Please note that this guide is based on the AP Stylebook, last updated June 1, 2022.
This guide does not include everything contained in the stylebook. Rather, it aims to cover the most salient points and provide details of AP Style’s approach to key editorial issues.
The following should be used as additional authorities to AP Style:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary (use the first spelling listed unless AP Style specifies otherwise).
New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq or the Securities and Exchange Commission for formal company names. Use Co., Inc., Ltd., Corp. after the name as appropriate.
National Geographic Atlas of the World for place names not in Webster’s.
It wouldn’t be practical to list all the punctuation rules here. Instead, we’ve included those AP Style punctuation rules that might go against common practice.
Note that AP Style values consistency, so you can often determine what to do in a given situation by following related rules.
Otherwise, use standard U.S. English practice unless the client has requested another dialect.
See also Quotations in the Style section of this guide.
AP Style doesn’t say much about references/citations. The following are some notes about the mention of creative works in text.
See also Third-party Sources in the Style section of this guide.
Here are some (perhaps) non-standard approaches to spelling, capitalization and form found in AP Style. Only those that differ from Webster’s Dictionary (or do not clearly appear in it) are included here.
(If we’ve missed any out, please let us know!)
Tip: To confirm whether the first word in a Webster’s entry is capitalized, scroll down to look at the “other word forms” in the dictionary entry.
Here is a list of terms for which AP Style has stated a preference. Note that:
General
Exceptions
911 (emergency number)app (application) AT&T (company name)ATM (automated teller machinec.o.d. (cash on delivery)CBD (cannabidiol)CD (compact disc)CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) dpa (Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH) DVD (digital versatile disc), E. coli (Escherichia coli)f.o.b. (free on board)FAQ (frequently asked questions)FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)FM (frequency modulation)GPA (grade point average)GPS (global positioning system)HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) IBM (company name)Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization)IQ (intelligence quotient)IRS (Internal Revenue Service)IT (Information Technology; don’t spell out in technical articles)IV (intravenous line)JPG/JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)LED (light-emitting diode)mpg (miles per gallon; use with a figure, e.g., 40 mpg)MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)NBC (National Broadcasting Company)OB-GYN (obstetrician gynecologist)OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)PC (personal computer)PDA (personal digital assistant)PDF (portable document format)PT (patrol torpedo) boatPTA (parent–teacher association)Q&A (questions and answers)R&B (rhythm and blues)radar (radio detection and ranging)ROM (read-only memory)ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps)rpm (revolutions per minute; use in auto magazines etc.), S&P 500 (Standard & Poors 500)SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)SST (supersonic transport)SWAT (special weapons and tactics)Tass (tactical air-to-surface system)THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)TNT (trinitrotoluene)TV (television)U.K. (United Kingdom) U.S. (United States)UFO (unidentified flying object)UHF (ultra-high frequency)UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund)UPS (United Parcel Service) Inc.URL (uniform resource locator)USB (universal serial bus)USO (united service organizations)USS (United States ship)VHF (very high frequency)VIP (very important person)Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity)XML (extensible markup language)ZIP (zone improvement plan) code
911 (emergency number)
app (application)
AT&T (company name)
ATM (automated teller machine
c.o.d. (cash on delivery)
CBD (cannabidiol)
CD (compact disc)
CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
dpa (Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH)
DVD (digital versatile disc),
E. coli (Escherichia coli)
f.o.b. (free on board)
FAQ (frequently asked questions)
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
FM (frequency modulation)
GPA (grade point average)
GPS (global positioning system)
HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface)
IBM (company name)
Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization)
IQ (intelligence quotient)
IRS (Internal Revenue Service)
IT (Information Technology; don’t spell out in technical articles)
IV (intravenous line)
JPG/JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
LED (light-emitting diode)
mpg (miles per gallon; use with a figure, e.g., 40 mpg)
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
NBC (National Broadcasting Company)
OB-GYN (obstetrician gynecologist)
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)
PC (personal computer)
PDA (personal digital assistant)
PDF (portable document format)
PT (patrol torpedo) boat
PTA (parent–teacher association)
Q&A (questions and answers)
R&B (rhythm and blues)
radar (radio detection and ranging)
ROM (read-only memory)
ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps)
rpm (revolutions per minute; use in auto magazines etc.),
S&P 500 (Standard & Poors 500)
SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)
SST (supersonic transport)
SWAT (special weapons and tactics)
Tass (tactical air-to-surface system)
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)
TNT (trinitrotoluene)
TV (television)
U.K. (United Kingdom)
U.S. (United States)
UFO (unidentified flying object)
UHF (ultra-high frequency)
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund)
UPS (United Parcel Service) Inc.
URL (uniform resource locator)
USB (universal serial bus)
USO (united service organizations)
USS (United States ship)
VHF (very high frequency)
VIP (very important person)
Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity)
XML (extensible markup language)
ZIP (zone improvement plan) code
Scientific Names
Academic Titles
Courses and Departments
Qualifications
Business
AP Style datelines are a specific device used by journalists to indicate the location and date of a news story. They appear at the top of articles and take the form detailed below.
Examples
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