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AP Stylebook

@apstylebook.com
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The AP Stylebook is widely used as a writing and editing reference in newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. We offer a full suite of products to help you stay in style, whether on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.

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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 22h
Capitalize Coach when the word substitutes for a name: Thanks, Coach. Lowercase it in a job description: the Giants coach. apnews.com/article/viki...
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/vikings-giants-jj-mccarthy-trade-4d777707abc72fa93ae13abf6a331836
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 29/09/2026
On Sept. 28, 1928, Alexander Fleming made a historic discovery: penicillin. Use the article “a” before consonant sounds: a historic event, a one-year term (sounds as if it begins with a w), a united stand (sounds like you).
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/7338203cb55377ef867776a367a1a03d
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 28/09/2026
Use the % sign with a numeral in most cases: 61% of voters, a 5.5% tariff. Spell out percentage when no number is given: The percentage of voters citing gas prices has increased. apnews.com/article/d2f5...
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/d2f5d5aa7ecc1f6d55d8f5759db03150
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 25/09/2026
Crowning occurs when wildfire flames advance from treetop to treetop more or less independent of the fire burning on the ground. Torching is the burning of the foliage of a single tree or a small group of trees, from the bottom up.
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/wildfire-tracker
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 24/09/2026
Put quotation marks around the titles of television programs. The interview appeared on “60 Minutes.” Note, too, the possessive: CBS’ “60 Minutes,” with only an apostrophe after CBS. In headlines, that’s single quote marks, so ’60 Minutes’ rather than “60 Minutes.” apnews.com/article/15c4...
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/15c433d25fbb311918e801ef790dcc51
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 24/09/2026
Yes, the AP Stylebook covers punctuation, capitalization and numerals. But there’s so, so much more to AP style. Join the AP Stylebook Workshop 201: Refine Your Content course to learn how Stylebook guidance can help you tell a clearer, more compelling story.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 23/09/2026
Artificial intelligence systems do not think, feel, want or understand. Avoid language that gives them human characteristics.
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/openai-safety-ai-framework-089e75b95bc935af092da7b79d92706d
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 22/09/2026
The AP Stylebook team discusses and debates AP style changes all year. One of the many ways possible additions or changes make their way to the list for consideration is your suggestions. We value ideas from our users, so add your input here apstylebook.com/suggestions
apstylebook.com
AP Stylebook Suggestions
What changes would you like to see in AP style? Stylebook editors will consider all submissions and they might use your suggestions.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 22/09/2026
Fall is here and Halloween decorations are already popping up everywhere. If you're eager to get spooky season started, watch out for the punctuation as you carve your jack-o'-lantern.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 21/09/2026
In general, use only last names on second reference. When it is necessary to distinguish between two people who use the same last name, generally use the first and last name on subsequent references.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 18/09/2026
Use the abbreviation "No." for number in conjunction with a figure to indicate position or rank: No. 1 pick, No. 3 choice. Do not use with street addresses, with this exception: No. 10 Downing St., the residence of Britain's prime minister. apnews.com/article/azzi...
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/azzi-fudd-wings-knee-surgery-a644dbc230d6618603ee9507bfd913b4
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 17/09/2026
Electoral systems that allow voters to cast ballots before the day of an election are broadly known as advance voting. Each state has its own procedures for advance voting, which may include voting by mail, voting absentee or voting in person before Election Day. apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-justice-mail-voting-7a937a7b4a37214d40a7a9aa4c2b5ce2
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 17/09/2026
It's not too late to join us for our new course, Refine Your PR Pitch with the AP. Our Week 2 live session is coming up Tuesday afternoon, with timely insights into the state of public relations.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 16/09/2026
The apostrophe goes in front of a decade, not between the numbers and the S. It stands in for the additional two digits, so 1970s becomes '70s. apnews.com/article/bob-...
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/bob-mackie-dies-fashion-designer-b2e50b957a55462995e76290a3920e1b
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 16/09/2026
We offer a wide range of products to help you write and edit consistently. But we haven't forgotten the one that started it all. store.stylebooks.com/ap-stylebook...
