For most, it probably doesn’t really matter, but here at eCounseling Essentials, we have contemplated, researched, and discussed this very topic at length for the obvious reason that it’s in our name. As you can tell already, we decided to settle on eCounseling, but in case you were wonder why, here is the long answer.
eCounseling vs e-counseling:
Originally, words like eCounseling or eBook were written as seen here in this sentence, but over time people started to shift to writing e-counseling or e-book. If you look at the Chicago Manual of Style, it’ll tell you that similar words should make use of the hyphen, but it has no entry for the word e-counseling. If you turn to dictionary.com, you’ll find it, too, has no listing, but similar words starting with “e” would justify either eCounseling or e-counseling.
e counseling vs ecounseling:
The interesting thing about these two options is that I have yet to find a spellchecker that will accept ecounseling, though I also have yet to find a dictionary that will accept e counseling. I’d think that because e counseling is not an option listed in dictionary sources, it’s safe to say that e counseling is out of the question, but if you judged by the common use of the word online, you’d find it might actually be the winner. According to Google Trends, it’s used more heavily than either ecounseling or e-counseling. However this could be due to a number of factors. Words like marriage counseling and online counseling both contain “e counseling” which could increase the likelihood of mistyping. Much of its search volume could simply be due to laziness, or caused by the confusion over the grammar of the word itself. People who are unsure if there should be a hyphen or not, often leave a blank space where the hyphen would be. While e counseling may be used online, you won’t find it in printed publications.
The Apple Argument:
Apple has had a huge influence on setting the trend when it comes to such words. We are all familiar with iPhone, iTunes, and iPod. This gives the spelling option of eCounseling a bit more of a familiar feeling. This is also one of the reasons that many believe words like e-book and e-counseling will go the same way as the word email. E-mail used to be the more common form but the word gradually evolved to how we use it today as simply email.
However the word evolves in the future, one thing is for certain, it won’t change the fact that we have amazing therapists who care deeply about each and every one of their clients. Speaking with a counselor through our online platform can be life-changing, and one we recommend to everyone; because, the truth is, we all have issues that can be better solved with a caring professional. Put us to the test with a free trial.
