Use the abbreviations below, as outlined by the associated press stylebook and libel manual. Associated press style in a nutshell texas wing civil. Updated regularly since its initial publication in 1953, the ap stylebook is a musthave reference for writers, editors, students and professionals. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language.
Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. The traditional abbreviations are still commonly used in other ways besides mailing addresses. Ap stylebook rules for datelines, cities that stand alone. States should also be abbreviated when used as part ofa shortformpolitical affiliation. 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. Use the twoletter postal service abbreviations only with full addresses, including zip code. Our guidelines are drawn from associated press ap style because it is easy to use and familiar to a broad audience. Several sets of codes and abbreviations are used to represent the political divisions of the. I really like your map of the ap style for state abbreviations. Top 10 ap style guide 2016edits university of texas at. The new york times style guide, contrary to ap style, abbreviates maine as me. These official state abbreviations have all been standardized by the united states postal service. Ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes.
Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. 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. Hiroshima on aug, 6, 1945, this japanese city and military base were the targets of the first atomic bomb dropped as a weapon. Also use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, county, town, village or military base. Enclose state in commas, even if used as an adjective. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. The ap stylebook is a writing style guide for journalists. 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. Styles are taken from the 2014 ap stylebook, 2010 yahoo.
But many organizations now favor these state abbreviations because they are short, consistent, and familiar to americans, even if me makes little sense to foreigners. Do not abbreviate alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. If ap stylebook entry does not cover a word or specific usage, refer to the websters dictionary. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding us postal service abbreviations, are in parentheses. It destroyed more than four square miles and killed or injured 140,000 people, according to an official count taken between august and december 1945.
Hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah are never abbreviated. State abbreviations in ap style are not the same as the twoletter postal code. Do not use postal codes instead of state abbreviations not ok but okla. Ap style at a glance by christina smith infographic. Alaska, hawaii, texas, ohio, iowa, idaho, maine and utah. However, the chicago manual of style now recommends use of the uppercase twoletter abbreviations, with the traditional forms as. Only use twoletter postal codes in full mailing address with zip. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. Ap style spell out those state names im not sure why theres all this kerfuffle over aps directive today that as of may 1 the style is to spell out all state names in text. When you introduce the handy table with abbreviations, i think you should list the five states that are short and are not abbreviated in ap style e. Ap style guides headline writing and most journalism, though, so i cant speak to whether their rule has changed or if this is just a case of bad proofreading. You must register and have a current subscription to access ap stylebook online register now.
Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Plase one comma between the city and the state name, and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence or indicating a dateline. I visited the ut systems 15 institutions in the state of texas. The explosion had the forse of 20,000 tons 20 kilotons of tnt. All states are spelled out in the body of the text. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states. Any state name may be condensed, however, to fit typographical requirements for tabular material. As you can see, there are many guidelines for writing proper ap style state abbreviations in your text.
If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. State abbreviations according to ap style gatehouse newsroom. There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or datelines. 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. In ap or chicago style, the postal abbreviation is only used for representing actual postal addresses, or in lists and tables where space is at a premium. Those are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. 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. If an abbreviation needs to be used, use ap state abbreviations, not u. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. There are eight states that are never abbreviated in datelines or text. The official website for the state of texas provides access to state and local government agencies.
The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday. Nyt still using dated abbreviations for maine, texas the. Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Capitalization of city and state compiled by marla sharp, rpr, clr, ccrr, csr page 1of 6 rules by ap stylebook, bad grammargood punctuation, chicago manual of style, gregg reference manual, and morsons suggests capping. Abbreviations for states and provinces traditional abbreviations for states and provinces begin with a capital letter and end with a period. Abbreviations abbreviate junior or senior after a name, but dont use a comma. State abbreviations are all two letters, and these two letters are always capitalized without any periods. The associated press stylebook states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. 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. States by ap style abbreviations states in the us are often abbreviated to twoletter words alaska ak. Associated press style colorado department of transportation.
If you cant find what youre looking for in this guide, check the online ap stylebook first our preferred dictionary is merriamwebsters collegiate. These abbreviations short names were used in mailing addresses before the introduction of twoletter u. Register to view your products, order status, shipment trackings and manage your account settings. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories. Ap style state abbreviations if you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. The ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text. Thewildfire began incalifornia and moved east toward carson city,nev.
Abbreviate months with six or more letters if they are used with a specific date. Never abbreviate alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. Remember that, in datelines, the city name is in all capital letters. Government printing office style manual 2016 is used for internal communication. In running text, spell out the names of states whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village, or military base. State abbreviations in ap style differ from the twoletter zip code abbreviations.
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. The new york times ran a graphic on monday that included two extinct postal abbreviations for maine and texas. Ap suggests spelling out the names of alaska, hawaii, and all states with five or fewer letters. For external communication we use the associated press stylebook 2017 for all public documents and materials, excluding correspondence from the administrator and deputy administrator. The associated press stylebook, the usage guide for most united states newspapers, counsels the use of. Here is how each state is abbreviated in ap style with the postal code abbreviations. You should always spell out alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, and utah. Postal service abbreviations only with full addresses, including zip code. 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. State names should be spelled out in the body of a story, whether used alone or in conjunction with a city or town. Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories. Check merriamwebsters after youve referenced the ap stylebook.
Also use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, county, town, village or military base in. So, i am providing a reference for those who may be interested. If necessary, follow it with the state abbreviation not the u. 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. For example, washington state is a university in the state of washington.
Geographic regions and states editorial style guide. It is published and updated annually to reflect changes in writing style and new guidelines. Spell out state names when they stand alone but abbreviate when accompanied by a city, e. Lowercase state and federal when used as an adjective to distinguish something from state, county, city, town, or private entities. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in most datelines. However, there are exceptions for large cities that stand alone in datelines. Also, be sure to use a lowercase state in both of these instances to avoid any confusion. Except in mailing addresses with a zip code, or with other.
However, writers of most newspapers use the ap style state name abbreviations in their articles ex. When did become ok to drop the comma after a state. Those states are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, and utah. Style guide and defense imagery style guide, along with established army public affairs style, or common usage. For example, they can be used in writing after a city like in miami, fla. Abbreviate all other states as they are listed on our ap style state abbreviations page. Yes, there should be a comma after texas in that sentence, per chicago manual of style 16th ed. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. Use the state abbreviations not the postal abbreviations indicated below in lists, tabular material, and shortform listings of party affiliation. 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. These women could shatter glass ceilings in governors races, a story about women running in governors races across.
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