just to throw my two cents in... I use ok in casual, conversational pieces, but more professional works get okay.

[kct webber]

Okay. OK pulls at my attention when I'm reading. I don't like it. I may use OK in an Email or something, but not in a manuscript.