This list of words that may be spelled with a ligature in English encompasses words which have letters that may, in modern usage, either be rendered as two distinct letters or as a single, combined letter. This includes AE being rendered as Æ and OE being rendered as Œ.
Until the early twentieth century, the œ and æ ligatures had been commonly used to indicate an etymological connection with Latin or Greek. Since then they have fallen out of fashion almost completely and are now only used occasionally. They are more commonly used for the names of historical people, to evoke archaism, or in literal quotations of historical sources. These ligatures are proper letters in some Scandinavian languages, and so are used to render names from those languages, and likewise names from Old English. Some American spellings replace ligatured vowels with a single letter; for example, gynæcology or gynaecology is spelled gynecology.
The fl and fi ligatures, among others, are still commonly used to render modern text in fine typography. Page-layout programs such as QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign can be configured to automatically replace the individual characters with the appropriate ligatures. However this is a typographic feature and not part of the spelling.
Given names Note: The variants Ædith, Cœline and Matthœo were a used (see citations), hypercorrected form of the names.
Non-ligature formLigature formOther formsAlfred ÆlfredEthel-Aethel-Oethel-Æthel-Œthel-(prefix of various names, e.g. Æthelthryth)Aesop ÆsopCecilCæcilCecilia CæciliaCaesar CæsarCeline Cæline, CœlineCornelius CornæliusEdith ÆdithEmilia ÆmiliaEmilianÆmilianEthel Œthel, ÆthelHephaestusHephaestosHephæstusHephæstosHephaistus, Hephestus, Hephaistos, HephestosLetitia LætitiaLeticia, LetiziaMattheo Matthæo, MatthœoEdipusŒdipusOedipusPhoebe PhœbePhoebë, Phœbë
ß in given names The grapheme ß was originally made out of the characters long s (ſ) and z, the latter of which evolved into s. In Germany, the grapheme is still used today. Throughout history, various names have been spelled with ß. Many of the spelling variations are hypercorrected variants of other spellings of the name. Nowadays, most of the spelling variations and names are considered archaic or obsolete.
Non-ligated formLigated formOther formsGenderEtymologyAgnesAgneßAgnessefDerived from the Greek Ἁγνή Hagnḗ, meaning 'pure' or 'holy'.AndreasAndreaßAndreiß, Dreiß, DreßmFrom the Greek word "andreios", "manly"AnsgarAnßgarAnsgarius (Latinized) m From the Old Norse word "Ásgeirr", "god + spear"BalthazarBalthaßarBalthasar, BaltazarmFrom Akkadian "𒂗𒈗𒋀", "Bel protects the king"BartholomäusBartholomeißBarthelmeß, Bartholomæus, Bartholomeß, BerthelmeßmFrom the Apostle BartholomewKlausClaußClaiß, Clauß, Clawß, KlaßmA contraction of "Nicholas"ElsbethElßbethElßgen, Elßlin, Elßef Derivative of "Elisabeth"Endres Endreß Enderß, Endereß, Enndreßm Derivative of "Andreas"ErasmusEraßmusEraßmuß, AßmusmDerived from Greek ἐράσμιος (erasmios) meaning "beloved"FranzFranßFrancescomFrom Latin "Francius" meaning "Frank, Frenchman"GillisGillißGilesfFrom Latin "Aegidius" meaning "a wearer of goatskin"HansHanßHannßmA short form of "Johannes"/Heinsaß/m (Unknown)JarosławJaroslaußJarosławamComposed of the elements jar meaning 'strong' or 'powerful' and sława meaning 'glory' or 'fame'JasperJaßper/mFrom Latin iaspis, from Ancient Greek ἴασπις (íaspis)JohannesJohanneßJohannmA variant of the Greek name (Ιωάννης) and Classical Latin (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name Yehochanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious"JossJoß/ m/fFrom the Old French name "Gosse", derived from "God"MathisMathißMatheß, Matheiß, Mattheiß, MatthißmMeans “gift of Yahweh” (from Hebrew “mattath/מַתָּת” = gift + “yah/יָה” = referring to the Hebrew