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 15/09/2026
Both High Holidays and High Holy Days are acceptable to refer to the period of the Jewish calendar that includes Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 15/09/2026
We kick off Refine Your PR Pitch with the AP today at 2 p.m. EDT, with an overview of the most important AP style guidance for public relations pros.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 14/09/2026
Do not add an apostrophe to a word ending in s when it is used primarily in a descriptive sense: citizens band radio, a Cincinnati Reds infielder, a Teamsters request, a writers guide.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 14/09/2026
Subscribe to AP Stylebook Online to keep up with additions and changes to AP style guidance. You can get emails when we make style changes, and you can check new entries and recent changes from your subscriber dashboard.
store.stylebooks.com
AP Stylebook Online
AP Stylebook Online is a searchable, customizable guide for writers and editors that is updated throughout the year. Your subscription includes the popular Ask the Editor feature, where you can ask…
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 11/09/2026
Daycare and childcare are both now one word, no hyphen. We made those changes this spring when we updated health care to healthcare. apnews.com/article/chil...
apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/childcare-assistance-daycare-cost-waitlist-2ceccc0e30baf7187857c968e631ba77
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 10/09/2026
Public relations pros, join us for a new three-week course covering: * The AP style rules you need to know to write releases in the language journalists use * Updates on the state of the PR industry from pros who are paying attention * Feedback from working journalists on what they want from you
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 10/09/2026
For the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, 9/11 is acceptable in all references. (Note the comma to set off the year when the phrase refers to a month, date and year.)
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 09/09/2026
Go back to the basics and refresh your knowledge of AP style in Week 1 of our new course, Refine Your PR Pitch with the AP. We'll go over the AP style guidance you're most likely to need in your pitches, and Stylebook Editor Anna Jo Bratton will be there to answer your vexing style questions.
store.stylebooks.com
Refine Your PR Pitch with the AP
A THREE-WEEK ONLINE COURSE ON TUESDAYS, SEPT. 15-29, 2-3 P.M. EDT Brush up on your AP style skills as you refine how to pitch to journalists in this new course from AP Learning. Join live sessions to…
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 09/09/2026
It's back-to-school as a compound modifier, but no hyphens in back to school on its own. For example, he bought back-to-school supplies, and she went back to school.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 09/09/2026
We know it's officially still summer, but once we're past Labor Day, you're feeling that fall vibe, right? Join us for Refine Your PR Pitch with the AP, a new course that kicks off next week. AP Writing Workshop: Storytelling for Any Platform starts this week.
store.stylebooks.com
store.apstylebook.com
The AP Stylebook 2 print edition, web-based access and style-checking software.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 08/09/2026
Our primary dictionary, Merriam-Webster, shows Hail Mary pass with Hail Mary capitalized, like the Roman Catholic prayer, and no hyphen.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 07/09/2026
We now style antisemitism and antisemitic as one word, no hyphen, all lowercase. This is a change from the previous style (anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic). apnews.com/article/met-...
apnews.com
Amid backlash, museum cancels planned Met Gala exhibit on fashion designer John Galliano
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is canceling its planned exhibit honoring British designer John Galliano.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 04/09/2026
The Stylebook's guidance says the AP Top 25 ranking should be used in headlines and at the top of stories, and can be used without distinction: No. 1 Ohio State, top-ranked Ohio State.
apnews.com
AP Top 25 Poll
The official page for the AP Top 25 college football poll, a tradition since 1936. View the latest ranking updates each week, and vote in our fan poll.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 03/09/2026
The print AP Stylebook includes about 3,700 entries. We have almost 900 more entries that only appear on AP Stylebook Online. In addition, the Stylebook Online Ask the Editor archives include nearly 40,000 questions our editors have answered.
store.stylebooks.com
AP Stylebook Online
AP Stylebook Online is a searchable, customizable guide for writers and editors that is updated throughout the year. Your subscription includes the popular Ask the Editor feature, where you can ask…
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 03/09/2026
Sharing this 2024 AP Stylebook Online Ask the Editor reply, because it namechecks the late great Dolly Parton.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 02/09/2026
Stop wasting time repeatedly debating and discussing how to style a word or phrase. Add your custom style notes to an AP Stylebook Online site license, so everyone on your team can easily check how to do it.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 02/09/2026
The preferred spelling for the capital of Nepal is Kathmandu.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 01/09/2026
A flash flood is a sudden, violent flood. It typically occurs after a heavy rain or the melting of a heavy snow. Stories about floods usually tell how high the water is and where it is expected to crest. Such a story should also list flood stage and how high the water is above or below flood stage.
apnews.com
Nepal-Tibet floods
Stay up to date on the latest Nepal-Tibet floods news coverage from AP News.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 28/08/2026
Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. apnews.com/article/thre...
apnews.com
3-year college degrees grow more popular in the US, saving time and cash. But critics aren't sold
A growing number of colleges are offering three-year degree programs, which cut a year off a traditional bachelor's with reduced credit.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 27/08/2026
We have a new entry on AP Stylebook Online to define prediction markets, the online platforms where people can bet on the outcome of an event, such as a football game, an election or even the weather.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 27/08/2026
The AP Stylebook Workshop 201 is coming up this fall. We will cover the big-picture questions of how to improve your writing and editing to make your copy clear and compelling.
