Learn English – “Time zone” vs. “Timezone”

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My spell checker shows that both "time zone" and "timezone" are correctly spelled. Which one of these is the correct one to use?

Best Answer

There seem to be three spellings: timezone, time-zone, and time zone.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines time-zone,[^1] but curiously, also uses the time zone spelling.[^2] At the same time, timezone is the favored spelling in the US (unless talking about multiple time zones).[^3]

All three seem to be equally correct, but I would use time zone, except for a singular usage in the US for an American audience, in which case I would use timezone. Personally, I feel time-zone is a bit outdated.

[^1]: See time, def. 60a [^2]: Ibid. 27a [^3]: See http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/timezone