Understanding the Regional Spelling of Co-operate and Cooperate: A Guide to Usage and Examples

Co-operate vs Cooperate

Both co-operate and cooperate mean to work together with someone else or a group of people to reach a common goal. The difference lies mainly in how they are spelled and their usage in different types of English.

History

The word comes from the Latin term “cooperatus,” which means working together. Over time, English-speaking countries settled on different ways to spell it.

Co-operate

The spelling co-operate is more common in British English. The hyphen ( – ) is used to separate the prefix from the main part of the word.

Cooperate

The spelling cooperate is more common in American English. It omits the hyphen, and both parts are joined together.

How to use them

Use co-operate when writing in British English. Use cooperate when writing in American English or informal situations.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Think about the country: British English uses a hyphen and American English does not. Remembering the type of English can help you decide which spelling to use.

Example Sentences for Co-operate

• The students had to co-operate to finish the project.
• It is important to co-operate with your team members.
• The children co-operate well during group activities.
• To complete the task, they decided to co-operate.
• Co-operate with others to achieve the best results.

Example Sentences for Cooperate

• The kids must cooperate to clean up the room.
• We have to cooperate to win the game.
• She doesn’t like to cooperate with her brother.
• The animals cooperate to find food.
• Cooperate with others to solve the problem quickly.

Summary

The choice between co-operate and cooperate depends on the region’s English. Use co-operate in British contexts and cooperate in American contexts. Both mean to work together, and you pick the spelling based on if you are using British or American English.