# The One True Style Guide *This style guide is adapted from [The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage](https://www.amazon.com/York-Times-Manual-Style-Usage/dp/081296389X), [Associated Press Style](https://www.apstylebook.com), [Apple Style Guide](https://support.apple.com/guide/applestyleguide/welcome/web), and [Daring Fireball's style guide](https://daringfireball.net/misc/df-style-guide.text) with modifications. It will be updated over time. Last updated: June 12, 2026.* --- ### Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms - Use the non-abbreviated word on the first occurrence, but don’t place the acronym in parentheses. *The physical vapor deposition coating worked well. However, you can’t remove scratches on PVD-coated models.* - Streets, Avenues, and Boulevards can be abbreviated. *The characters lived on Broadway Ave., though they didn’t appreciate the noise.* - *Versus* should be spelled out, unless in a headline. - Generally, don’t spell out common acronyms or technical terms where the full version wouldn’t be recognized, like *USB* or *URL*. It’s unnecessary to use *universal resource locator.* - Don’t use periods in acronyms unless the acronym spells out a real word. Carve out exceptions for technical terms, like *LED*. Don’t use periods if it is pronounced as a single word, rather than multiple letters. - When an acronym is spelled as one word and is more than five letters long, capitalize the first letter and lowercase the rest. *Nascar*, *Unesco*, *Covid*. - Prefer not to use abbreviations when not necessary or when abbreviations would be complicated. For example, instead of *the DOJ*, use *the Justice Department*. Even if an acronym is spelled out, don’t use it if one word could describe the word better. For example, instead of using *EC* for the European Commission, refer to it as *the commission* wherever possible. - The exception is headlines and sub-headings: Use acronyms and abbreviations wherever possible here, but ensure that the acronym is spelled out somewhere in the article. The sooner, the better. - *i.e.,* *etc.*, and *e.g.* are acceptable without spelling them out, but always use a comma after them. - Single letters are always capitalized, except for when they stand for a full word. So, *e-book* or *e-ink* since *e* stands for *electronic*, but *B-roll* or *X-ray*. ### Apple: Refer to the Apple Style Guide - When first describing a macOS version, include the version number. After the version number is stated, the codename can be used. The version number comes before the codename upon first reference, like *macOS 14 Sonoma*. Then, *macOS Sonoma*. Never leave the codename by itself; always use *macOS* before a reference. For example, here is what not to do: *This release of Sonoma was especially buggy.* - macOS versions before macOS Sierra should be prepended with *OS X* or *Mac OS X*. If the version predates macOS, use System Software on the first reference, then System. For example, *System Software 7*, then *System 7*. - A system term, like an iOS pre-installed app with a generic name, should always be capitalized. The individual actions or parts of that app shouldn’t. A prime example is *Shortcuts*, which is capitalized. However, individual *shortcuts* (or a *shortcut*, singular) that are in the *Shortcuts* app are not capitalized. *Settings*, *Calendar*, *Weather*. App names are proper names, so you wouldn’t use an article before the app name. You *go to Control Center* or *Notification Center*, not *the Control Center*. Exceptions are *the Home Screen, Lock Screen,* and *Home View*. - Apple services should be prefixed with *Apple*. Examples include *Apple News* and *Apple Fitness*, even though there are “+” versions of those services. - Product categories can be prefaced with an article, like *the* or *an*. *The iPhone and the iPad.* However, individual products are proper nouns. *I wished iPhone 15 Pro came in a mini variant.* *Apple Vision Pro* is used without an article, and do not use *Vision Pro*. - Prefer using *laptop* over *notebook*. Other products can be called their generic names, like *phone* and *tablet*. - Prefer not using *AirDrop*, *AirPlay*, *iMessage*, etc., as verbs. *Use AirDrop to send a file.* *Connect to the TV using AirPlay.* *Send an iMessage.