When writing large numbers, you should add a comma to denote groups of three digits as in 123,456,789 or 15,999. If the sheer number of hyphens in a phrase, or confusion about how to. When searching for height in the ap stylebook, it refers readers to the dimensions entry. Various magazines generally use one style or the other, but web sites tend toward ap style. Ap style dictates specific comma placement in a series and with dialogue, dates, numbers and titles like jr. Answers to questions about hyphens in references to age. Ap stylebooks 2019 edition includes guidance on suicide. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. As such, ap style errors in press releases are glaringly obvious to reporters and could turn them off from considering a press release. Eventually, you wont have to refer to the stylebook nearly as much. And phone numbers, of course, use hyphens between the sets of three though youll likely see periods sometimes too. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook.
In a march stylebook update, froke said, the ap noted the difference. How to format phone numbers in ap style pen and the pad. There are specific stylistic instructions for weights, measurements, parts of speech and usage. Here are four examples of how to write numbers above 999,999 in ap style. In general you should spell out numbers one through nine in ap style. The ap stylebook also specifies a number of miscellaneous rules for writing measurements. My prof mentioned that numbers from 1 to 10 should be written as words e. Ap style is designed to address the challenges of the organizations large size and readership.
What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Ap does not even acknowledge that the en dash exists. Careful where you put that hyphen here are eight rules from the ap stylebook that you might never know unless you looked them up. Spell out amounts less than 1 in stories, using hyphens between the words. But mastering the 500page book, which is updated every year, can be a daunting task. Newspaper style and less formal writing and much of online content hews closer. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond. To insert dashes into text, use the symbols or custom character menu in word processing software such as word or html wysiwyg editor for online writing. For international numbers use 011 from the united states, the country code, the city code and the telephone number. Let us know if you struggle with one of these exceptions. We find your use of both an en dash and hyphens to be creative and acceptable to us. For large numbers that must be spelled out, use a hyphen to connect a. Theres even a 2em dash and a 3em dash in chicago style.
Associated press style basics journalists resource. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. If you look at these marks with style in mind, the ellipsis is most similar to the em dash. Always use figures before the measurement 8 inches, 10 feet, 2 ounces, 200 pounds, etc. 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. Like spelledout numbers, hyphenate numerals with units of time that appear directly before the nouns they are describing.
The associated press stylebook recommends spelling out the numbers zero through nine and using numerals thereafteruntil one million is reached. In preparing the 11th edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation, we thought long and hard about hyphens vs. Click here if youd like to freshen up on some more ap style rules. And the ap stylebook kept wording it has used previously that says use of the hyphen is far from standardized and, as in the past, note that it can be a matter of taste, judgment and. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading ap associated press styleguide quiz book. Associated press ap style is most often used by news and journalism writers to present consistent and clear writing to the consumer. Rules for writing numbers the blue book of grammar and. The 15th edition had a separate entry under parenthesis 6. This is the basic difference in how ellipses are rendered in ap style and chicago style. When following ap style, numbers zero through nine are typically written in word form, while numbers 10 and above are written as cardinal numbers.
Consider the following examples of ap style numbers, the chicago white sox finished second. I need help with hyphens and numbers for my term report project. Hold to these rules when using ap style fractions in your writing. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. Hyphenate numerals with units of time before nouns. There are other places where these marks are used the hyphens in phone numbers, for example and the marks can be combined. Addressing racerelated coverage, ap style no longer requires a hyphen in the term african american. It had to be easy for reporters and editors to use and also produce.
We baked three hundred and twentyfive cookies for the bakeoff. Those author names might have all sorts of interesting characters in them, from accent marks, hyphens, and apostrophes to spaces, punctuation, and nontraditional capitalization. When indicating miles per gallon as a measurement, subsequent references become mpg. For liquid measurements nonrecipe format, would you use the spelledout versions of the numbers under 10, or strictly use numbers for the following. But she forgot to mentioned about the hyphens with number sections. Use a hyphen for the adjectival forms before nouns. The associated press has a stylebook with rules and standards used primarily in journalistic and news writing. Crucial to accurately using ap style on measurements is appropriate use of numbers, as most units of measurement are attached to a numeral. The ap style numbers guidelines are extensive, but they dont have to be confusing. Generally, you should use ages in for profiles, obituaries, significant career milestones, and achievements unusual for the age. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free.
