Two spellings of the name exist in English: "Macao", derived from the original Portuguese spelling; and "Macau", derived from the current orthography. Since the transfer of sovereignty over Macau in 1999, the government of Macau considers both "Macau" and "Macao" to be acceptable spellings of the name in English language publications, but the former was more widely used across English-speaking world, especially in the United States and Australia.
There are two common spellings of the name Macau: "Macao" (derived from the original Portuguese spelling) and "Macau" (the current orthography). Since 1999, when sovereignty was transferred to China, both spellings are acceptable in English publications, but "Macao" has been more prevalent in English-speaking countries.