* - To pluralize a trademarked product with a suffix like *Pro*, add the *S* to the main product, not the suffix, unless a plural of that product is not a valid word in English. For example, *iPhones Pro*, but *Apple Vision Pros*. The rationale for this is just like *attorneys general* or *mothers-in-law*. - *Main camera, telephoto lens,* and *ultra-wide lens* are all lowercase. *Camera* and *lens* are interchangeable when describing an iPhone or iPad. - S-model iPhones use a lowercase S, like *iPhone Xs* or *iPhone 6s*. - E-model iPhones use a lowercase E, like *iPhone 16e*. - Headphones, like AirPods, are plural. *The AirPods Pro were a good product.* The singular of *AirPods* should be a bud, or *AirPod*. - App Switcher, App Exposé, and Mission Control: *App Switcher* for iOS. On macOS, *App Exposé* refers to the feature that shows all open windows of an app. On iPadOS, it is analogous to the Mac’s *Mission Control*. ### Apostrophes - To indicate possessiveness for plurals or proper names that end in S, use one apostrophe with no double-S. *Marques’ YouTube channel, the Houthis’ attacks*, etc. - Do not use apostrophes to pluralize single letters. *Xs*, *Ps and Qs*. - To pluralize something that ends in S but is comprised of more than one S, use *es*. The same goes true for proper names, like surnames. *The Marcuses.* ### Colons, Semicolons, and Commas - Capitalize the letter after a colon if the sentence is a complete sentence, i.e., it could stand on its own. This does not apply to lists. A good rule of thumb is that if the sentence is lengthy, it’s probably a full sentence. *The device came in two colors: white and black.* *He only had one problem: his job.* *However, I had a concern: What would we do with the leftovers?* - Semicolons can be used in place of commas when a sentence is too complex, or, more importantly, when each item in a list has multiple commas. Include *and* after the last semicolon in a list separated by semicolons, just as if you used a comma. - Always use the Oxford comma. Modify quotations that don’t use it. An Oxford comma, also known as a serial comma, is when a comma is placed between the second-to-last and last items in a list. *Apples, pears, and oranges.* ### Corrections and Updates - A correction is made when a factual error is present in an earlier version of an article. Corrections must be made any time they are found, regardless of the article’s age. Example: “***A correction was made on April 28, 2026, at 9:41 a.m.***: An earlier version of this article misstated the price of ChatGPT Plus; it is $20 per month, not $200. I regret the error.” - Updates can be made to articles to correct outdated facts or to add new commentary. Updates should be made no later than a week after the article‘s publication. - If the update is corrective, an explanation should be added to the bottom of the article explaining the changes. Example: “***An update was made on April 28, 2026, at 9:41 a.m.***: Apple has now fixed the iCloud syncing bug in iOS 26.4.1. This article has been updated to reflect this fix.” - If the update adds to the article, the new content should be placed at the bottom of the article, with a clear separator between the original article’s content and the update. Example: “**Update, April 28, 2026**: I have more to say about the device…” ### Dashes and Hyphens - Em-dashes should be used for parenthetical elements in a sentence, but not when a comma would be suited better. They’re often used akin to semicolons. - En-dashes should be used for numerical ranges, like *0–7*. They should not be used for vote counts. Those should always be spelled out, with hyphens in between. *The vote was 6-to-3.* - Words with two vowels next to each other and that use the prefix *re* should be hyphenated, such as *re-elect*. Additionally, use the hyphen when the distinction matters, such as *re-cover* and *recover*. - Do not hyphenate phrases with *-ally*. For example, it would be *presidentially appointed*, not *presidentially-appointed*. ### Dates and Times - Numerals should be used for times, aside from midnight and noon. Don’t use *12 a.m.* or *12 p.m.* When specifying a time, use *a.m.* and *p.m.*, lowercased and with periods. Omit the time; for example, don’t use *9:00 p.m.* or *7:00 a.m.* - Time ranges should use *to*, or an en-dash where space is limited. An event runs from *9 a.m. to 2 p.m.*, not *between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.* - Only specify the time zone if absolutely essential. Use the expanded time zone, like *Eastern time* or *Greenwich time*. *7 a.m. Greenwich time.* - Don’t append *th* or *nd* to a date; it should just be the number. Use a comma to separate between month and year. *September 7, 2021.