Web (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau)

To standardize usage in the federal public service, the Translation Bureau makes the following recommendation.

How to Write web in English

Web used alone

Capitalize Web when it stands alone as a noun meaning the World Wide Web:

• watch a video on the Web
• search the Web

Note: As a noun, Web is preceded by the.

Compounds with web

Do not capitalize web when it is part of a compound, whether the compound is written as two words or one, with or without a hyphen:

• web page, web browser, web server
• web-based, web-enabled
• website, webinar, webcast, webmaster

Note: While our recommendation is consistent with recent Canadian and international usage, older spellings (e.g. Web page, Web-based) remain widespread (especially in the United States) and are not incorrect.

How to Write Web in French

Web used alone

Capitalize Web when it stands alone, as a noun. When used as a noun, Web is preceded by the article le or du and by the preposition dans or sur:

• naviguer sur le Web
• trouver une information dans le Web
• être un utilisateur du Web

Web used after a noun

Capitalize Web when it is placed after a noun as a modifier. It is always invariable—it does not agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies:

• un site Web
• un rédacteur Web
• des pages Web
• des contenus Web

Note: We recommend capitalizing Web in the above situations, although lower case is often seen:

• le web
• des sites web efficaces

Closed compounds with web

The word web may also be used as the first element in a closed compound. The compound word is written in lower case, without a hyphen, and is variable—compound nouns change their form in the plural; compounds used as adjectives agree with the noun they modify:

• la webdiffusion
• la webtélé
• une webcaméra
• un webinaire
• des webémissions
• des webmestres
• webdiffuser; des films webdiffusés
• webifier; une application webifiée

Additional information

See Internet, Net (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau).

See extranet, intranet.