May 04, 2017 chicago and ap differ on some traditional abbreviations. Writing center quick reference associate press style guide. Postal service abbreviations for states unless you are providing a. Follow these associated press guidelines for the 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. The department provided an initial list of abbreviations in june 1963, but many had three or four letters, which was still too long. On second reference, the automobile as sociation or the association is ac ceptable. Associated press stylebook and briefing on media law.
Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone. Using the ap style guide memorizing all the rules is unnecessary. 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. Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories.
Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. 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. Mar 14, 2015 below is a list of ap style state abbreviations. The associated press style journal specifies the news organizational regulations on linguistics of the language. Youll find the list of acceptable abbreviations under state names in the stylebook. Abbreviate junior or senior directly after a name, with no comma. A quick guide to abbreviations in ap style proofeds. Associated press ap style guidelines by leslie young. However, the chicago manual of style now recommends use of the uppercase twoletter abbreviations, with the traditional forms as an option. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. Follow ap style for state abbreviations, do not use postal code abbreviations.
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. Postal service abbreviations for states unless you are providing a full address including zip code. Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. These arent always the same abbreviations the mail carrier uses. Feb 14, 2012 the ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text.
State name abbreviations when the name of a state appears after a town, city or military base, it generally must be abbreviated. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. Dec 11, 2012 pope is only capitalized when it serves as a title before a name. The ap style is based on the guidelines from the associated press stylebook mainly aimed for journalists and news media to maintain uniformity and ease of reading.
When it comes to peoples names, ap style requires you to abbreviate. Which cities dont need a state abbreviation in ap style. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. Aps abbreviations for state names are different from those used by the postal service, so look them up if youre not sure. Abbreviations for states use postal service style, rather than ap style. Dec 12, 2020 state name abbreviations when the name of a state appears after a town, city or military base, it generally must be abbreviated. Ap send the application to acme hiring, 442 elixir avenue, des moines, ia 50310.
Associated press stylebook abbreviations and acronyms academic titles. Ap style isnt keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out. The us has 50 states, a national capital along with commonwealths, and other territories around the world. To make room for the zip code, state names needed to be abbreviated. Oct 31, 2019 some state names are not abbreviated because they have six or fewer letters. When conflict exists between the stylebook and the supplement, the supplement takes precedence. The 2019 ap stylebook has more than 200 new and modified entries, according to the ap. In stories about several people with the same last name, use only first name to avoid confusion.
State names should be abbreviated in running text when they appear with a city name columbus. Look up the list of state abbreviations under state names in your ap stylebook. So, i am providing a reference for those who may be interested. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding us postal service abbreviations, are in parentheses. Abbreviate state names of seven or more letters when used with a city name, with commas before and after the abbreviation. The state abbreviations are always in the same format. The associated press stylebook provides an alphabetized list of over 5,000 guidelines for journalistic writing. Ap suggests spelling out the names of alaska, hawaii, and all states with five or fewer letters. States spell out the names of the states in text when they appear alone. When the state name in text is followed by a zip code as part of an address, use the twoletter uppercase u. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Spell out state names when theyre not part of an address.
The biggest differences between chicago style and the u. Place one comma between the city and the state name, and another after the state name. Except in mailing addresses with a zip code, or with other punctuation. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization. Sep 04, 2019 the associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style.
Periods and commas always go inside, rather than outside, any quotation marks. The associated press stylebook states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. Distefano is the chancellor of a university in colorado. Hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, utah, and alaska. Look in the ap stylebook for the state s abbreviation. Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board. Associated press stylebook academic titles associated press stylebook doctor. The prime minister left for the united states yesterday. State abbreviations according to ap style gatehouse newsroom. Press stylebook, download the ap style app or visit the ap stylebook website.
Each state has its own unique shortened name codes used in written documents and mailing addresses. Note that ap style omits state names for a specified list of cities. Spell out all generic parts of street names avenue, north, road. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book. Associated press ap style is used by most newspapers, magazines, and public relations departments in the united states and serves as the standard for writing in journalism. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, texas and utah are never abbreviated in text. The ap stylebook holds that capitalization, in general, should be confined to formal titles that are used directly before an individuals name. However, if the sentence contains the name of another country, the. The associated press stylebook includes more than 5,000 entries.
The associated press stylebook is the stylebook for all reporting and editing courses and for the university daily kansan. The ap style state abbreviations is not the same as state postal abbreviations. Editorial style the cfaes brand ohio state university. The ap stylebook makes exceptions for noncontiguous states and for states with names that are five letters long or less. Aps abbreviations for state names are different from those used by the. Spell out the names of all states when used alone and in body text. 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. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. State name abbreviations are acceptable in the dateline. When to spell out full name if a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a. In other words, do not use abbreviations or acronyms that your readers will not readily or quickly recognize. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in most datelines. 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. Abbreviations ap specifies rules for abbreviations.
Enclose state in commas, even if used as an adjective. National merit scholar but merit scholars native american n. Department of defense visual information style guide. The ap style is based on the guidelines from the associated press stylebook mainly aimed. For slide presentations of ap style basics, go here. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. When to spell out full name if a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules.
Ap says the percentage sign now ok when used with a numeral. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. Apr 01, 2021 effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. Dont abbreviate if there isnt a city name before the state. Avoid using abbreviated state names in headlines, but when it is necessary, use u. Abbreviations united states as a noun, united states. However, a basic knowledge of ap style and a basic knowledge of how to use the style guide are fundamental to those working in journalism.
I suggest you print this table out and keep it close to your computer until you learn all the ap style state abbreviations. Academic degrees after a name, set off with commas from surrounding text e. Below is a list, by no mean exhaustive, of accepted abbreviations in ap style. Ap style prioritizes consistency, clarity, accuracy, and brevity and avoids stereotyping subjects and using offensive language. Ap stylebook has provided a list indicating exactly how the states should be shortened. In october 1963, the department settled on the current twoletter abbreviations. But abbreviate most state names when used after city names. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. Ap stylebook cannot be made available in any printed form to any other person, third party or affiliate, or used for cdrom publishing, fax on demand, audiotext, email, or any other electronic delivery ser. Over and more than became interchangeable and we have to spell out state names. Al for alabama alaska ak this state is not abbreviated in text ariz. Only abbreviate state names when they follow the name of a city. The kansan deviates from ap because the kansan refers to the american heritage dictionary and ap refers to websters new world dictionary. How to abbreviate united states erin wright writing.
However, there are exceptions for large cities that stand alone in datelines. Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number. Ap has many rules about abbreviations, many of which have to do with places, dates, and times. 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. Do not capitalize federal, state, department, divisi. You must register and have a current subscription to access ap stylebook online. Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand. When abbreviating the state names, dont make the mistake of using the postal code abbreviations think ok for oklahoma. More homeap stylebookaddresses addresses use the abbreviations ave. When the formal title comes after the name, use lowercase. It is a known fact that no one can master the ap state abbreviations in a jiffy. The ap stylebook states to not follow an organizations full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parent hesis or set off by dashes. When the formal titles directly precede a name, capitalize and spell out the title.
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