* Don’t abbreviate months unless in headlines. - Use the full year of a decade, like *the 1990s*, over *the ’90s*. - Generally, use relative dates over exact dates. For example, if an event occurred this week, refer to the date as *Monday* rather than the exact date, like *October 10*. If an event occurred last year, say *December of last year*, not *December 2023*. The only exception is when describing months. If the event happened last month, say it happened in *late January*. But if it happened this month, say it happened *earlier this month*. ### Emphasis - Don’t modify quotes that use capital letters or awkward punctuation for emphasis. - Refrain from excessively using exclamation points. - Do not italicize punctuation after an italicized word unless it is a full sentence. *This is a full sentence.* ### Gendered Terms - *Sex* refers to a person’s biology, whereas *gender* is a social construct. Prefer using the gender unless the sex is relevant to the topic. - Don’t use *he* or *she* unless the gender of the person is known. If a person’s gender is unknown, or there are people of multiple genders in an expression, use *they* or *them*. - *Mx.* is a courtesy title for people whose gender is unspecified. Do not use *Latinx*, use *Latino* when a person of Latin decent’s gender is unspecified. - *Alumnus* refers to a man, *alumna* refers to a woman. Generally, use *alumnus* or *alumna* if the gender of the person is known. If gender is unknown, use *alum*, even though it's shorthand. *Alumnae* is the plural of the female version; *alumni* works for male and female. Generally, use *alumni*, unless the subjects are two women. ### Headlines and Sub-Headlines - Always capitalize the first and last word of a headline. Filler words like *a*, *on*, *and*, *the*, *with*, etc., are not capitalized. - Subtitles don’t need to be in title-case and can include punctuation. Sub-headings, however, must be in title-case. - Use single quotes in headlines to conserve space. ### Measurements - Spell out measurements whenever possible. Don’t treat them as regular acronyms, like *ft* or *lbs*. If a measurement is technical, or if a data unit like *gigabytes* or *terabytes* is being mentioned, spell it out on the first mention, then treat it as any other acronym. *3 feet*, but *3 nanometers* on the first mention, then *3 nm* afterward. - Use the × symbol to abbreviate “times” whenever desired. - Numerals should always be used for measurements. This includes feet, pounds, meters, etc. ### Numbers - Numbers zero through nine are spelled out. However, decimals are in numeral form. - Exceptions are ages, dates, times, centuries, distances, money, percentages, technical, and mathematical use. If you are describing the age of a person, you would use a numeral. *A 7-year-old.* If you are describing the age of a *thing*, you would spell out the numeral. *A five-year-old clock.* - Do not begin a sentence with a numeral, no matter how large it is. *Thirty-three percent of respondents answered no.* - Spell out *billion* and *million*, and spell out the number in front (i.e., how many billions) if it is less than 10. *Three billion people.* Do not do the same for money. *$3 billion.* - If a price ends in *9*, round the number up unless it is particularly significant. - Foreign currency: Spell out the currency, then in parentheses, write how much that amount is in dollars. *The commission fined Apple 1.8 billion euros (about $1.97 billion).* After the first reference, don’t convert to dollars and use the sign, like *Є1.8 billion*. Euros, dollars, pounds, etc., are not capitalized, and there is no need to prepend them with the country they come from unless that currency kind is used by different countries. *Australian dollars* and *Canadian dollars* are examples. Don’t use *AUD* or *CAD*. ### Parentheses - Use parentheses sparingly, instead opting for em-dashes. - First use parentheses *()*, then brackets within them *[]*, then braces within brackets *{}*. - Try to avoid ordered lists inside sentences if possible, instead opting to use semicolons. If needed, enclose the letters within parentheses, brackets, or braces. Don’t use numerals. *(a), (b), (c)* ### People - Use people’s first and last names when introducing them. The middle initial is not necessary. If the person goes by a shorter, more common name, use that instead. If someone goes by a name, include that in their title if necessary or referred to later. *Marques Brownlee, a technology YouTuber who goes by MKBHD.* For additional mentions, use just the last name with no courtesy titles. - Add their title after their name, not before. For example, *Stephen King, an author*. Use *chief executive* for a CEO post. *Shou Chew, TikTok's chief executive.* - The current president is always referred to by their last name. *President Biden.* - *Governor, President, Representative, Senator*, etc., come in front of a person’s name on first mention and are capitalized. When the post is not used as a person's title, don't capitalize it. *President Biden.,* but *the president*. It is not *Joe Biden Jr., the president*. If a person has resigned from or retired from their post, include *former*, not capitalized. *Former President Donald Trump.* Do not abbreviate the titles, like *Gov., Rep.*, etc. - When introducing a congressperson, mayor, senator, or other local government official, introduce them first with their title, then specify where they are from. *Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.* If the party affiliation or status is relevant, which in many cases, it is, include it. *Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader.* The speaker’s title is just *Speaker*, not *Representative*. *Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana.* - Use abbreviated courtesy titles for military personnel (use the rank) or doctor. Use the courtesy titles in all references with the last name. *Lt. Sgt. Michael Pepper*, then *Lt. Sgt. Pepper*. *Rev.* is also used. ### Percentages - Spell out *percent*. You can use the percent symbol, *%*, in headlines. - Always use decimals, not fractions. - Understand the distinction between *percent* and *percentage point*. ### Places - For the United States and United Kingdom, as well as any country or collection of countries where an acronym may be used, use the acronym as an adjective, but the full name as a noun. For example *U.S. companies*, but *companies in the United States*. *U.N. diplomats*, but *a country in the United Nations*. It’s appropriate to use *U.S.*, *U.N.*, *E.U.*, etc., in headlines where space is scarce, but remove the periods in all cases except for *U.S.* It is unnecessary to spell out the names of countries if using them as an adjective and only an adjective. - The United Kingdom as a noun should be called *Britain* rather than the *United Kingdom*. - Prefer using *U.S.* rather than *American* when referring to entities. *American* refers to people, whereas *U.S.* refers to inanimate objects. However, ideals or cultures that contribute to American cultural identity can be *American*. - *British people* can often be shortened to *Britons*. - Always spell out states, including addresses and when the state is part of a city. *Buffalo, New York.* - Washington, D.C. is always *Washington*, whereas the state is *Washington State*, with a capital S. Same for New York — *New York State*, *New York*. - Don’t use datelines unless you’re reporting something. When you do, use the acronym for the state, and capitalize the city. *ORLANDO, Fla. —* - Some cities don’t need state or country information. For example, state capitals or national capitals: - New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Detroit, Philadelphia, Houston, etc. - London, Bangkok, Beijing, Brussels, etc. - A capital city can refer to a country’s government. Examples include Brussels for the European Union, Beijing for the Chinese government, and Washington for all three branches of government. - There is no need to refer to American departments with *U.S.* Just use the simplified name for the department, like the *State Department* or *Education Department*. An exception is when foreign countries are mentioned frequently in the same article. ### Quotes - When a quote is within a quote, use single quotes. If the nested quote is at the end of a quote and punctuation is required to continue or end the sentence, place the punctuation within both the single and double quotes. *“It’s sort of a ‘factor,’” he said.* - When an error is in a quote, use *sic* enclosed in brackets to clarify it. Do not edit quotes. - If a correction is needed, say to fit the sentence better, it’s OK to leave off half of the quote and rewrite the rest not in quotes. Do not use brackets to correct verb form, etc. - If further explanation is needed in a quote, say to expand an acronym or add a role to a name, append *referring to* to the end of the sentence, then add the explanation. *…, referring to the Republican front-runner.