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omega-3 or omega 3?

English translation: omega-3

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:omega-3 or omega 3?
Selected answer:omega-3
Entered by: Margarida Martins Costelha

07:35 Sep 21, 2016
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Science - Biology (-tech,-chem,micro-) / essential fatty acids
English term or phrase: omega-3 or omega 3?
What is the correct spelling? Are they both acceptable?
Margarida Martins Costelha
Portugal
Local time: 23:13
omega-3
Explanation:
I don't know if either version is more 'correct' than the other, but this is what I would use; it is very common in chemical names to join meaningful bits together with a '-' and I think this would be the case here.
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 00:13
Grading comment
Thank you, Tony and everyone!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
2 +8omega-3
Tony M


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +8
omega-3


Explanation:
I don't know if either version is more 'correct' than the other, but this is what I would use; it is very common in chemical names to join meaningful bits together with a '-' and I think this would be the case here.

Tony M
France
Local time: 00:13
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you, Tony and everyone!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Klausrugund: omega-3
5 mins
  -> Thanks, Klaus!
agree  Charles Davis: I've been trying to find a definitive answer; some (e.g. the APA) use an EN-dash and others a hyphen, but all respectable scientific sources include a '-', so "omega 3" is probably wrong. // Anton's provided the explanation.
6 mins
  -> Thanks, Charles! Quite surprised by an en-dash, can't really see any justification for that, but there you go! In any event, I feel SOME link is necessary.
agree  Vidya Thatte
19 mins
  -> Thanks, Vidya!
agree  Lingua 5B
48 mins
  -> Thanks, Lingua!
agree  philgoddard
57 mins
  -> Thanks, Phil!
agree  Edith Kelly
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Edith!
agree  Charlesp: I would have thought that “omega 3” could be written with or without a dash – however it appears that without a dash (though one does see that sometimes) is wrong.
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Charles!
agree  Yasutomo Kanazawa
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Yasutomo!
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