Abbreviating state names ap style book

Ap style summary chapter 2 workbook flashcards quizlet. A few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some circumstances. A recent ap stylebook says, when a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only jan. That is because alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah are never abbreviated. Ap itself along with gi and eu are exceptions to this rule. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. Follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Jun 04, 20 the associated press doesnt use italics. Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference for most forms of publicfacing corporate. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article.

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 does not require the name of a state to accompany the names of the following 30 cities. This applies to chicago manual of style and the american psychological association style apa. Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u. 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 style colorado department of transportation. The ap therefore strives to keep its writing style easy to read, concise and free of bias.

For ordinal numbers, spell out first through ninth and use figures for 10th and. On a regional level, additional cities may stand alone should the newspaper staff decide so. Ap style does use periods in most twoletter abbreviations. Mar 14, 2015 ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. Only abbreviate state names when they follow the name of a city. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. How to write names of highways, streets, and other roadways. 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. Abbreviate the following titles when used before a full name outside direct quotations. Ap stylebook rules for datelines, cities that stand alone. Ap style lists a number of acronyms and abbreviations that. She was promoted to vice president for market development.

Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with. May 21, 2009 abbreviations and acronyms the notation abbrev. The prime minister left for the united states yesterday. Associated press ap citation and style guides libguides. When abbreviating the state names, dont make the mistake of using the postal code abbreviations. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. The names of certain states and the united states are abbreviated with periods in some circumstances. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. These abbreviations should be used when the state name is accompanied by a city name before it. Ap style place acronyms in parentheses after the full term on first use in the text. The associated press stylebook, first published in 1977, clarified the news organizations rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage.

Abbreviations united states as a noun, united states. Ap stylebook has provided a list indicating exactly how the states should be shortened. Ap style is primarily used by journalists and others in the news industry when writing and reporting news stories. Writing center quick reference associate press style guide. So, i am providing a reference for those who may be interested.

State names are spelled out following city names, unless abbreviating is required military, politicians, etc. Always use figures before the measurement 8 inches, 10 feet, 2 ounces, 200 pounds, etc. Ap suggests spelling out the names of alaska, hawaii, and all states with five or fewer letters. You can find abbreviations discussed in the publication manual in section 4. However, if the sentence contains the name of another country, 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.

Check entry in the associated press stylebook for more details. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. Spell out all generic parts of street names avenue, north, road. Click a question below to jump straight to its answer. You will still use abbreviations in datelines, photo. Note that ap style omits state names for a specified list of cities. How to abbreviate united states erin wright writing.

Always spell out measurements inches, feet, yards gallons, ounces, pounds etc. We are not osu because the ohio state name has greater awareness and familiarity than osu. Use a hyphen for the adjectival forms before nouns. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style. Do not use periods in abbreviations that are in headlines, unless they are needed for clarity. 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 alternative is to place the full title after the name, set off by a comma. States spell out the names of the states in text when they appear alone. 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. 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. Ap style provides guidelines for grammar and punctuation, and is the primary style used in print and online publications around the country. Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in. In running text, ap and chicago both spell out state names. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding us postal service abbreviations, are in parentheses.

In conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in text. Ap state name switch is a good time to address clarity issues. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. Look in the ap stylebook for the state s abbreviation. For slide presentations of ap style basics, go here. Postal and traditional state abbreviations reference guide.

Here is how each state is abbreviated in ap style with the postal code abbreviations in. Abbreviating months and days editing and writing services. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. 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. 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. Abbreviations for states and provinces traditional abbreviations for states and provinces begin with a capital letter and end with a period. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. Texas is probably not a good one to use as an example. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state. Use the state abbreviations listed at the end of this section. Spacing around the em dash usually more abbreviated. About our name use the and dont abbreviate ohio state s name is one of our most valuable assets. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. 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.

