AP Stylebook 1-27

Abbreviations and Acronyms

• Abbreviate titles before a full name : Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Mr., Mrs., Rep., the Rev., Sen., and certain military titles.

• Abbreviations After a Name:

  abbreviate junior or senior after an individuals name

  abbreviate company, corporation, after the name of a corporate entity.

• Abbreviate with dates or numbers:

  for example: a.m., p.m.

• Jan. Feb. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. when used with the day of the month

• Abbreviate in numbered addresses:

  avenue, boulevard, and street

Academic Degrees

if mention of degrees is necessary to establish someone’s credentials, avoid abbreviation.

for example, Fatima Kader, who has a doctorate in psychology.

use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, etc.

but there is no possessive in:

• Bachelor of Arts

• Master of Science

• an associate degree

Use abbreviations such as B.A., M.A., LL.D., and Ph.D. only after a full name. never after just a last name.

When used after a name, set off by commas.

• John Snow, Ph.D., spoke.

Academic Departments

Use lowercase except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives:

• the department of history

• the history department

• the department of English

• the English department

Capitalize when department is part of the official and formal name:

• University of Oklahoma State Department of Economics

accept, except

accept means to receive.

except means to exclude.

addresses

use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd., and St. only with a numbered address:

• 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number:

• Pennsylvania Avenue.

Lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name:

• Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues.

all similar words (alley, drive, road, terrace, etc.) are always spelled out. capitalize when part of a formal name without a number, lowercase when used alone or with two or more names.

always use figures for an address number:

• 9 Morningside Circle

spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used as street names. use figures for 10th and above

affect, effect

Affect, as a verb, means to influence:

• The game will affect the standings.

(don’t use affect as a noun, occasionally used to describe emotion but no need for it in everyday language)

Effect, as a verb, means to cause:

• He will effect many changes in the company.

Effect, as a noun, means result:

• The effect was overwhelming.

• He miscalculated the effect of his actions.

• It was a law of little effect.

Afterward

always afterward, never afterwards.

ages

use when deemed relevant to the situation.

Always use figures:

• The girl is 15 years old.

• The law is 8 years old.

• The 101-year-old house.

when the context does not require years or years old, the figure is assumed to be years.

use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun:

• A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old.

• The boy, 7, has a sister, 10.

• The woman, 26, has a daughter, 2 months old.

• The race is for 3-year-olds.

• The woman in her 30s. (no apostrophe)

all right

never alright.

only hyphenate if used as a compound modifier:

• He is an all-right guy.

other hyphenations include:

• all-around (not all-round)

• all-clear

• all-out

• all-star

all-terrain vehicle

ATV is acceptable on second reference.

use all-terrain vehicle on first reference.

among, between

between introduces two items

among introduces more than two items.

• The choice is between fish and tofu.

• The funds were divided among Ford, Carter, and McCarthy.

However, between is the correct word when expressing relationships of 3 or more items considered one pair at a time.

• The games between the Yankees, Phillies and Mets have been rollicking ones.

amount, number

amount for things that cannot be counted individually:

• the amount of milk in the refrigerator.

• the amount of courage it takes to climb Mount Everest.

number for things that can be counted individually:

• the number of soldiers in an army

• the number of books in a library

use less for things that can’t be counted:

• less paper

• less paint

use fewer for things that can be counted:

• fewer days

• fewer votes

a.m., p.m.

lowercase, with periods

avoid the redundant: 10 a.m. this morning.

animals

do not apply personal pronouns to an animal unless its sex has ben established or the animal has a name.

capitalize the name of a specific animal, and use roman numerals to show sequence: Bowser, Whirlaway II

Breed Names

capitalize words derived from proper nouns, lowercase elsewhere:

• basset hound

• Boston terrier

annual

always annual, never first annual

ATM

acceptable in all references for automated teller machine

do not use the redundant: ATM machine

backward

never use backwards.

board of directors, board of trustees

always use lowercase except when part of a proper noun

building

never abbreviate

capitalize the proper names of buildings including the word building if it is an integral part of the proper name:

• The Empire State Building

bus, buses

the verb form: bus, bused, busing

forms of transportation

also: the busboy buses tables

capital, Capitol

capital: the city where a seat of government is located, do not capitalize.

when used financially, capital describes money, equipment, or property used in a business by a person or corporation

Capitol: capitalize U.S. Capitol and the Capitol when referring to the building in Washington.

• the meeting was held on Capitol Hill in the west wing of the Capitol.

Follow the same practice when referring to state capitols:

• The Oklahoma Capitol is in Oklahoma City.

• Thomas Jefferson designed the Capitol in Virginia.

capitalization

avoid unnecessary capitals, use a capital letter only if you can justify it.

always capitalize proper nouns, and any common nouns when they are an integral part of the full name for a person, place, or thing

cellphone

one word, not cell-phone

Christmas

never abbreviate to any other form.

Dec. 25.

citywide

one word, never city-wide or city wide

co-

retain the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status:

• co-author

• co-host

• co-owner

use no hyphen in other combinations:

• coeducation

• cooperative

• coequal

• coordinate

• copay

• coexist

• cooperate

committee

do not abbreviate

capitalize when part of a formal name: The House Appropriations Committee

do not capitalize committee in shortened versions of long committee names