Follow these associated press guidelines for the u. The abbreviation mph is acceptable in all references for miles per hour. These abbreviations short names were used in mailing addresses before the introduction of twoletter u. The american psychological association apa publication manual, which is used for writing academic papers, agrees about using the periods. 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. Mar 14, 2015 ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. Use abbreviations for degrees only when you need to include a list. Except in mailing addresses with a zip code, or with other. A good way to remember these eight is to always spell out the names of the two states outside the contiguous united states hawaii and alaska and the states inside the contiguous united states with five letters or less.
It wouldnt be ap style without an exception or two. The ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text. For mailing addresses, ap and chicago both default to the twoletter postal abbreviations. Mar 17, 2008 the chicago manual of style says, use no periods with abbreviations that appear in full capitals, whether two letters or more and even if lowercase letters appear within the abbreviation. It goes on to say that if an abbreviation or acronym would not otherwise be clear upon its second reference, do not use it. 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. In order to create a playlist on sporcle, you need to verify the email address you used during registration. Heres a refresher course what the ap stylebook says for datelines and cities that stand alone in datelines 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.
In apa, abbreviations should be limited to instances when a the abbreviation is standard and will not interfere with the readers understanding and b if space and repetition. Chapter sixteen brights, followups, roundups, sidebars and obituaries. 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 traditional abbreviations are still commonly used in other ways besides mailing addresses.
This page reflects the latest version of the apa publication manual i. Ap style isnt keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out. In headlines under ap style, however, its postal style us no periods. Abbreviate the states when they are coupled with the name of a city, town or village. Jan 10, 2018 the postal code for arizona, where amendola communications is headquartered, is az whereas the ap style abbreviation is ariz. Also, be sure to use a lowercase state in both of these instances to avoid any confusion. Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Abbreviations for states and provinces traditional abbreviations for states and provinces begin with a capital letter and end with a period. The style of the associated press is the gold standard for news writing. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. The united states should withdraw all of its troops from the middle east before their presence incites a new round of terrorist attacks, said alice white, a professor of islamic studies at the university of montana. Generally, omit periods in acronyms unless the result would spell an unrelated word. In a news story, can you start a sentence with an acronym. The associated press stylebook, the usage guide for most united states newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended.
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. Spell out the names of all states when used alone and in body text. However, there are exceptions for large cities that stand alone in datelines. Postal service abbreviations for states unless you are providing a full address including zip code. 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. Its mobile optimized so you can use it on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.
In recent years, the nations leading media style books have published guidelines for language and terminology use when reporting on lgbtq people and their lives, issues and stories. Send contributions to relief fund, box 185, pasadena, ca 91030. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. Aug 10, 2011 the ap has issued a style and reference guide for reporters to follow when writing about 911 and the tenth anniversary of the attacks. 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. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations.
The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. If an abbreviation not listed in this book or in the dictionary achieves widespread acceptance, use capital letters. Select the sentence free of errors in ap style for abbreviations for print publications. To make navigating these specialty chapters even easier, the stylebook includes a comprehensive index. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. 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. For a full list of ap style state abbreviations, see our full page. For words not in this book, use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world dictionary. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook.
For example, radar if formed from radio detecting and ranging. 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. For slide presentations of ap style basics, go here. Any state name may be condensed, however, to fit typographical requirements for tabular material. Ap stylebook entry on collective nouns says band names take plural verbs.
Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories. Jul 21, 2016 im a huge fan of abbreviations because they make communication easier and spare me from unnecessary typing. Apr 23, 2014 ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes. An abbreviation, lets take gb from above, is not an acronym. Ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes.
Those states are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, and utah. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. The ap stylebook states to not follow an organizations full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parenthesis or set off by dashes. Its updated throughout the year and valuable onlineonly resources, including ask the editor, topical guides and pronunciation guide, expand on the print book s guidance. Ap style seems to allow for multiple spacesaving adaptations for headlineslike using numerals in headlines, but spelling out numbers under 10 in the body of the text. Some states are abbreviated, as is the united states with periods u. The associated press, reuters, and the new york times all restrict usage of the term homosexual a word whose clinical history and pejorative connotations are routinely exploited by antilgbtq extremists to. There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or datelines. In apa, abbreviations should be limited to instances when a the abbreviation is standard and will not interfere with the readers understanding and b if space and repetition can be greatly avoided through abbreviation.
