A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
a or an before h?
use an only if the h is silent: an hour, an heir, an honourable man, an honest woman; but a hero, a hotel, a historian (but don’t change a direct quote if the speaker says, for example, “an historic”)
abbreviations
Do not use full points in abbreviations, or spaces between initials: PPA, NCTJ, BBC, US, mph, eg, 4am, lbw, No 10, PJ O'Rourke, WH Smith, etc.
Spell out less well-known abbreviations on first mention; it is not necessary to spell out well-known ones, such as EU, UN, US, BBC, CIA, FBI, CD, Aids, Nasa.
Use all caps only if the abbreviation is pronounced as the individual letters; otherwise spell the word out: the BBC, ICI, VAT, but Isa, Nato.
accents
use on foreign words (but not anglicised French words such as cafe)
act
uc when using full name, eg Criminal Justice Act 1998, Official Secrets Act; but lc on second reference, eg ‘the act’, and when speaking in more general terms, eg “we need a radical freedom of information act"; bills remain lc until passed into law
actor
male and female, avoid actress except when in name of award, eg Oscar for best actress;
addendum
plural addendums
addresses
100 Thorpe Park Road, Peterborough PE3 6LJ
adverbs
do not use hyphens after adverbs ending in -ly, eg a hotly disputed penalty, a constantly evolving newspaper, genetically modified food, etc; but hyphens are needed with short and common adverbs, eg ill-prepared report, hard-bitten hack
adviser
not advisor
affect/effect
exhortations in the style guide had no effect (noun) on the number of mistakes; the level of mistakes was not affected (verb) by exhortations in the style guide; we hope to effect (verb)a change in this
affinity
with or between, not to or for
ageing
ages
Tony Blair, 52 (not “aged 52”); little Johnny, four; the woman was in her 20s
AGM
A-levels
all right
is right; alright is not all right
alternative
strictly, a choice between two courses of action; if there are more than two, option or choice may be preferred
among
not amongst
among or between?
Contrary to popular myth, between is not limited to two parties. It is appropriate when the relationship is essentially reciprocal: fighting between the many peoples of Yugoslavia, treaties between European countries. Among belongs to distributive relationships: shared among, etc
ampersand
use in company names when the company does: Marks & Spencer, P&O
analysis
plural analyses
annex
verb
annexe
noun
antenna, antennae, antennas
antenna (insect), plural antennae; antenna (radio), plural antennas
anticipate
take action in expectation of; not synonymous with expect
any more
two words
apostrophes
Some plural nouns have no ‘s’, eg children. These take an apostrophe and ‘s’ in the possessive, eg children's games, gentlemen's outfitter, old folk's home.
The possessive in words and names ending in s normally takes an apostrophe followed by a second s (Jones's, James's).
Use apostrophes in phrases such as in two days’ time, 12 years' imprisonment and six weeks’ holiday, where the time period (two days) modifies a noun (time), but not in nine months pregnant or three weeks old, where the time period is adverbial (modifying an adjective such as pregnant or old) — if in doubt, test with a singular such as one day’s time, one month pregnant.
appal, appalling
appendix
plural appendices
armed forces, armed services
the army, the British army, the navy, but Royal Navy, Royal Air Force (RAF is OK)
around
about or approximately are better, eg “about £1m” or “approximately 2,000 people”
awards, prizes, medals
generally lc, eg Fleet News manager of the year award, Nobel peace prize (exceptions: the Academy Awards, Victoria Cross)
axis
plural axes
use an only if the h is silent: an hour, an heir, an honourable man, an honest woman; but a hero, a hotel, a historian (but don’t change a direct quote if the speaker says, for example, “an historic”)
abbreviations
Do not use full points in abbreviations, or spaces between initials: PPA, NCTJ, BBC, US, mph, eg, 4am, lbw, No 10, PJ O'Rourke, WH Smith, etc.
Spell out less well-known abbreviations on first mention; it is not necessary to spell out well-known ones, such as EU, UN, US, BBC, CIA, FBI, CD, Aids, Nasa.
Use all caps only if the abbreviation is pronounced as the individual letters; otherwise spell the word out: the BBC, ICI, VAT, but Isa, Nato.
accents
use on foreign words (but not anglicised French words such as cafe)
act
uc when using full name, eg Criminal Justice Act 1998, Official Secrets Act; but lc on second reference, eg ‘the act’, and when speaking in more general terms, eg “we need a radical freedom of information act"; bills remain lc until passed into law
actor
male and female, avoid actress except when in name of award, eg Oscar for best actress;
addendum
plural addendums
addresses
100 Thorpe Park Road, Peterborough PE3 6LJ
adverbs
do not use hyphens after adverbs ending in -ly, eg a hotly disputed penalty, a constantly evolving newspaper, genetically modified food, etc; but hyphens are needed with short and common adverbs, eg ill-prepared report, hard-bitten hack
adviser
not advisor
affect/effect
exhortations in the style guide had no effect (noun) on the number of mistakes; the level of mistakes was not affected (verb) by exhortations in the style guide; we hope to effect (verb)a change in this
affinity
with or between, not to or for
ageing
ages
Tony Blair, 52 (not “aged 52”); little Johnny, four; the woman was in her 20s
AGM
A-levels
all right
is right; alright is not all right
alternative
strictly, a choice between two courses of action; if there are more than two, option or choice may be preferred
among
not amongst
among or between?
Contrary to popular myth, between is not limited to two parties. It is appropriate when the relationship is essentially reciprocal: fighting between the many peoples of Yugoslavia, treaties between European countries. Among belongs to distributive relationships: shared among, etc
ampersand
use in company names when the company does: Marks & Spencer, P&O
analysis
plural analyses
annex
verb
annexe
noun
antenna, antennae, antennas
antenna (insect), plural antennae; antenna (radio), plural antennas
anticipate
take action in expectation of; not synonymous with expect
any more
two words
apostrophes
Some plural nouns have no ‘s’, eg children. These take an apostrophe and ‘s’ in the possessive, eg children's games, gentlemen's outfitter, old folk's home.
The possessive in words and names ending in s normally takes an apostrophe followed by a second s (Jones's, James's).
Use apostrophes in phrases such as in two days’ time, 12 years' imprisonment and six weeks’ holiday, where the time period (two days) modifies a noun (time), but not in nine months pregnant or three weeks old, where the time period is adverbial (modifying an adjective such as pregnant or old) — if in doubt, test with a singular such as one day’s time, one month pregnant.
appal, appalling
appendix
plural appendices
armed forces, armed services
the army, the British army, the navy, but Royal Navy, Royal Air Force (RAF is OK)
around
about or approximately are better, eg “about £1m” or “approximately 2,000 people”
awards, prizes, medals
generally lc, eg Fleet News manager of the year award, Nobel peace prize (exceptions: the Academy Awards, Victoria Cross)
axis
plural axes
