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AP Style Quick Reference

The most frequently consulted AP style rules. Local market style guides may override specific entries.

Numbers

Basic Rule

Spell out one through nine. Use numerals for 10 and above.

• She has three children.
• The company has 15 employees.

Always Use Numerals For:

Special Cases

• Noon and midnight: Use words, not “12 p.m.” or “12 a.m.”
• Beginning of sentence: Spell out or recast. “Twenty people attended” or “The event drew 20 people.”
• Large numbers: Use numeral + word. “$2.5 million” not “$2,500,000”

Punctuation

Comma—No Serial (Oxford) Comma

Do not use a comma before “and” in a simple series.

• The flag is red, white and blue. ✓
• The flag is red, white, and blue. ✗

Exception: Use the comma when needed for clarity.

• Breakfast included bacon and eggs, toast, and orange juice. ✓

Apostrophe—Possessives

Singular nouns: Add ‘s, even if the word ends in s.

• the company’s policy
• James’s book
• the witness’s testimony

Plural nouns ending in s: Add only an apostrophe.

• the companies’ earnings
• the witnesses’ accounts

Its vs. It’s:

• its = possessive (The dog wagged its tail.)
• it’s = it is (It’s going to rain.)

Quotation Marks

Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks.

• “We will investigate,” she said. ✓
• “We will investigate”, she said. ✗

Question marks and exclamation points go inside only if part of the quote.

• She asked, “What time is it?”
• Did he really say “no comment”?

Em Dash

Use spaces on both sides.

• The mayor—who arrived late—spoke briefly. ✓
• The mayor—who arrived late—spoke briefly. ✗

Capitalization

Titles

Capitalize formal titles directly before a name.

• President Joe Biden signed the bill.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke.

Lowercase after a name or standing alone.

• Joe Biden, president of the United States
• The president signed the bill.
• The governor spoke.

Government Terms

Capitalize specific bodies; lowercase generic references.

• the U.S. Senate, the Senate
• the House of Representatives, the House
• Congress (U.S.)
• the City Council voted… Council members said…

Regions vs. Directions

Capitalize regions; lowercase directions.

• the South, the Midwest, the West Coast
• southern California, eastern Texas, driving west

Attribution

Use “Said”

Use “said” for most attributions. It’s neutral.

• “We will investigate,” the mayor said. ✓
• “We will investigate,” the mayor stated. (use sparingly)

Placement: After the quote is preferred.

• “We will investigate,” she said. ✓
• She said, “We will investigate.” (acceptable)

Quotation Types

Direct quote: Use the exact words.

• The mayor said, “This is unacceptable.”

Partial quote: Quote only key words.

• The mayor called the proposal “a waste of money.”

Paraphrase: No quotation marks.

• The mayor said the proposal wastes money.

Commonly Confused Words

Ages

Always use numerals. Hyphenate when a modifier.

Times

• Use numerals with a.m. and p.m. (lowercase, with periods)
• 9 a.m., 3:30 p.m.
• Use noon and midnight, not 12 p.m. or 12 a.m.
• Don’t use :00 for on-the-hour times: 9 a.m., not 9:00 a.m.

Dates

• Use numerals without st, nd, rd, th: March 5, not March 5th
• Abbreviate months with six or more letters when used with a date: Jan. 5, Sept. 23
• Never abbreviate: March, April, May, June, July
• Decades: the 1990s (no apostrophe), the ’90s (apostrophe for omitted figures)

Titles Before Names

Party affiliation format: Sen. Jane Smith, D-Texas; Rep. John Jones, R-Calif.

State Abbreviations

Use these traditional abbreviations (not postal codes) after city names:

Never abbreviated: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, Utah

Cities that stand alone (no state needed): Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington

Month Abbreviations

Abbreviate only with specific dates:

Examples:

• The event is March 5. (no abbreviation)
• The event is Sept. 5. (with date)
• September was warm. (standing alone)

Money

• Use $ and numerals: $5, $1,000
• Large amounts: $1.5 million, $2.35 billion
• Cents under a dollar: 50 cents (spell out)

Percentages

• Use numerals and %: 5%, 0.5%, 150%
• Percentage points vs. percent:
  • A rate rising from 5% to 10% increased by 5 percentage points
  • A rate rising from 5% to 10% doubled (increased by 100%)

Compound Modifiers

Hyphenate two or more words acting as a single modifier before a noun.

Don’t hyphenate:

• Adverbs ending in -ly: a newly elected official
• Proper nouns: a New York minute

Quick Error Check

Before filing, check for these common errors: