W

WAV

Acronym for Waveform Audio File Format. Use uppercase.

Don’t use a filename extension to refer to a type of file. For example, use WAV file rather than .wav file.

For more information, see Referring to file types.

W3C

Initialism for World Wide Web Consortium. Use uppercase.

For more information about spelling out abbreviations, see Abbreviations.

WAN

Acronym for Wide Area Network. Use uppercase.

For more information about spelling out abbreviations, see Abbreviations.

want

Use instead of wish or desire when the user has alternatives or choices. Don’t use when you mean need, which indicates a requirement or obligation.

Examples

See also need.

walkthrough

One word. Not walk through or walk-through.

WCAG

Initialism for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Use uppercase.

For more information about spelling out abbreviations, see Abbreviations.

we

Avoid using first person. Focus on the reader or user instead of making WordPress the subject. It is acceptable to use we if the content has multiple authors describing a collective action.

Examples

web

Shortened term for World Wide Web. Use lowercase.

Don’t use web and internet interchangeably; the web is just one part of the global internet.

See also internet.

web browser

Two words. Not webbrowser.

webmail

One word. Not web mail or web-mail.

webmaster

Don’t use. Instead use site admin, website author, or web developer.

For more information, see Replacing established terms.

webpage

One word. Not web page or web-page.

web server

Two words. Not webserver or web-server.

website

One word. Not web site or web-site.

For more information about which action verbs to use for website, see Interaction verbs.

where

Use to define the meaning of elements such as variables or symbols.

Example

which

Use only to introduce a nonrestrictive clause and initiate with a comma. Clauses beginning with which are always set off with commas.

Example

See also that.

whether

See if, whether.

while

Use only to refer to something occurring in a period of time. Don’t use as a synonym for though, although, whereas, in spite of, or on the contrary.

white box

Don’t use. Instead, use open, open box, transparent, clear testing, or a contextually relevant term.

For more information, see Writing inclusive documentation.

whitelist

Don’t use. Instead, use allowlist, allowed, or approved.

For more information, see Replacing established terms.

white paper

Two words. Not whitepaper.

white space

Two words. In some cases whitespace is also used.

who

Use who instead of that to introduce clauses referring to people. Generally, who is considered more polite than that.

Examples

widget

A self-contained area of a web page that performs a specific function, or the code that generates such a self-contained area.

For more information, see WordPress widgets.

Wi-Fi

Shortened term for Wireless Fidelity. Hyphenate. Not wifi, Wifi, or WiFi.

Whenever possible, instead of using Wi-Fi, use a general term such as wireless, wireless network, or the specific technology that you’re describing such as wireless LAN.

wildcard

One word. Not wild card or wild-card. Do not use as a verb.

will

Avoid using. Will indicates future tense.

Also avoid using would, as it indicates past tense.

For more information, see Tense and Documenting future features.

window

Don’t use as a verb.

For more information, see UI elements.

Windows

OK to use. Use Windows as a modifier for aspects or elements of the Windows operating system. Computers that use Microsoft Windows can be described as Windows computers, or Windows PCs.

See also Microsoft.

wireframe

One word. Not wire frame or wire-frame.

wish

Don’t use. Instead, use want.

with

Don’t use with when expressing ownership.

Examples

Don’t use with when expressing use.

Examples

WordCamp

Capitalize W and C in WordCamp.

Not Wordcamp, Word camp, Word Camp, or wordcamp.

Exception: It is OK to use wordcamp in lowercase for WordCamp URLs. For example, central.wordcamp.org.

WordPress

Capitalize W and P in WordPress.

Not WordPress, Word press, Word Press, or wordpress.

Exception: It is OK to use wordpress in lowercase in developer documentation such as commands, or WordPress URLs. For example, make.wordpress.org.

wordwrap, word wrap

Don’t use.

workflow

One word. Not work flow or work-flow.

workgroup

One word. Not work group or work-group.

workload

One word. Not work load or work-load.

workplace

One word. Not work place or work-place.

workspace

One word. Not work space or work-space.

workstation

One word. Not work station or work-station.

worldwide

Use worldwide to describe something that consists of the entire world.

See also global.

World Wide Web

Don’t use. Instead, use web. Don’t abbreviate as WWW.

WooCommerce

Capitalize W and C in WooCommerce.

Not Woocommerce, Woo commerce, Woo Commerce, or woocommerce.

Exception: It is OK to use woocommerce in lowercase in developer documentation such as commands, or WooCommerce URLs. For example, woocommerce.com.

WP-CLI

Initialism for WordPress command-line interface. Use uppercase and hyphenate.

For more information about spelling out abbreviations, see Abbreviations.

write

OK to use in developer documentation and for a technical audience. Avoid using in user documentation and for a general audience; instead use copy.

WWW

Don’t use as an abbreviation for World Wide Web. Instead use web.