Some of them are the same as the twoletter postal abbreviations. May 21, 2009 abbreviations and acronyms the notation abbrev. Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference for most forms of publicfacing corporate. Spacing around the em dash usually more abbreviated. Abbreviate the following titles when used before a full name outside direct quotations. The american psychological association apa publication manual, which is used for writing academic papers, agrees about using the periods. Ap style is the style guide codified in the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law. Oct 30, 2015 the rules below apply for the following works. The biggest differences between chicago style and the u. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. Ap style lists a number of acronyms and abbreviations that can be used on first reference without definition. District of columbia dc heres an example of how to abbreviate a state in a sentence using ap style. For slide presentations of ap style basics, go here. Jul 21, 2016 when youre writing in ap style, you should abbreviate titles that precede names and suffixes that fall afterward.
Postal service state name abbreviations whenever a state accompanies a city. A few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some circumstances. We are not osu because the ohio state name has greater awareness and familiarity than osu. Do not use full stops or periods when abbreviating the names of months in datelines. The latest edition of the ap stylebook calls for the names of eight states never to be abbreviated in datelines or text. Abbreviate company, corporation, incorporated and limited when used after the name of a corporate entity.
Learn ap stylebook with free interactive flashcards. Ap style does not require the name of a state to accompany the names of the following 30 cities. Always use figures before the measurement 8 inches, 10 feet, 2 ounces, 200 pounds, etc. Youll find the list of acceptable abbreviations under state names in the hardcover and digital version of the ap stylebook. Since when do you not capitalize both letters of a state abbreviation. Put quotation marks around the names except the bible and catalogs of reference material. Ap style place acronyms in parentheses after the full term on first use in the text. Some examples of state abbreviations that differ from the common abbreviations are calif.
If a state s name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire state s name. Ap stylebook has provided a list indicating exactly how the states should be shortened. Jun 04, 20 the associated press doesnt use italics. Its often used by news organizations, magazines, and web publications, but brands often use it to form the basis of their own style guides, too. You might want to check the ap style for abbreviating state names, though.
Always spell out measurements inches, feet, yards gallons, ounces, pounds etc. Ap state name switch is a good time to address clarity issues. How to write names of highways, streets, and other roadways. Any state name may be condensed, however, to fit typographical requirements for tabular material. Ap stylebook, also known by its full name the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law, is an english grammar style and usage guide created by american journalists working for or connected with the associated press to standardize mass communication. The names of reference books like the ap stylebook, websters new world dictionary, the bible and for. Ap stylebook rules for datelines, cities that stand alone. Do not abbreviate state names in the body of a story or a dateline.
State names are spelled out following city names, unless abbreviating is required military, politicians, etc. Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word. States spell out the names of the states in text when they appear alone. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state. Use the state abbreviations listed at the end of this section. The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. Apr 27, 2014 its a topical quiz for copy editors in a week where the associated press is changing a longtime style rule about how to render state names. For all other abbreviations, ap uses its own state abbreviations and chicago prefers postal abbreviations but has its own state abbreviations should that style be more appropriate for your publication. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. Apr 15, 2020 if youd like a more visually appealing way to reference ap style state name abbreviations, save this map weve created with all the names you need.
For ordinal numbers, spell out first through ninth and use figures for 10th and. If it isnt followed by a proper name, its lower case. For mailing addresses, ap and chicago both default to the twoletter postal abbreviations. When searching for height in the ap stylebook, it refers readers to the dimensions entry. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with a brief, supplementary note on the history of the same. For singular proper names ending in s sounds such as x, ce, and z, use s for plurals of a single letter, add s do not use s for plurals of numbers or multiple letter combinations bullets associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. If youre writing a research paper or dashing off a blog post, you can probably ignore all the exceptions and special cases. Abbreviate junior or senior after an individuals name. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. Since when do you not capitalize both letters of a state. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. Government printing office style manual says that united states should be spelled out unless it is used as an adjective for government intentionally capitalized, a government agency, or a general noun, in which case the abbreviation should include periods.
Ap style summary chapter 2 workbook flashcards quizlet. That is because alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah are never abbreviated. Texas is probably not a good one to use as an example. All you need to know about titles in ap style gatehouse. The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, fashion, food, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation, social media, polls and surveys and a new chapter on health and science.
Associated press website faq this faq webpage from the ap is a great source of information on current issues of grammar, style, punctuation, abbreviations, and other style questions. Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Ap headlines cap only first word and proper names or proper abbreviations. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. Abbreviating months and days editing and writing services. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. Instead, writers who follow the ap stylebook put quotation marks around the titles of books, movies, plays, and the like. Spell out all generic parts of street names avenue, north, road. When a state name stands alone, it should always be.
Associated press style quick reference guide to subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book, start here. Associated press ap citation and style guides libguides. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. Washington state is the name of a university in the state of washington. Apr 23, 2014 effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name.
In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. Click a question below to jump straight to its answer. You can find abbreviations discussed in the publication manual in section 4. Ap style provides guidelines for grammar and punctuation, and is the primary style used in print and online publications around the country. The ap stylebook states to not follow an organizations full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parenthesis or set off by dashes. Associated press style colorado department of transportation. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Editorial style brand guidelines ohio state university. Use a hyphen for the adjectival forms before nouns. It goes on to say that if an abbreviation or acronym would not otherwise be clear upon its second reference, do not use it. Ap itself along with gi and eu are exceptions to this rule.