For example, this recipe calls for twothirds of a cup. Spelledout numbers in fictional dialogue litreactor. Chicago style and ap style differ when it comes to ages. If someone is quoted as saying, im too old to go back to school, the age is relevant. Ap style says numerals should always be used with ages. Numbers take up their own planet in the style universe, so lets explore it one mountain at a time. Please consult your favorite grammar book or blog for notes on usage. Hyphens join words together and should be used to help form a single idea from two words or avoid ambiguity in your writing. How to format numbers in associated press style pen and. The more you use the book, the more youll start to memorize certain points of ap style. Always use an en dash, not a hyphen, with a number span.
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. Numbers the ap stylebook entry for numerals is deceptively short. Ap stylebook rules for height, feet, inches gatehouse. If extension numbers are needed, use a comma to separate the main number from the extension. When your writing is crisp, clear, and easy to understand, audiences are. The following quick reference is taken from the associated press stylebook. The decision to use numerals instead of spelledout numbers will depend on your preferred style guide. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book, start here. Dont hyphenate a physical dimension to the unit name unless those two.
For example, you may start a sentence with a number and, even though that number is below 10, you do not have to spell it out. Below is a list of the top ap style tips that every pr professional should know and some of the most commonly made mistakes. If you locate anything further on this topic, please send it along to us. The guidelines help writers present clear and concise information with consistent structure to keep readers focused. Chicago style is to use the word for ages 100 and lower, and ap style is to always use the numeral for ages. Several other terms have lost hyphens, including bestseller, passerby, and babysit. On the other hand, dont get cocky and toss out your ap stylebook once youve memorized the basics. One hundred million, fortyfour thousand, nine hundred and eightyfive. Ap style guidelines for hyphen usage gatehouse newsroom.
Journalists adhere to style guidelines when writing articles. How to use commas in associated press style pen and the pad. 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. Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. Always spell out measurements inches, feet, yards gallons, ounces, pounds etc. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style. In the previous posts in this series part 1, part 2, and part 3, we discussed the general principles of hyphenation, as describe in much more detail on pages 97100 of the publication manual. Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference for most forms of publicfacing corporate. In ap style, most measurements under 10 are written as numerals, including pounds, ounces, grams, etc.
When referring to a time span, i never know when to use a dash to. If you commit one rule to memory each day, in just two weeks you will become an ap numbers master. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. The associated press stylebook prefers the ambiguous word figure to refer to number. While the ap stylebook admits that there is not necessarily a standard way to use them, and that most instances come own to personal style or taste, it does say the fewer hyphens the better. Instead, writers who follow the ap stylebook put quotation marks around the titles of books, movies, plays, and the like. Writing style guide communications and marketing suny. A close look reveals that there are plenty of rules hiding among the many crossreferences. While the ap stylebook admits that there is not necessarily a standard. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. 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. Americas two most influential style and usage guides have different approaches. You should use figures for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measure or referring to ages of people, animals, events or things.
An exception to spelling out numbers for planes, ships, etc. There are many exceptions that always take figures, however. Hyphens are used when the measurement becomes a compound modifier 5foot3 woman. In general, spell out numbers one through nine and use figures for numbers 10 on up. Visit the poynter institute 801 third street south st.
With all those characters in the mix, putting your reference list into alphabetical. The ap stylebook says to make reference of age when it is deemed relevant to the situation. For best results, please view in the fullwidth of your computer screen. The hyphensinnumbers rule applies even when the compound number is preceded by other numbers that do not require hyphens. However, we are unable to find this sort of usage in any of our usual reference books such as the chicago manual of style or the associated press style book. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. 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 chapter on health and science. Hyphenation with numbers and units of measure grammar. The associated press stylebook ap style offers two recommendations based on number value.