Since when do you not capitalize both letters of a state abbreviation. Learn ap stylebook with free interactive flashcards. 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. You might want to check the ap style for abbreviating state names, though. The style is jan, feb, march, april, may, june, july, aug, sept, oct, nov, dec. When searching for height in the ap stylebook, it refers readers to the dimensions entry. 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. If youre writing a research paper or dashing off a blog post, you can probably ignore all the exceptions and special cases. In some instances, such as charts and lists, abbreviations may be used. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as.

The latest edition of the ap stylebook calls for the names of eight states never to be abbreviated in datelines or text. 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. 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 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 wire service first talked about making the change in 2010 and met a lot.

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. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. Abbreviate state names when used in 1 datelines on stories e. 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. Abbreviate company, corporation, incorporated and limited when used after the name of a corporate entity. 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. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. Abbreviate state names of seven or more letters when used with a city name, with commas before and after the abbreviation. For mailing addresses, ap and chicago both default to the twoletter postal abbreviations. It says that in tabular material, use threeletter forms without a period the first three letters of each month. Postal service state name abbreviations whenever a state accompanies a city.

The associated style, ap style, for the united states. 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. When a state name stands alone, it should always be. 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. You will notice that eight states are missing from this list.

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. Some of them are the same as the twoletter postal abbreviations. Ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes. However, this very specific professional writing style may be.

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. Heres a refresher course what the ap stylebook says for datelines and cities that stand alone in datelines. Since when do you not capitalize both letters of a state. Ap stylebook rules for height, feet, inches gatehouse. You also can abbreviate words such as company and corporation when they appear after the name of a business entity. All you need to know about titles in ap style gatehouse. 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. The biggest differences between chicago style and the u. Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board. Ohio states name is one of our most valuable assets. Youll find the list of acceptable abbreviations under state names in the hardcover and digital version of the ap stylebook. Oct 30, 2015 the rules below apply for the following works.

Spacing around, but not between, ellipses chicago style. First of all, consider whether an abbreviation is even necessary. Editorial style brand guidelines ohio state university. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday.

Choose from 100 different sets of ap stylebook flashcards on quizlet. 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. 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. Starting on may 1, the ap will change from abbreviating most states names in the body of stories to spelling those names out. Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories. The names of reference books like the ap stylebook, websters new world dictionary, the bible and for.

Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. Since its behind the name, it wouldnt be capitalized. The associated press stylebook ap style recommends lowercasing any roadrelated term in combined names if the term is the same for both names. We are the ohio state university on first reference, ohio state on second. Ap headlines cap only first word and proper names or proper abbreviations.

Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. Some examples of state abbreviations that differ from the common abbreviations are calif. Instead, writers who follow the ap stylebook put quotation marks around the titles of books, movies, plays, and the like. If it isnt followed by a proper name, its lower case. Ap style is the style guide codified in the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law. 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. Do not abbreviate state names in the body of a story or a dateline. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book. In some cases, an academic degree may be abbreviated after an individuals name see academic degrees.

The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. The ap stylebook states to not follow an organizations full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parenthesis or set off by dashes. Abbreviate junior or senior after an individuals name. Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word. 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. The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text. If you have a hyphen in a headline, is the word after the hyphen capitalized. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, and utah.

Jul 21, 2016 when youre writing in ap style, you should abbreviate titles that precede names and suffixes that fall afterward. Now in its sixth edition, the stylebook is the standard style. 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. Do not use full stops or periods when abbreviating the names of months in datelines. 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. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Aug 05, 2015 heres a refresher course what the ap stylebook says for datelines and cities that stand alone in datelines.

District of columbia dc heres an example of how to abbreviate a state in a sentence using ap style. Apr 23, 2014 effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. Ap style lists a number of acronyms and abbreviations that can be used on first reference without definition. The american psychological association apa publication manual, which is used for writing academic papers, agrees about using the periods. Put quotation marks around the names except the bible and catalogs of reference material. In ap headline style, only the first word and proper nouns are capped.

1101 334 172 616 134 410 1189 792 13 123 296 1226 715 299 304 143 345 176 356 238 504 1316 799 693 1380 1435 1465 77 931 305 1239 1047 456 1382 107 173 1585 1237 1534 1291 1176 1357 223 670 1196 1