Dear Geist,

Which is correct: per cent, or percent? I started looking through dictionaries but they're all different and it seems random (no pun intended!).

—Joe Writer, Morden SK

Dear Joe,

In Canada, most journalists go with per cent. So do major Canadian and British dictionaries. It's closer to the Latin original, per centum, meaning “by the hundred.” American dictionaries prefer percent, and we know Canadian publishers who like percent because it's easier to read. If you're writing a report or paper for school, ask your instructor which one is preferred. If you have a publisher, ask the managing editor. Otherwise, choose one and be consistent in using it. When the text is scheduled for publication, an editor will go over it for consistency with house style.

—The Editors