AP Style Guidelines

AP style is the default style for journalism and news writing, such as magazines and newspapers. Reporters, corporate communications professionals, and other comms professionals are trained in and use AP.

But what is AP style, and what are the standard guidelines for using AP style correctly?

Commonly, the AP style adheres to these guidelines:

• Consistency
• Clarity
• Accuracy
• Brevity

AP style aims to be neutral and avoid stereotypes and offensive language.

Some of the guidelines are:

• Font and spacing: 
  • No specific font requirement; typically, sans-serif fonts like Arial are used. Single-spacing is used, with an extra line between paragraphs.
• Headlines: 
  • Use title case (capitalize major words, lower case for articles, prepositions, and conjunctions). Keep headlines brief and to the point.
• Numbers: 
  • Spell out numbers one through nine. Use numerals for 10 and above.
• Dates and times: 
  • Use figures for dates (e.g., Aug. 24, not August 24th). Use figures for time without “:00” for full hours (e.g., 3 p.m., 4:30 a.m.).
• Abbreviations: 
  • Abbreviate months (e.g., Jan., Feb., Aug.) when accompanied by a specific date, but spell them out when used alone. Abbreviate state names in datelines, but spell them out in the body text.
• Titles: 
  • Capitalize formal titles only when used before a person’s name (e.g., President Joe Biden). Lowercase titles are used after a name or when standing alone (e.g., Joe Biden, president of the United States).
• Oxford comma: 
  • Omitted before the conjunction in a simple series (e.g., “The flag is red, white and blue”). 
  • Commas and periods go within quotation marks.
• Percentages: 
  • Use the % symbol instead of spelling out “percent.”
• Attribution: 
  • Use “said” for attribution; avoid synonyms like “stated” or “remarked.”
• Addresses: 
  • Abbreviate Ave., Blvd., and St. only with numbered addresses (e.g., 123 Main St. but Main Street).
• Abbreviations: 
  • Use commonly understood abbreviations, such as Dr. (Doctor) or Rev. (Reverend). Avoid abbreviation “alphabet soup” or using abbreviations that are not previously defined. When in doubt, spell it out.
• Books and Quote Marks: 
  • Quote marks around titles of books, songs, television shows, computer games, and more. Do not use them around the names of magazines, newspapers, the Bible, or catalogs of reference materials (like the Encyclopedia Britannica). Do not underline or italicize any of the above.
• Datelines: 
  • Use ALL CAPS for events taking place outside the publications area. For example, DENVER – The 25th Colfax Marathon…
• Dimensions: 
  • When writing about dimensions, use figures but spell out feet, inches, etc., using hyphens, such as 5-foot-3.
• Referring to people: 
  • Only use a person’s first and last name the first time they are referenced. After that, use their last name. Do not use courtesy titles such as Mr. or Mrs. unless they are part of the direct quote.
• No figures at the start of sentences: 
  • Never begin a sentence with a figure unless it’s a year. Five children went swimming that day. 1995 was the best year ever.
• Roman Numerals: 
  • Use Roman numerals to describe wars and show sequences for people. World War II, John Paul III.
• Exact times: 
  • Exact times are largely unnecessary, but when they are, use numerals and a colon between the hour and minute. Spell out noon and midnight. E.g. “12 noon” or “at 12:30 p.m.”

How Good Is Your AP Knowledge?

1. What are AP’s official guidelines around abbreviations and acronyms? (Correct answer: commonly accepted ones are ok, but avoid “alphabet soup.)
2. When are numerals used in addresses? (Correct answer: always)
3. When are commas used in dates? (Correct answer: to set off a year if the date, month and year are given)
4. How are dimensions written? (Correct answer: only numerals, write out feet/inches/etc.)
5. When does AP style begin a sentence with a numeral? (Correct answer: never)