Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.
For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!
The Canadian preference is to write this expression as two words, under way.
When the expression is used as an adjective, it is spelled as one word in the United States.
The variant spelling under weigh originated through a mistaken association between the nautical phrase “under way” and the verb “weigh,” as in “weigh anchor.” This variant is accepted as an alternate spelling.
© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2025
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
Writing tools – Writing Tips
A product of the Translation Bureau