This paper focuses on the analysis and research of the orthographic rules for writing common nouns and adjectives from foreign languages which entered Croatian language. The analysis is conducted on the basis of nine books of Croatian orthography, from “Croatian orthography” by Ivan Broz from the year 1892 until “Croatian orthography” published by The Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics in 2013. The selected editions used in this analysis aside from them are: the Franjo Cipra, Petar Guberina and Kruno Krstić edition from 1941 (reprint), the root ortography edition by Franjo Cipra and Adolf Bratoljub Klaić from 1944 (reprint), the Novi Sad ortography edited by Ljudevit Jonke and Mihailo Stevanović from 1960, the London ortography by Stjepan Babić, Božidar Finka and Milan Moguš from 1971, the Vladimir Anić and Josip Silić edition from 2001, the Matica ortography by Lada Badurina, Ivan Marković and Krešimir Mićanović from 2008 and the Stjepan Babić and Milan Moguš edition from 2011. Based on the comparison of the ortographic rules in these nine books of ortography and other linguistic manuals, the final part of this paper resolves the question on correct spelling of Croatian word forms from foreign languages, even though the books offer different suggestions, but at the end it is suggested to follow the traditional spelling. The socio-political situation in Croatia was an important factor in retaining the same orthographic rules throughout many years and it is obvious that the intention was to preserve the Croatian. Contemporary books of orthography depict the current colourful political situation in the independent country. The first part of this paper focuses on those political events, the Illyrian movement, Ljudevit Gaj and the linguistic schools, whereas the second part explains the adaptation of foreign words to the Croatian linguistic system.