WHY THE LITTLE “i” MATTERS

Ideally, the lowercase “i” would signify U.S. law exclusively (MAiD), and the all‑caps version (MAID) would, and does, signify Canada’s federal law. However, there has been a stylistic drift toward using the lowercase “i” in both countries.

In Canada, this drift has been adopted by some organizations. Their use of the small “i” is primarily for branding purposes and appears in logos, newsletters, and other public‑facing materials. Despite this stylistic variation, any reference to Canadian federal law consistently uses the all‑caps version, MAID.

This drift has created confusion among journalists and readers in both countries. To support clearer usage, a proposed stylistic standard has been submitted to the Associated Press Stylebook and the Canadian Press Stylebook. These submissions outline parallel entries that distinguish the U.S. term MAiD from Canada’s federal term MAID.

A comparison of five AI models revealed inconsistent styling of MAiD and MAID, underscoring the confusion facing journalists and the public.

Current Usage at a Glance

• MAiD (United States) — a limited, patient‑led medical practice defined by state law
• MAiD (Canada, advocacy usage) — used by some Canadian organizations for branding purposes
• MAID (Canada, federal law) — the legal framework delivered through provincial and territorial health systems