For a full list of ap style state abbreviations, see our full page. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. Abbreviations are often desired in tabulations and certain types of technical writings. Some exceptions are that you should use periods in the abbreviations for united states and united. You must register and have a current subscription to access ap stylebook online register now. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. For external communication we use the associated press stylebook 2017 for all public documents and materials, excluding correspondence from the administrator and deputy administrator.
This being said, however, the ap stylebook does go on to list some more specific guidelines that are to be followed when using various titles in your text. I stopped trying to educate the educator and just edited their stuff each time to the the ap style of state abbreviations. 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. Note that ap style omits state names for a specified list of cities. Abbreviation is only appropriate in long lists, addresses, and when used in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in that state. Note that while ap style uses abbreviations for months sept. This page reflects the latest version of the apa publication manual i. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state 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. Oct, 2016 ap style can be both about the long and the short of things, but a good general rule to keep in mind is this. Select time references as if the story were being written today for publication tomorrow morning. Ap style datelines home ap style ap style datelines datelines on stories should contain a city name, entirely in capital letters, followed in most cases by the name of the state, county, or territory where the city is located. For words that you cannot find in our ap style list, use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world dictionary.
In ap headline style, only capitalize the first word in a hyphenated word. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Dec 05, 2007 the style with periods stays for now in text, but one wonders how long that will stick at a time when every microinch of paper is being put under scrutiny as a cost. Ap style can be both about the long and the short of things, but a good general rule to keep in mind is this. Dont put acronyms in parentheses after the first reference for example, the water quality control division wqcd. Next you need to provide the city and state that the event occurred in, as well as the day of the week and the date. A dateline is a critical component of a news article or press release because it identifies where and sometimes when the news reported took place.
Ap suggests spelling out the names of alaska, hawaii, and all states with five or fewer letters. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. 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. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. Government printing office style manual 2016 is used for internal communication. Abbreviations are is a shortened form of a written word or phrase and an acronym is is an abbreviation that is pronounced as a word. This entry updated march 2010 to reflect a change in ap style. Following are the state abbreviations, which also appear in the entries for each state zip code abbreviations. Rules from the ap stylebook i recently conducted a workshop for employees in the development office at my university, and since they use associated press ap style, i was asked to include a unit on avoiding common ap errors. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. These may be used as secondary sources if our house style and ap style dont address an issue youre researching. 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. The change is being made to be consistent in our style for domestic and international.
As a quick reminder, acronyms are a specific type of abbreviation. Some states are abbreviated, as is the united states with periods u. It is a reference and a guide, intended to improve accuracy and further our credibility. 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. Even though they are usually prohibited, agencies produce forms that do not have room for anything more than abbreviations. That said, ap does have many abbreviations for things that it has deemed acceptable to use in all references. The best way to write a good headline is to keep it simple and direct. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. How to write an associated press style press release.
There is indeed a science and art behind writing a press release. Headings that are true, punctuated sentences should use sentence case. In ap style, slashes are acceptable only in certain phrases and special situations, such as with fractions. Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in. The style guide was developed collaboratively, will evolve over time and is approved by the agencys communications director. Learning all the states was hard enough as a kid, but now you need to memorize the ap style state name abbreviations. Rate 5 stars rate 4 stars rate 3 stars rate 2 stars rate 1 star popular quizzes today. Apr 23, 2014 the following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday.
Do not use a comma if only listing the month and year. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. When in doubt, spell the whole thing out unless of course youre talking about numbers, which are their own animal altogether. Other references, including the chicago manual of style and the gregg reference manual, were consulted in creating the uws house style guidelines. Ap doesnt explain this, but in the stylebook, the slash is also used in abbreviations such as tcpip and naaiptc. Some organizations and government agencies are widely recognized by their initials and can be referred to using their. Aps automated stylechecking tools speed up the editing process by reducing the need to manually refer to the ap stylebook. Todays workout, abbreviations overview, centers on sections 10. The guide follows conventions of the associated press stylebook. You will still use abbreviations in datelines, photo.
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. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. Mar 14, 2015 ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. This editorial style guide is intended to be a quickreference for writers, editors, and members of the endicott community. Ap style journalism and pr the associated press style provides guidelines for journalistic writing. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers.
Follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Per the ap stylebook, use nonpostal service abbreviations like ala. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. Rules from the ap stylebook i recently conducted a workshop for employees in the development office at my university, and since they use associated press ap style, i was asked. You must register and have a current subscription to access ap stylebook online. Making an impact accurately apply the following rules when writing headlines. Register to view your products, order status, shipment trackings and manage your account settings.
Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Our company uses ap style and i receive info from an educator on a weekly basis. 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. Associated press style in a nutshell civil air patrol. Sep 19, 2012 ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. You can find abbreviations discussed in the publication manual in section 4. Even so, the associated press stylebook chose to exclude the slash from the punctuation section, acknowledging it with a thirtyword chin nod in the main section instead. Ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. The ap stylebook and other references are available through the uw libraries. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. Heading levels should be nested to show the proper hierarchy of the page.
If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction. Do not use postal codes instead of state abbreviations not ok but okla. Ap style has a special way of abbreviating state names and months, using between two and five letters rather than the standard abbreviations. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. State abbreviations random miscellaneous or united states quiz can you name the ap style u. The website of appalachian state university, for example, conforms to ap style. I also eventually expect to see the state abbreviations give way. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. This resource should help guide communications about the college and provide a consistent voice for both internal and external audiences. 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 style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. Ap style has a special way of abbreviating state names and months, using between two. Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word.
I also eventually expect to see the state abbreviations give way to the post offices twoletter versions in all uses. Subscribers to the chicago manual of style online may click through to the linked sections of the manual. Many newspapers, magazines, websites, and public relations offices across the united states use ap style. The style with periods stays for now in text, but one wonders how long that will stick at a time when every microinch of paper is being put under scrutiny as a cost. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. 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. The equivalent resource for the older apa 6 style can be found here. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. Select the sentence free of errors in ap style for abbreviations for print publications. Associated press style provides guidelines for news writing. Apr 15, 2020 our company uses ap style and i receive info from an educator on a weekly basis. In order to create a playlist on sporcle, you need to verify the email address you used during registration.
A primer on the ap style rule for acronyms bka content. Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories. Home ap style ap style titles the ap stylebook holds that capitalization, in general, should be confined to formal titles that are used directly before an individuals name. Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. On wednesday, professor james currier, who has a doctorate in biology and a masters in economics, will argue that improving automobile fuel efficiency from an average of 17 to 22 miles per gallon would save billions of dollars and protect endangered. Click a question below to jump straight to its answer. In this quick guide to state abbreviations, i will cover the differences between ap style and chicago style andjust to prolong your state of confusionwhen to use the common twoletter abbreviations created by the united states postal service if youre writing a research paper or dashing off a blog post, you can probably ignore all the exceptions and special cases and just. Select the sentence free of errors in ap style for addresses, abbreviations, capitalization, numerals, punctuation and spelling and time in print copy.
The style guide is an extension of our communications manual. Jun 30, 2019 since associated press style is one of the more widely used writing standards, learning the ap style rule for acronyms is an essential starting point for most freelance writers. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday. The national rifle association announced on monday it will move its state headquarters to the erickson building.
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