In English, "tonne" is the established spelling. It is usually pronounced the same as ton (), but the final "e" can also be pronounced, i.e. "tunnie" (). In Australia, it is also pronounced . In the United States, "metric ton" is the name for this unit used and recommended by NIST; an unqualified mention of a "ton" almost invariably refers to a short ton of , and "tonne" is rarely used in speech or writing. Both terms are acceptable in Canadian usage.