* - To cut out part of a quote, use *…*. Do not enclose the ellipsis in brackets or leave space between the last word and the ellipsis. - It’s OK to use a colon instead of a comma to designate where a direct quote begins. ### Social Media - *Twitter* should be used to address the service before October 2022. *X* should be used to address it now. Beginning in 2025, it is unnecessary to refer to it as *the social media platform X*. - Messages on text-based social media are called *posts*. Users *like*, *reply to*, and *repost* posts. Do not capitalize *post*. Messages on Twitter were called *tweets*, not capitalized. - When using *tweet*, the name of the service does not need to be specified. ### Technology Actions - Users *click* on a computer and *tap* on a mobile device with a touchscreen or on Apple Vision Pro. - *Double-click* and *double-tap* are hyphenated, and should only be used for *double* and *triple*. - Buttons are pressed, not clicked. - When referring to a button, do not enclose its title in quotes. Instead, capitalize the title. *Tap the Done button to save your changes.* - Modifier keys like Option, Control, and Shift should be spelled out. Do not use their symbols. They are capitalized like other buttons. *Press the Option key.* - For keyboard shortcuts, use hyphens between keys, not pluses. *Press and hold Shift-Command-4 to take a screenshot.* - Write modifier keys in order from farthest to closest to the space bar. For example, since Shift is the farthest from the space bar, a keyboard shortcut would be *Shift-Option-Command-V,* not *Shift-Command-Option-V*. - *Arrow key* is not capitalized, but a singular direction is. *Press the Left Arrow key.* Do not use *directional keys.* ### Works and Publications - Publications’ names are italicized. *The Verge*, *The New York Times*, etc. If *The* is part of a publication’s name, capitalize it. But if *the* needs to be capitalized multiple times or if it would make the sentence grammatically incorrect, don’t use it. For example, *A **New York Times** investigation.* - When including a quote from another author, introduce them and the publication they report for, especially for block quotes. If the writing is in a column, blog post, or other opinionated work, use *writing for* or *writing in*, else use *reporting for*. Companies, organizations, and publications are a single entity, so use *it*, *has*, and others singular verbs. - Works of art, like music and books, should not be italicized, but instead enclosed in quotes. --- ### Dictionary and Conventions - 3D: not *three-dimensional* or *3-D*. Also, *2D*. - à la: always accented, not italicized. - Action Button, Home Button, Side Button: defy the Apple Style Guide and capitalize the B. But don’t capitalize *volume button*. - adviser: use the British spelling, not the American one. Never *advisor*. - AI: generally, spell out *artificial intelligence* on the first mention, though passing references are OK. See: acronyms. - alphanumeric: not *alphanumerical*. - also known as: avoid the acronym. - AMD: spell out *Advanced Micro Devices* on first mention. - analogue: in most cases, *analog*. But when something is an *analogue* *to something*, use the British spelling. *It is an analogue of its predecessor.* - antennas: not *antennae*. - Apple event: lowercase *e*. - App Review: title case. - Apple silicon: lowercase *s*. - Arm: uppercase *A*, not an acronym. - AutoFill: in camel case when referring to the Safari feature. When used as a verb, use *auto-fill*. *Auto-fill your information.* When describing the feature as a noun, but not as an Apple feature, it should be *autofill*. *Autofill worked well.* - beside the point: not *besides* the point, *beside* the point. Also: *afterward*. - “Big Tech”: capitalized, in quotes. - Bitcoin: always capitalized. Don’t use symbols or acronyms, like *BTC*. The same goes for other cryptocurrencies. - Britain: usually not *U.K.*, use *British*. - camera plateau: not *camera bump* or *camera mesa*. - canceled: use the American spelling with only one L. But, use *cancellation.* - cease-fire: hyphenated. - CES: spell out *Consumer Electronics Show* first, even though the new official name is *CES*. - charge level: the amount that a battery is charged. A battery has *charge* and it is at a *charge level*. A battery can be *low on charge* or *fully charged*. - chief executive: only *CEO* in headlines; everywhere else, use *chief executive*. - ChromeOS: not *Chrome OS*. - close, minimize, and maximize buttons: the red, yellow, and green window controls in macOS and iPadOS 26. Do not capitalize them. Together, they can be called the *window controls* or the *traffic light buttons*. - command line interface: no hyphen, like graphical user interface. - congressional: not capitalized. - cont.: never abbreviate to *cont’d*. - dark mode: always lowercase, despite what Apple says. *Dark appearance* and *light mode* are also acceptable. - Dark, Tinted, Clear: when referring to the app icon appearances in iOS 18 and later, capitalize them, as they are buttons. *The icons were in the Dark appearance while dark mode was enabled.