Oikeinkirjoituksen

Oikeinkirjoitus, or the correct spelling of a language, refers to the standardised conventions for writing Finnish. It covers how words are spelled, how compounds are formed and written, how foreign terms are adapted, and the rules governing punctuation, capitalization, hyphenation, and the use of diacritics such as ä and ö. The aim is to promote clarity, consistency, and mutual intelligibility in written Finnish across different dialects and registers.

The normative framework for oikeinkirjoitus is maintained by authorities such as Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Kotus) and its Kielitoimisto, which publish guidelines and reference works like the Kielitoimiston sanakirja. These resources set the accepted spellings, hyphenation patterns, and punctuation standards that are taught in schools, used in media, and applied by publishers and institutions. In practice, spell checkers and word processors implement these orthographic rules to aid writers.

Oikeinkirjoitus operates within standard Finnish as the written norm, while spoken dialects may exhibit regional variations. The standard orthography evolves over time to accommodate new terms, loanwords, and changes in usage, and updates are issued through official guides and dictionaries. This system supports education, publishing, journalism, and digital communication by providing a stable reference point for correct writing.

Historically, Finnish orthography developed through language-planning efforts in the 19th and 20th centuries and continued to adapt with modernisation, literacy, and global interaction. While writers may express regional or stylistic differences in informal contexts, formal writing generally adheres to the established oikeinkirjoitus rules to ensure consistency and readability.