diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/format/paragraph.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/format/paragraph.rs
index e4b02a4b9..64bb16487 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/format/paragraph.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/format/paragraph.rs
@@ -120,13 +120,7 @@ pub(super) fn line_spacing(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
 }
 
 pub(super) fn paragraph(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
-    let a = str_param(p, "align").map(|a| match a {
-        "center" => Align::Center,
-        "right" => Align::Right,
-        "justify" => Align::Justify,
-        "distributed" => Align::Distributed,
-        _ => Align::Left,
-    });
+    let a = str_param(p, "align").map(|a| parse_align("format.paragraph", a)).transpose()?;
     let ml = f64_param(p, "indentLeft");
     let ind = f64_param(p, "indentFirst");
     let sb = f64_param(p, "spaceBefore");
@@ -182,10 +176,10 @@ pub(super) fn clamp_pt(v: f64) -> f64 {
 fn parse_align(cmd: &str, s: &str) -> Result<Align> {
     Ok(match s {
         "left" | "l" => Align::Left,
-        "center" | "ctr" => Align::Center,
+        "center" | "centre" | "ctr" => Align::Center,
         "right" | "r" => Align::Right,
         "justify" | "just" => Align::Justify,
-        "justLow" => Align::JustLow,
+        "justLow" | "justifyLow" => Align::JustLow,
         "distributed" | "dist" => Align::Distributed,
         "thaiDist" => Align::ThaiDistributed,
         _ => return Err(bad(cmd, "`align` must be left, center, right, justify, justLow, distributed or thaiDist")),
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/tests.rs b/crates/engine/src/tests.rs
index 7d55a9b16..5d2310328 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/tests.rs
@@ -1713,6 +1713,31 @@ fn tab_moves_between_cells_skipping_merged_ones() {
     assert_eq!((cell(&s), table_of(&s, id).n_rows()), (Some((2, 0)), 3), "Tab in the last cell adds a row");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn format_paragraph_align_names_match_format_align() {
+    use deckcraft_model::text::Align;
+    let mut s = session();
+    let title = s.doc().unwrap().current_slide().unwrap().shapes[0].id.0;
+    s.execute("text.edit", &json!({"id": title})).unwrap();
+    let para = |s: &Session| s.doc().unwrap().current_slide().unwrap().shapes[0].text.as_ref().unwrap().paragraphs[0].props.align;
+    for (name, want) in [
+        ("justLow", Align::JustLow),
+        ("justifyLow", Align::JustLow),
+        ("thaiDist", Align::ThaiDistributed),
+        ("ctr", Align::Center),
+        ("centre", Align::Center),
+        ("r", Align::Right),
+        ("just", Align::Justify),
+        ("dist", Align::Distributed),
+        ("distributed", Align::Distributed),
+        ("left", Align::Left),
+    ] {
+        s.execute("format.paragraph", &json!({"align": name})).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(para(&s), Some(want), "{name}");
+    }
+    assert!(s.execute("format.paragraph", &json!({"align": "bogus"})).is_err());
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn right_to_left_paragraphs() {
     let mut s = session();