Those are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. The first part of the state names entry says they should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village or military base. State names like california are always spelled out when they are in news. State names like california are always spelled out when they are in news stories. Remember that, in datelines, the city name is in all capital letters. Remember to spell the state in entirety when it appears solo in a sentence or a statement.
Ap style is simply a standardized way of writing everything from dates to street addresses to job titles. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and. A great way to remember this exception is to realize that alaska and hawaii are not in the contiguous united states and the other exempted states contain five letters or fewer in their. Ap style guidance for official biographies cont rank.
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. The associated press stylebook, the usage guide for most united states newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended. States writing style guide western michigan university. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. One of the first things a student in a beginning journalism course learns about is associated press style or ap style for short. Starting on may 1, the ap will change from abbreviating most states names in the body of stories to spelling those names out. Geographic regions and states editorial style guide. Here are all the ap abbreviations and their usps counterparts. Abbreviations for states and provinces traditional abbreviations for states and provinces begin with a capital letter and end with a period. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. The exceptions are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, and utah.
Starting on may 1, the ap will change from abbreviating most states names in. 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 associated press stylebook ap style recommends lowercasing any roadrelated term in combined names if the term is the same for both names. Spelled out fully in the identification line using all capital letters. Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. Senator and representative are abbreviated and capitalized before a name but lower case and spelled out when theyre not a part of a title. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules.
Associated press style basics journalists resource. You will notice that eight states are missing from this list. 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 change is being made to be consistent in our style for domestic and international. Hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, utah, and alaska. Enclose state in commas, even if used as an adjective. Ap style considers spelling out state names again and. Ap style considers spelling out state names again and other issues after being kind of smacked down last year by anxious copy desks when it came close to issuing a fiat that all state names would be spelled out instead of being abbreviated, ap is edging toward that precipice again. Ap sticks to the usps abbreviations when the full address is provided in the text. Jul 21, 2016 when youre writing in ap style, you should abbreviate titles that precede names and suffixes that fall afterward. Abbreviate months with six or more letters if they are used with a specific date.
Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in. Follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Which cities dont need a state abbreviation in ap style. Consult the ap stylebook for a list of these cities. Most state names are abbreviated following the name of a city. State abbreviations according to ap style gatehouse newsroom. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style.
See the lists that follow to determine whether the title should be spelled out or abbreviated in regular text. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Ap itself along with gi and eu are exceptions to this rule. There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or 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. Percentages as of 2019, ap style now recommends using the percent sign. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. Except in mailing addresses with a zip code, or with other punctuation.
Ap state name switch is a good time to address clarity. However, there are exceptions for large cities that stand alone in datelines. The associated press stylebook it can be overwhelming at first, but please see below for the essentials. Ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with. Political titles should be abbreviated before full names outside of direct quotes. You also can abbreviate words such as company and corporation when they appear after the name of a business entity. Ap style does use periods in most twoletter abbreviations. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in most datelines. In the body of your release, spell out the entire 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. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah.
The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. Funding was provided by the state of michigan meaning the government. 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. States should not be abbreviated when used in the text of a story. The month march should never be abbreviated, even with a date. 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. May 07, 2009 the associated press was founded more than 150 years ago and now has thousands of employees working in more than a hundred countries for a readership that numbers in the millions. When abbreviating the state names, dont make the mistake of using the postal code abbreviations. This listing is a just a few highlights for ap style, but you need to make sure you have the most current version for quick reference. Ap style is designed to address the challenges of the organizations large size and readership. The 2015 ap stylebook makes the distinction between state names in running text body of the story and state names in datelines.
Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories. A good way to remember these eight is to always spell out the names of the two states outside the contiguous united states hawaii and alaska and the states inside the contiguous united states with five letters or less. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. Abbreviations abbreviate junior or senior after a name, but dont use a comma. Ap style does not require the name of a state to accompany the names of the following 30 cities. Apr 09, 2020 state names in the previous example, nebraska was abbreviated to neb. Jul, 2019 one of the first things a student in a beginning journalism course learns about is associated press style or ap style for short.
Ap uses different state abbreviations than the usps does. Apr 23, 2014 effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. It had to be easy for reporters and editors to use and also produce. Making local editors happy with ap style nebraska community. The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text. Ap style guide state abbreviations here are some commonly used state abbreviations you could refer to. 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. 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. Ap suggests spelling out the names of alaska, hawaii, and all states with five or fewer letters.
Also use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, county, town, village or military base in. When the name of a state name appears in the body of a text, spell it out. That is the one of the few instances when state names are abbreviated in ap style. Sep 19, 2012 ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. Ap style was developed and is maintained by the associated press, the worlds oldest news service. Apr 15, 2020 okay, so new is stretching it a bit, but some writers may be unaware that in 2014 ap changed the rule regarding how state names should be written. All states are spelled out in the body of the text. How to write names of highways, streets, and other roadways. Some state names are not abbreviated because they have six or fewer letters. In running text, spell out the names of states whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village, or military base. In the past, states were generally abbreviated in domestic articles and news stories, but they were always spelled out in international content. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. 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. Spell out one through nine, then go to figures for 10 and up.
Mar 14, 2015 below is a list of ap style state abbreviations. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding us postal service abbreviations, are in parentheses. Note that ap style omits state names for a specified list of cities. Spell out the names of the states whether standing alone or with a place name. Ap style isnt keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out. Oct 31, 2019 ap uses different state abbreviations than the usps does. Spell out other legislative titles in all uses and capitalize formal titles when theyre used before a name. 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. Chicago and ap differ on some traditional abbreviations.
The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. Those states are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, and utah. Spacing around the em dash usually more abbreviated. It wouldnt be ap style without an exception or two. The ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text. Top 5 tips to edit and write in chicago or ap style proedit. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. Do not use periods in abbreviations that are in headlines, unless they are needed for clarity.
Ap state name switch is a good time to address clarity issues. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name. So, i am providing a reference for those who may be interested. No state name is necessary if it is the same as the dateline. The associated press was founded more than 150 years ago and now has thousands of employees working in more than a hundred countries for a readership that numbers in the millions. State names are spelled out following city names, unless abbreviating is required military, politicians, etc. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. The trial took place on march 8 in riverside, california. That is because alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah are never abbreviated. Use the aps state abbreviations with place names only in lists and tabular material, or shortform listings of party affiliation.
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. Use the state abbreviations not the postal abbreviations indicated below in lists, tabular material, and shortform listings of. However, when referring to a city and the state in which it is located, although chicago recommends retaining the spelledout version of the state name san diego, california, ap style calls for abbreviating the state name san diego, calif. Ap style military ranks capitalize a military rank when used as a formal title before an individuals name. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and.
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