OK, okay, or ok

tracycgold · May 16, 2013

OK, okay, ok, this is driving me crazy! Which one do you use?

mirandashell · May 16, 2013

Are you asking for the American version?

ETA: The reason I'm asking is that not everyone does it the same way and I don't want to give you the wrong info.

Chase · May 16, 2013

tracycgold said:
OK, okay, ok. Which one do you use?

As an editor, I accept all of them and recommend consistency. The writer is boss.

As a writer, I go with okay.

geminirising · May 16, 2013

At work, our house style guide dictates "OK" (recently updated from "O.K.") - and that's what I use in my writing!

tracycgold · May 16, 2013

Yes, American. I've had different answers from different people. OK in caps seems so jarring! I've been sticking with "okay" but have to edit for it because "ok" is my default.

amergina · May 16, 2013

Pick one and be consistent.

Buffysquirrel · May 16, 2013

Be consistent. Publications will impose their house style anyway.

Animad345 · May 16, 2013

I use OK (I'm a Brit, if that makes any difference at all). I've never really thought about it. I just think it looks better on the page than ok or okay, but each to their own.

As the others have said, be consistent.

VoireyLinger · May 16, 2013

Like others said, pick one, be consistent, and be aware a publisher might want it changed for house style.

And I use okay.

Orianna2000 · May 16, 2013

Why abbreviate a word that's only four letters? Personally, I find OK jarring. It might be "correct" but it bothers me when I read it. I always spell it out: okay.

Takoglint · May 16, 2013

J.K.Rowling uses "OK", but i prefer "okay".

juniper · May 16, 2013

I used to use "ok" in all my writing (social, ms, work and person email) but now use "okay" in manuscripts since that's what I see in most books.

Caps "OK" seems jarring to me, too. But I guess it's ok for some.

Evan Henry · May 16, 2013

"Okay." "OK" is tolerable, but "ok" just looks wrong to me. Like it should be pronounced "ock," or something.

Crescendo2020 · May 16, 2013

I spell it out because the difference is two letters.

Papaya · May 16, 2013

Personally, I use “okay”. I actually thought “okay” was the technically correct version, but the search engines appear disagree with me…so what do I know? All versions are recognizable and probably acceptable. As others have stated already, publishers will impose whatever style they prefer.

tracycgold · May 16, 2013

Ha, glad there's no definite answer here! I think I'll go with "okay," but good to know the others aren't technically wrong.

fredXgeorge · May 16, 2013

Yep I use 'okay' for my manuscripts, too.

Tigerlilly79 · May 16, 2013

I use okay. It looks better in my opinion.

rwm4768 · May 16, 2013

I like okay.

Animad345 · May 17, 2013

I'm feeling so lonely! Am I the only one who prefers 'OK'? :e2cry:

Forlorn-ember · May 17, 2013

I'm English. I was always taught to write "Okay" and I must say I think it looks better like that to me. Throws me off when I read ok and O.K just hurts my eyes.

Reziac · May 17, 2013

To my eye the technically correct if archaic "O.K." is visually jarring and its latter-day cousin "OK" is little better. I prefer the written-out "okay" as it at least looks like a real word, thus doesn't poke me in the eye.

James D. Macdonald · May 17, 2013

I use "okay."

Just be consistent.

Anna Spargo-Ryan · May 17, 2013

I use "okay", but now that I've read this whole thread, none of the options look like words anymore

Robert Gonko · May 17, 2013

I use 'okay.' Seems like a real word that way.

OK, okay, or ok

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