Washington state is the name of a university in the state of washington. Ap style guide for state abbreviations makes no sense 35 comments august 21, 2006 august 21, 2006 design by matt maldre im a newspaper designer that has to adhere to the ap style guide. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. Since its initial publication in 1953, the stylebook has been the goto authority in the communications. The 2016 associated press stylebook and briefing on media law. Also, be sure to use a lowercase state in both of these instances to avoid any confusion. 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. In other words, do not use abbreviations or acronyms that your readers will. The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law.
The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. Aug 15, 2019 our company uses ap style and i receive info from an educator on a weekly basis. In fact, the sheer number of conflicting guidelines can make you feel like youve driven right off the grammar map. However, the chicago manual of style now recommends use of the uppercase twoletter abbreviations, with the traditional forms as an option. Neither means that the usual headlinestyle or titlestyle caps still apply, but the titlename is naked as far as quotes and italics are concerned. Ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. When the name of a state appears after a town, city or military base, it generally. Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Styleguard offers recommendations on datelines, abbreviations and acronyms, among many other common style needs, along with items you might not have realized are covered by ap style. 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. Ap style guide for state abbreviations makes no sense. Spell out all generic parts of street names avenue, north, road.
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. Ap style holds that a few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some instances and some other abbreviations are acceptable depending on the context, but in general, as a writer, you should avoid having your writing appear as if its alphabet soup. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. Ap style is email changed from email, but other e words are hyphenated.
Send contributions to relief fund, box 185, pasadena, ca 91030. The 2016 edition of the gpo style manual is the first revision to be issued under gpos new name, u. Now journalists, students, public relations professionals and other writers and editors will have style guidance at the ready at all times. 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.
Jun 01, 2016 ap stylebook editors tom kent, jerry schwartz, david minthorn and paula froke will answer questions about the new book today june 1 at 2. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. The 2016 associated press stylebook and briefing on media. Keep in mind that ap changed the rules for using state abbreviations in the body of a story, and you now spell out the names of all 50 u. For street names that are numbers, spell out and capitalize first through ninth. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. If you follow the older practice, be consistent in your use of the traditional abbreviations, and. The pr professionals ap style cheat sheet communique pr. 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. This is intended as a quick rundown or cheat sheet. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. The state abbreviations did not compute with their knowledge and they would not use them and instead used the zip code abbreviation.
The writers of most content creation companies usually write using a popular style guide ap, apa, chicago, mla mixed with a house style. Subscribers to the chicago manual of style online may click through to the linked sections of the manual. At bka, we prefer ap style, which is a standard in journalism. The first name of an individual and the word i n t e r n a t i o n a l may be deleted from a formal airport name while the remainder is capitalized.
Its mobile optimized so you can use it on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Unfortunately, we dont have such fixed boundaries for how to abbreviate united states. Postal service abbreviations for states unless you. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in most datelines. How do you make names that end in s possessive and would you welcome a change to ap style. Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word. State abbreviations are all two letters, and these two letters are always capitalized without any periods. Mar 27, 2020 purdue universitys online writing lab owl website provides information on many writing styles, including ap.
Use the aps state abbreviations with place names only in lists and tabular material, or shortform listings of party affiliation. A refreshing ap stylebook refresher on datelines and places. Rate 5 stars rate 4 stars rate 3 stars rate 2 stars rate 1 star. Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board. However, if the sentence contains the name of another. An interactive geography lesson about abbreviations of states. The ap stylebook makes exceptions for noncontiguous states and for. At about 600 pages, the ap stylebook is widely used as a writing and editing reference in newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. See datelines for guidelines on when a city name may stand alone in the body of a story. Sep 19, 2012 professional journalists and business communicators in the united states commonly write in associated press ap style. No state name is necessary if its the same as the dateline. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of.
Ap style rulesstate abbreviations quiz by elsieviste. 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. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. Also use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, county, town, village or military base. State abbreviations are not the same as the twoletter postal codes. In 1987, the secretary of commerce switched to the more commonly used twoletter postal code abbreviations. Quiz by elsieviste ap style rules state abbreviations quiz by elsieviste. Which cities dont need a state abbreviation in ap style. Use the state abbreviations listed at the end of this section. We will continue to use state abbreviations in datelines and stories. Mar 24, 2016 keep in mind that ap changed the rules for using state abbreviations in the body of a story, and you now spell out the names of all 50 u. Todays workout, abbreviations overview, centers on sections 10. Also use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, county, town, village or military base in. Government printing office style manual 2016 is used for internal communication.
Aug 21, 2006 ap style guide for state abbreviations makes no sense 35 comments august 21, 2006 august 21, 2006 design by matt maldre im a newspaper designer that has to adhere to the ap style guide. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style guide of the associated press. 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 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. 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.
Ap postpones changing style on state abbreviations apme. Since 1894, the gpo style manual has served as a guide to the style and form of federal government printing and publishing. The manual has come to be widely recognized by writers and editors both within and outside the federal government as an. When abbreviating the state names, dont make the mistake of using the postal code abbreviations. Mar 14, 2015 ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. Apr 23, 2014 ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes. Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in. Some cities dont require a state or country after them. If an acronym would not be clear to the intended audience on second reference without this arrangement, do not use it.
Tf you only need to attribute information when it is an opinion. However, writers of most newspapers use the ap style state name abbreviations in their articles ex. Top 10 ap style guide 2016edits university blog service. 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. Can you name the ap style rulesstate abbreviations test your knowledge on this geography quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. When the name of a city and state are used together, the name of the state should be abbreviated except for alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book.
Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. Ap stylebook adds ebook edition to digital product suite. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. Much of this confusion stems from differences between the primary style manuals, as demonstrated below. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. Spell out the names of the states whether standing alone or with a place name. These are nprs photo caption guidelines npr training. 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 external communication we use the associated press stylebook 2017 for all public documents and materials, excluding correspondence from the administrator and deputy administrator. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. Can you name the ap style rules state abbreviations test your knowledge on this geography quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. We are discussing a possible change to our guidance on the possessive form of singular proper names ending in s. Al for alabama alaska ak this state is not abbreviated in text ariz.
Abbreviate junior or senior directly after a name, with no comma to set it off. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. 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. Following is the breakdown between ap style and chicago style. However, there are exceptions for large cities that stand alone in datelines. Ap stylebook online is a searchable, customizable resource for writers and editors. A primer on ap style t he ap stylebook is the second most important book you will use as a journalist, after a dictionary. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. The 2016 associated press stylebook and briefing on media law associated press on. Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Postal and traditional state abbreviations reference guide. State abbreviations according to ap style gatehouse newsroom. A refreshing ap stylebook refresher on datelines and.
Ap style changes take effect with debut of redesigned stylebook. The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text. Spell out the name of a month when it is used without a specific date. Ap postpones changing style on state abbreviations thursday, may, 2010 posted by. Note that ap style omits state names for a specified list of cities. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. I stopped trying to educate the educator and just edited their stuff each time to the the ap style of state abbreviations. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. The ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text. Abbreviations abbreviate junior or senior after a name, but dont use a comma. As it is necessary, use new york state to differentiate the state of new york from new york city. If necessary, follow it with the state abbreviation not the u. State abbreviations ap doesnt follow standard zip code abbreviations.
Spell out the names of all states when used alone and in body text. Any state name may be condensed, however, to fit typographical requirements for tabular material. Sep 20, 2015 at more than 5,000 entries, the 2015 ap stylebook is the biggest edition in its more than six decades of publication. For journalists, the associated press ap stylebook is the industry bible. Use abbreviations and acronyms sparingly, only when nothing else works. As ap has added entries over the years, the stylebook has grown more useful and comprehensive, but also more daunting.
May 01, 2014 making compound words possessive, such as the attorney generals report. In conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in text. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday. The associated press stylebook states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. Ap style guide for state abbreviations makes no sense spudart. Postal service abbreviations for states unless you are providing a full address including zip code. Jul 21, 2016 im a huge fan of abbreviations because they make communication easier and spare me from unnecessary typing. Our amended style is website one word, lowercase w, along with other compounds. Ap suggests spelling out the names of alaska, hawaii, and all states with five or fewer letters. For words that you cannot find in our ap style list, use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world dictionary. For all others, include the abbreviated state name andor country name, not abbreviated.
Ap style rules for abbreviations are plentiful and full of exceptions. Some state names are not abbreviated because they have six or fewer. On second reference, the automobile as sociation or the association is ac ceptable. 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. Quiz by elsieviste ap style rulesstate abbreviations quiz by elsieviste. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service. Do not follow an organizations full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses or set off by dashes. Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference for most forms of publicfacing.
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. States should also be abbreviated when used as part of a shortform political affiliation. Government printing office style manual 2016 is used for. United states postal abbreviations for states, military, commonwealths, and territories. Kennedy international airport, kennedy international airport, or k e n n e d y airport. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. Test your knowledge on this miscellaneous quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. States in the us are often abbreviated to twoletter words alaska ak. Some writers and editors still prefer to use the older forms of state abbreviations see traditional abbreviations in the table below, though this is rare.
Abbreviations are often desired in tabulations and certain types of technical writings. Associated press ap citation and style guides libguides. The e book makes it faster and easier to find a relevant style rule. Read the ap stylebook entries on courtesy titles, names, nicknamespseudonyms, middle. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. Ap style cheat sheet for content marketers usgbc studio. Select the sentence free of errors in ap style for abbreviations in broadcast copy. The atlantic hurricane is most likely to hit the east coast cities of jacksonville, florida, savannah, georgia, and charleston, south carolina. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. Aps automated stylechecking tools speed up the editing process by reducing the need to manually refer to the ap stylebook. Capitals, and abbreviations april 14, 2016 dylan kline.
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