store.stylebooks.com
AP Stylebook Workshops
AP Stylebook Workshop 201: Refine Your Content, Wednesdays, Oct. 7-28, 2026, 2-3 pm EDT AP Stylebook Workshop 101: Master the Mechanics, Wednesdays, Feb. 10-March 3, 2027, 11 am-12 pm EST Join…
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 26/08/2026
Electoral systems that allow voters to cast ballots before the day of an election are broadly known as advance voting. Each state has its own procedures for advance voting, which may include voting by mail, voting absentee or voting in person before Election Day.
apnews.com
US Postal Service issues new rule for mail ballots, but its impact on the midterms is uncertain
The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled new requirements for mail ballots less than two weeks before some states begin sending them.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 25/08/2026
Our primary dictionary, Merriam-Webster, shows screwworm as one word. It's defined as a blowfly of the warmer parts of America whose larva develops in sores or wounds or in the nostrils of mammals including humans with serious or sometimes fatal results. apnews.com/article/scre...
apnews.com
Concerns about the New World screwworm have put Texas pet adoptions on hold
The first New World screwworm outbreak in Texas in 60 years is hindering efforts to move rescued dogs and cats out of crowded animal shelters to states where they would be adopted.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 25/08/2026
Artificial intelligence tools will confidently answer your question, even when they don't have access to the information needed for the reply. Grammar Girl explains why it's important to go straight to the AP Stylebook to get answers you can trust.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 21/08/2026
Are you looking to make your budget go farther? We offer 20% off on many of our products for members of ACES, AAJA, PRSA, SPJ, AHCJ and RTDNA. We also offer 20% off for members of the AP’s not-for-profit news cooperative.
help.apstylebook.com
What discounts do you offer?
We do not offer a military discount, educational (student) discount or a nonprofit discount. We do not offer bulk pricing on books. We try to hold our prices down to be affordable for all our…
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 21/08/2026
Our primary dictionary, Merriam-Webster, shows the term "Milky Way galaxy," capitalizing Milky Way but lowercasing galaxy.
apnews.com
Telescope spies the fastest star in the Milky Way zipping around a black hole
A telescope has spotted the fastest known star in the Milky Way. It's zipping around the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 20/08/2026
What AP style questions come up the most in your public relations writing? What questions do you have about what journalists need from you? Refine Your Pitch with the AP starts in about a month and you won't want to miss this opportunity to polish your PR skills. store.stylebooks.com/pitching-and...
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 20/08/2026
Paul Jones asked on our Facebook page: “Why do some news outlets put single quotes around phrases in headlines? I thought single quotes only apply to a quote within a quote.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 19/08/2026
@susanseager.bsky.social posted asking us to ban the term "hallucinate" for AI. She said in part, “The term 'hallucinate' is an inaccurate, industry-friendly term that should be banned when reporting news about AI fabrications.”
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 18/08/2026
Do not hyphenate in vitro fertilization, the process of creating embryos by mixing eggs and sperm in a lab dish. IVF is acceptable on second reference. apnews.com/article/ocas...
apnews.com
Ocasio-Cortez says she's freezing her eggs as she decides her next political moves
Democratic New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is freezing her eggs as she decides her next political moves.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 14/08/2026
The Stylebook suggests using descriptors to identify a fire, rather than a fire name. For example: a fast-moving fire burning in British Columbia.
apnews.com
Wildfires burn across western US and Canada as residents are evacuated
Wildfires are burning across the western U.S. and Canada, leaving some residents keeping a wary eye out for possible evacuation orders.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 13/08/2026
Students are starting to go back to school, and you can, too. Check out upcoming AP Learning courses including: * Refine Your PR Pitch with the AP * AP Stylebook Workshop 201 * AP Writing Workshop: Storytelling for Any Platform * Digital Strategy and Content Creation
store.stylebooks.com
store.apstylebook.com
The AP Stylebook 2 print edition, web-based access and style-checking software.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 13/08/2026
Our dictionary Merriam-Webster explains that an initialism is an abbreviation formed from initial letters. NOAA is an abbreviation for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is also an initialism. apnews.com/article/hott...
apnews.com
Contiguous US breaks its record for hottest month ever, NOAA says
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the contiguous United States set a record for its hottest month ever in July.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 12/08/2026
Use periods in the abbreviation U.S. in body copy text. In headlines, it's US with no periods. But no periods in USA for the abbreviated form of United States of America. apnews.com/projects/ele...
apnews.com
2026 Election Calendar: Primary and General Election Dates
Complete 2026 midterm election calendar with primary and general election dates for all 50 states. Track U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor races and more from AP News.
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AP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 11/08/2026
Medicare is the federal healthcare insurance program in the U.S. for people aged 65 and over, and for the disabled. Eligibility is based mainly on eligibility for Social Security.
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