When abbreviating the state names, dont make the mistake of using the postal code abbreviations. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style. Writing center quick reference associate press style guide. Abbreviations for states and provinces traditional abbreviations for states and provinces begin with a capital letter and end with a period. Now in its sixth edition, the stylebook is the standard style. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories. Jan 24, 2020 in bibliographies, lists, charts where space is at a premium, reference lists, footnotes and endnotes, and in mailing addresses, state names are usually shortened using the postal abbreviation. Ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes. Ap style is primarily used by journalists and others in the news industry when writing and reporting news stories.
So, i am providing a reference for those who may be interested. If you are trying to get your work published as a public relations professional or journalist, using a writing style that used by most publications in the united states is vital. Look in the ap stylebook for the state s abbreviation. Only abbreviate state names when they follow the name of a city. The good news the positive here is that the grammar gods dont care either way, so if these rules arent in line with your house style or your clients way of writing, then scrap the. Sep 19, 2012 ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. Mar 14, 2015 ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook.
However, if the sentence contains the name of another country, the. You also can abbreviate words such as company and corporation when they appear after the name of a business entity. In running text, ap and chicago both spell out state names. Serving as an authority for working journalists on grammar, capitalizations, abbreviations, spelling and so much more, the ap stylebook can be found in almost every newsroom in the country. In general, newspaper style guides in the united states in particular, the associated press stylebook ap and the new york times manual of style and usage recommend u. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style guide of the associated press, a notforprofit news agency thats been around since 1846. She was promoted to vice president for market development. I strongly prefer the spelledout style because it eliminates confusion about the name of the state. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. These abbreviations should be used when the state name is accompanied by a city name before it.
You will still use abbreviations in datelines, photo. Choose from 100 different sets of ap stylebook flashcards on quizlet. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. Note that ap style omits state names for a specified list of cities. In conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in text. Postal and traditional state abbreviations reference guide. We are the ohio state university on first reference, ohio state on second. The associated press stylebook ap style recommends lowercasing any roadrelated term in combined names if the term is the same for both names.
Heres a refresher course what the ap stylebook says for datelines and cities that stand alone in datelines. Spacing around, but not between, ellipses chicago style. You will notice that eight states are missing from this list. Always put a comma between the names of the city and the state and after the name of the state, unless that is the last word in the sentence. Abbreviations united states as a noun, united states. In some instances, such as charts and lists, abbreviations may be used. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday. Spell out the names of the two states that are not part of the contiguous united states and of the continental states that are five letters or fewer. How to abbreviate united states erin wright writing. First of all, consider whether an abbreviation is even necessary. Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in. Here is how each state is abbreviated in ap style with the postal code abbreviations in.
In narrative text, for example, both the associated press stylebook and the chicago manual of style advise that the full name of the state be spelled out for clarity except for the district of columbia. Ap stylebook rules for height, feet, inches gatehouse. The domestic list of cities that stand alone is on page 79 of the 2010 ap stylebook, and it is a good idea to mark this page with a sticky note of some sort so it is easy to find and you never list the state, country or territory unnecessarily. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as. Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with. Abbreviate state names of seven or more letters when used with a city name, with commas before and after the abbreviation. Starting on may 1, the ap will change from abbreviating most states names in the body of stories to spelling those names out. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. The names of certain states and the united states are abbreviated with periods in some circumstances. The prime minister left for the united states yesterday. The associated press stylebook, first published in 1977, clarified the news organizations rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage.
Since its behind the name, it wouldnt be capitalized. The wire service first talked about making the change in 2010 and met a lot. The ap style abbreviations arbitrarily range in length from two to six letters, and all twoword names are abbreviated with the initials, such as n. Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board. Check entry in the associated press stylebook for more details. Ohio states name is one of our most valuable assets. The style is jan, feb, march, april, may, june, july, aug, sept, oct, nov, dec.
The associated press stylebook, the usage guide for most united states newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended to a city name for example, santa ana, calif. Aug 01, 2018 the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style guide of the associated press, a notforprofit news agency thats been around since 1846. The associated style, ap style, for the united states. On a regional level, additional cities may stand alone should the newspaper staff decide so. It says that in tabular material, use threeletter forms without a period the first three letters of each month. In some cases, an academic degree may be abbreviated after an individuals name see academic degrees. Government printing office are 1 chicago style allows for abbreviation even if the name of another country appears in the sentence 3 and 2 chicago style recommends us unless the document uses periods to abbreviate state names, in which case u. The alternative is to place the full title after the name, set off by a comma. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. Do not use periods in abbreviations that are in headlines, unless they are needed for clarity.
Aug 05, 2015 heres a refresher course what the ap stylebook says for datelines and cities that stand alone in datelines. Do not put the abbreviation in parentheses after the name, do not abbreviate an organization on second and future reference unless the ap style book says so and if the organization if not wellknown and cant be abbreviated on subsequent references, use alternate wordings or common nouns such as, the organization or the group rather than repeating the full name. However, this very specific professional writing style may be. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book. However, if you are a journalist or business writer who follows the associated press stylebook ap, you will abbreviate the state using the traditional state abbreviations below. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, and utah. Ap suggests spelling out the names of alaska, hawaii, and all states with five or fewer letters. The ap therefore strives to keep its writing style easy to read, concise and free of bias. Follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Ap style does use periods in most twoletter abbreviations. About our name use the and dont abbreviate ohio state s name is one of our most valuable assets. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding us postal service abbreviations, are in parentheses. If you have a hyphen in a headline, is the word after the hyphen capitalized.
This applies to chicago manual of style and the american psychological association style apa. Abbreviate state names when used in 1 datelines on stories e. In ap headline style, only the first word and proper nouns are capped. A recent ap stylebook says, when a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only jan. Ap style lists a number of acronyms and abbreviations that.
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