For reference books, newspapers, and magazine names, they should not be placed in quotations. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. And the abbreviated form of united states of america is usa no periods. State abbreviations according to ap style gatehouse newsroom. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in most datelines. Over and more than became interchangeable and we have to spell out state names. Enclose state in commas, even if used as an adjective. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of. The names of certain states and the united states are abbreviated with periods in some circumstances. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. The ap stylebook will help you master the aps rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, word and numeral usage, and when to use more than instead of over.
The associated press stylebook states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. For all titles in ap style, there is no underlining or italicizing. When abbreviating the state names, dont make the mistake of using the postal code abbreviations. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction. The 2017 ap stylebook uses periods most of the time. While new hampshire uses an n and an h for both, the postal code is nh while the ap style abbreviation is n. The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. For example, they can be used in writing after a city like in miami, fla. The state abbreviations did not compute with their knowledge and they would not use them and instead used the zip code abbreviation.
Film, book, and song titles are capitalized and places in quotations. Ap stylebook type search query into the search bar below. Spell out names of states unless preceded by a city or county. Many newspapers, magazines and public relations offices across the united states use ap style. Oxford university press usa publishes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, childrens books, business books, dictionaries, reference books, journals, text books and more. With the ap stylebook in hand, you can learn how to write and edit with the clarity and professionalism for which their writers and editors are famous.
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. Although some publications such as the new york times have developed their own style guidelines, a basic knowledge of ap style is considered essential to those who want to work in print journalism. Chicago and ap differ on some traditional abbreviations. Omit periods unless the result would spell an unrelated word. However, the chicago manual of style now recommends use of the uppercase twoletter abbreviations, with the traditional forms as an option. Spell out the names of all states when used alone or with a city, town, village or military base. However, writers of most newspapers use the ap style state name abbreviations in their articles ex. May 21, 2009 for words not in this book use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world college dictionary. On a regional level, additional cities may stand alone should the newspaper staff decide so. I bought this style guide for work we use ap style in our press releases to make sure that i had certain minor nitpicky things right, like state abbreviations, military abbreviations. Note that with the traditional state abbreviations, the first letter is capitalized, subsequent letters are lowercase unless theyre abbreviating a new word, and each abbreviation. Abbreviate the words street, avenue, boulevard only when there is a street address number.
In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. Ap style holds that acronyms are formed from the first letters or letters of a series of words. Here is how each state is abbreviated in ap style with the postal code. Sep 19, 2012 professional journalists and business communicators in the united states commonly write in associated press ap style. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. Note that state abbreviations in ap style are not in allcapital letters, as are postal state abbreviations. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday.
You can find abbreviations discussed in the publication manual in section 4. 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. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the. Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style guide of the. As you can see, there are many guidelines for writing proper ap style state abbreviations in your text. Ap style, or chicago manual of style for additional rules and guidelines for writing about states and other locations. Which cities dont need a state abbreviation in ap style. The equivalent resource for the older apa 6 style can be found here. Many of the terms already appear in the ap stylebook, but. Some organizations and government agencies are widely recognized by their initials and can be referred to using their. Those are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. Here are some commonly used state abbreviations you could refer to.
If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and refer to it when in doubt. Aug 15, 2019 our company uses ap style and i receive info from an educator on a weekly basis. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the. By the way, ap style has a similar rule for abbreviating united.
Ap stylebook online is a searchable, customizable resource for writers and editors. Ap stylebook rules for datelines, cities that stand alone. Remember to spell the state in entirety when it appears solo in a sentence or a statement. Ap says the percentage sign now ok when used with a. States in the us are often abbreviated to twoletter words alaska ak. Rate 5 stars rate 4 stars rate 3 stars rate 2 stars rate 1 star. The most important objective of any form of writing is to help human beings recognize what you are attempting to say and give an explanation for. Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in.
For example, washington state is a university in the state of washington. Handsome in appearance and easy to use, the 2018 associated press stylebook is an indispensable resource that surprised me with its comprehensive coverage of style and punctuation and social media guidelines, to info on polls and surveys and media law, among other categories. Only use twoletter postal codes in full mailing address with zip. The thumb rule for the fundamental ap style state abbreviations is that one has to in no way abbreviate the term if the readers will face the issue in identifying what the actual term is. Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board. Aug 05, 2015 heres a refresher course what the ap stylebook says for datelines and cities that stand alone in datelines 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 best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing.
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