* - desktop: never capitalized. - Dock: capitalized when referring to the Mac feature. - doughnut: never *donut*. - dox: only one *x*, including in the present tense. - e-bike, e-book, e-commerce, etc.: hyphenated. - email: one word. - emojis: plural for *emoji*. - Epic Games: on first mention, always *Epic Games*; afterward, *Epic* is acceptable. - file name: not *filename*. - flak: not *flack*. - Finder: not *the Finder*. Per the Apple Style Guide. - forecast: past and present *forecast*. Never *forecasted*. - Formula 1: use a numerical digit to maintain consistency with the abbreviation. *F1* is also acceptable. - fps: lowercased for frames-per-second, uppercased for first-person shooter. Always spell out both on first mention (see: *Acronyms*). Avoid complications, such as, *This FPS runs at 60 fps*. - fund-raising: hyphenated; also *fund-raiser* and *fund-raise*. - generative AI: not capitalized, always spell out *generative artificial intelligence* upon first mention, even if *artificial intelligence* has already been spelled out separately; always use *generative AI* not *genAI* or similar. - Governor, General, Lieutenant, etc.: never abbreviate. - Guest User: capitalized when referring to the visionOS or macOS feature. - healthcare, childcare: one word. - hearken: never *harken*. - Home Screen: title cased; same with *Lock Screen*, with a space in between words. - In-App Purchase: the feature can be abbreviated as *IAP* after the first mention, any individual *in-app purchase* should be referred to more precisely, like *the collectible* or *the subscription*. - internet: not capitalized. - Internet of Things: always in title-case, never hyphenate or abbreviate in noun form. - lambaste: not *lambast*. - lidar: never *LiDAR*. - live stream: never *livestream*. Verb: *live-stream.* Also: *Twitch stream*, *YouTube live stream*, *TikTok live stream*, and *Instagram live stream*. Never just *live*. - log: lowercase when referring to the video format. If it’s a proprietary log format, capitalize it. *Apple Log.* - menu bar: not capitalized. - micro-LED, mini-LED, and organic-LED: all hyphenated. - mid-range: hyphenated. - mode: capitalize when the feature is trademarked. For example, *Portrait Mode*, *Transparency Mode*, and *dark mode*. - multitouch: don’t hyphenate. - naïve: also *naïveté*, with the accent marks. Not *naivety* or *naive*. - Nasdaq: not *NASDAQ*. See: acronyms. - nonprofit: one word, hyphenated when used as an adjective. - Nvidia: not *NVIDIA*. See: acronyms. - OK: never *okay*, unless in a quotation. - on-device, on-screen: always hyphenated. - onstage: one word. - OSes: use *operating systems* instead. *OS* for operating system is OK, but it must be spelled out first. - passcode: not *PIN*. - pre-install: hyphenated. - pre-order: hyphenated. - ProRaw: not *ProRAW*. Also *raw*. - ProRes: same deal as ProRaw. - re-election, re-establish, re-educate: hyphenated. When in doubt, hyphenate *re-* when it is used before a vowel. - scroll bar: two words. - Setup Assistant: the setup screen on Apple devices. - Sherlock, sherlocked, sherlocking: The slang term is lowercased. (The app and person are proper nouns.) Always include an explanation of the term. It need not be in quotes unless for clarity. - SMS: no need to spell out. - Spatial Video/Photo: title case. - specced: never *spec’d*. - start-up: hyphenated when referring to a small, new company. - systems-on-a-chip: not *system-on-a-chips*. Additionally, lowercase the O in *SoC*. - terminal: lowercased when referring to a terminal emulator, uppercased *Terminal* when referring to the application. *The computer had a terminal; Run the command in Terminal.* Don’t precede *Terminal* with *the*. See: *Finder*. - touchscreen: one word. - T-shirt: uppercase T. - TV: spell out *television* first. - Unix: not *UNIX*. See: *acronyms*. - U.S., E.U., U.K., U.N.: no need to spell out when used as an adjective. - *vis-à-vis*: always accented and italicized. - wall charger: not *wall wart* or *brick*. - webpage, website: one word. - Wi-Fi: not *WiFi* or *wi-fi*. - Yahoo: not *Yahoo!* - YouTuber and TikToker: do not use *YouTube creator* or *TikTok creator*. - Zeiss: not *ZEISS*. See: acronyms.