God).NielsNielßhttps://www.vorname.com/name, Niss.htmlNilsmDerived from the name NicholasNarzissNarziß/mFrom the Greek ΝάρκισσοςNicolausNiclaußNicklaßmDerived from the Greek name Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), understood to mean "victory of the people", being a compound of νίκη nikē "victory" and λαός Laos "people".OswaldOßwaldOßwaltmComposed of two Anglo-Saxon elements, Ōs meaning "god" and weald meaning "rule" or "power"PaulPaulßPaulus, PaulußmFrom Latin meaning "Small" or "Humble"TheussTheußSchultheß, Schulthieß, ThießmFrom Latin "Thelonius", meaning "Ruler of the people"ThomasThomaß/mDerived from the Aramaic personal name תאומא /tɑʔwmɑʔ/, meaning "twin" and "leader."ThonisThonniß/mDerivate of "Antonius"
Æ Note that some words contain an ae which may not be written æ because the etymology is not from the Greek -αι- or Latin -ae- diphthongs. These include:
In instances of aer (starting or within a word) when it makes the sound IPA (air). Comes from the Latin āër, Greek ἀήρ. When ae makes the diphthong (lay) or (eye). When ae is found in a foreign phrase or loan word and it is unacceptable to use the ligature in that language. For example, when in a German loan word or phrase, if the a with an umlaut (ä) is written as ae, it is incorrect to write it with the ligature. Normal formLigature formOther formsEtymologyacanthaesthesiaacanthæsthesiaacanthesthesiaFrom Ancient Greek ἄκανθα (ákantha, “thorn”) + αἴσθησις (aísthēsis, “sensation”)AchaeanAchæanAchean, Achaian, AkhaianFrom Latin Achaeus or Achaius, from Ancient Greek Ἀχαιός (Akhaiós)AchaemenidAchæmenid From Ancient Greek Ἀχαιμενίδηςadhesiveadhæsive From Latin "adhaerere"AeaeaÆæaEëäFrom Greek Αἰαία (Aiaíā)aeciosporeæciosporeaeciosporeNeo-Latin aecium from Ancient Greek αἰκία (aikía, “injury, insult”) and Neo-Latin spora from Ancient Greek σπορά (sporá, “seed, a sowing”)aecidiumæcidium(aecidium)Neo-Latin aecidium, from Greek αἰκία (aikia)aeciumæcium(aecium)Neo-Latin aecidium, from Greek αἰκία (aikia)aediculeædiculeedicule (AmE)From Latin aedicula (“small house”), diminutive of aedis (“a house”)edificeædificeaedifice (archaic)From Latin aedificium (“building”), from aedificare (“to build”)AegisÆgisEgis (archaic in AmE)Latin from Greek Αἰγίς (Aigis)AegyptusÆgyptusEgyptus (Biblical)Latin from Greek Αἴγυπτος (Aígyptos)emulateæmulateaemulate (obsolete)From Latin "aemulare"enigmaænigmaaenigmaFrom Latin aenigma meaning "riddle"AenonÆnon From Greek, ΑἰνώνAeolianÆolianLatin Aeolis from Greek mythology Αἰολίς (Aiolis)AeolisÆolis—Latin Aeolis, from Greek Αἰολίς (Aiolis)aeonæoneon (AmE)Late Latin aeon, from Greek αἰών (aion).equalæqualFrom Latin "aequus, a, um" meaning equalaerugiteærugite(aerugo)Latin aerugo, from aesaerugoærugo(aerugite)Latin aerugo, from aesaeschyniteæschyniteeschynite (AmE)Greek αἰσχύνω (aischuno)aesculinæsculinesculin (AmE)aesculetinæsculetinesculetin (AmE)Aespaæspaaestheticæstheticesthetic (AmE - uncommon)Greek αἰσθετικός (aisthetikos)aestivalæstivalestival (AmE)Latin aestivus, from aestasaestivationæstivationestivation (AmE)Latin aestivare, from aestivus, from aestaseternityæternityaeternity (obsolete)From Latin aeternus (“without beginning or end”)AetherÆtherether (AmE)Latin aether, from Greek αἰθήρ (aither)aetherealæthereal or ætherialethereal (AmE), aetherial (BrE—rare)Greek αἰθέριος (aithérios, “of the upper air”)AethrioscopeÆthrioscopeEthrioscopeGreek αἴθριον (aithrion)aetiologyætiologyetiology (AmE)algaealgæalgas (very rare)AlphaeusAlphæusambilevousambilævous—From Latin ambilævus (ambi- ("both") + lævus ("left")), a calque of Ancient Greek ἀμφαρίστερος (ampharisteros).anaemiaanæmiaanemia (AmE)anaesthesiaanæsthesiaanesthesia (AmE)anapaestanapæstanapest (AmE) antennaeantennæantennasarchaeologyarchæologyarcheology (AmE - uncommon)archaebacteriaarchæbacteriaarchaea/archæAthenaeumAthenæumAtheneum (AmE)auroraeauroræaurorasazotaemiaazotæmiaazotemia (AmE)bacteraemiabacteræmiabacteremia (AmE)CaedmonCædmonCadmoncaesiumcæsiumcesium (AmE)ceremonycæremonycaeremony (obsolete)From Latin caerimoniaChaldaeaChaldæaChaldeachaetophorouschætophorouschetophorouschamaeleonchamæleonchameleonchimaerachimærachimera (AmE) coaevalcoævalcoevalcurriculum vitaecurriculum vitæ—Latin meaning ‘course of life’, vitæcyclopaediacyclopædiacyclopediadaedaldædaldedaldemondæmondaemonGreek: δαιμων (daimon)diaeresisdiæresisdieresis (AmE)EgyptÆgypt Aegypt (Archaic)From the Latinised Ægyptusencyclopaediaencyclopædiaencyclopedia (AmE)EpaenetusEpænetus—equalæqual aequal (obsolete)from Latin "aequus"equasionæquasion aequasion (obsolete)from Latin "aequare", "to make equal"equatoræquator aequator (obsolete)The name is derived from medieval Latin word aequator, in the phrase circulus aequator diei et noctis, meaning 'circle equalizing day and night', from the Latin word aequare meaning 'make equal'.equilateralæquilateral aequilateral (obsolete)from Latin "aequus"equinoxæquinox aequinox (obsolete)from Latin "aequi + nocta"equityæquity aequal (obsolete)from Latin "aequitas"equivalentæquivalent aequivalent (obsolete)from late Latin aequivalent- ‘being of equal worth’eraæra aera (BrE - archaic)Late Latin aera, probably from Latin æs (plural æra)esteemæsteem aesteem (obsolete)Latin aestimare, "to guess"estimationæstimation aestimation (obsolete)Latin aestimare, "to guess"et ceteraet cæteraet caetera, etc., &c.Latin phraseeternalæternalaeternal (obsolete) EthiopiaÆthiopiaAethiopia (archaic) Eudaemoniceudæmoniceudemonicfaecesfæcesfeces (AmE)fairyfæriefaerie (archaic) formulaeformulæformulasfraenumfrænumFrenumGaeaGæaGaiaGraeco-RomanGræco-RomanGreco-Roman (AmE)haemoglobinhæmoglobinhemoglobin (AmE)haemolysishæmolysishemolysis (AmE)haemophiliahæmophiliahemophilia (AmE)haemorrhagehæmorrhagehemorrhage (AmE)haemorrhoidhæmorrhoidhemorrhoid (AmE)hyaenahyænahyenaHymenaeusHymenæus—hypaethralhypæthralhypethralhyperbolaehyperbolæhyperbolas (AmE)hypnopediahypnopædia—IdumaeaIdumæaIdumeaFrom "Edom" (Esau).IrenaeusIrenæus—ischaemiaischæmiaischemia (AmE)IturaeaIturæaItureaJudaeo-Judæo-Judeo-judaeophobejudæophobejudeophobe (AmE)larvaelarvælarvasleukaemialeukæmialeukemia (AmE)medievalmediævalmediaeval (BrE)nebulaenebulænebulasplural – Neo-Latin → Latin ("mist"); akin to Old High German nebul ("fog") → Greek nephelē, nephos ("cloud")nymphaenymphænymphsnymphaeanymphæa—orthopaedicorthopædicorthopedic (AmE)paeanpæanpean (AmE)paeonpæon—pedagoguepædagogue or pædagogpedagog (AmE), (paedagogue and paedagog exist but are both somewhat archaic)pederastypæderastypaederastypaediatricspædiatricspediatrics (AmE)paediatricianpædiatricianpediatrician (AmE)paediatristpædiatristpediatrist (AmE)paedophilepædophilepedophile (AmE)palaeobotanypalæobotanypaleobotany (AmE)palaeocenepalæocenepaleocene (AmE)palaeoclimatologypalæoclimatologypaleoclimatology (AmE)palaeographypalæographypalaeography (AmE)palaeolithicpalæolithicpaleolithic (AmE)palaeographypalæographypaleography (AmE)palaeontologypalæontologypaleontology (AmE)palaeozoicpalæozoicpaleozoic (AmE)PanacaeaPanacæaPanacea (AmE)pandemoniumpandæmoniumpandaemoniumPangaeaPangæaPangea (AmE)parabolaeparabolæparabolas (AmE)personaepersonæpersonasPlantaePlantæpremiumpræmiumpraemiumpretoriumprætoriumpraetorium, also prœtoriumBoth forms with æ and œ seen, from Latin, praetōriumprimevalprimævalprimaeval (BrE - rare)QuaestorQuæstor—RhaetiaRhætia—septicaemiasepticæmiasepticemia (AmE)scarabaeidscarabæid—scarabaeoidscarabæoid—subpoenaesubpœnæ—supernovaesupernovæsupernovassynaeresissynæresissyneresis (AmE)synaesthesiasynæsthesiasynesthesia (AmE)ThaddaeusThaddæusThaddeustoxaemiatoxæmiatoxemia (AmE)uraemiauræmiauremia (AmE)vertebraevertebræ viraemiaviræmiaviremia (AmE)ZacchaeusZacchæusZaccheuszoogloeaezoöglœæ
Œ