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In this post, we will summarize all of the AP Stylebook state abbreviations rules. When To Spell Out Full Name. If a state’s name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire state’s name. This goes for all 50 states. For example, The state of Michigan is made up of two peninsulas.
AP style isn’t keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out. It wouldn’t be AP style without an exception or two! There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or datelines. Those are Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah.
The Associated Press Stylebook provides an A-Z guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules.
Every state in the United States has a specific abbreviation. Some of these may not seem obvious. Follow this list to get them right. Which Cities Stand Alone in AP Style? Some American cities are considered well-known enough they don’t need a state abbreviation. This makes sense, since most people know where they’re located.
Cities and states. Datelines: Put the city name in capital letters, generally followed by the state or country, and then a long dash. Certain large cities can stand alone; see the AP Stylebook for a listing. State names: When used on their own, spell these out: “Massachusetts is on the Atlantic Ocean.”
In AP Style States names should be spelled out when they stand alone but abbreviated when paired with a city name. Certain states, however, are never abbreviated, and there are specific rules for formatting in datelines.
Comprehensive AP style guidance on your computer, tablet and phone. This searchable, customizable, regularly updated version of AP Stylebook offers bonus features including Ask the Editor and Topical Guides. Add Merriam-Webster Dictionary for a more comprehensive resource.
Any state name may be condensed, however, to fit typographical requirements for tabular material. EIGHT NOT ABBREVIATED: The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah.
Now in its sixth edition, the Stylebook is the standard style guide for most U.S. newspapers, magazines and public relations firms. The following Quick Reference is taken from The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual, Sixth Trade Edition. Spell out the numbers one through nine; for 10 and up, use Arabic numerals.
However, when referring to a city and the state in which it is located, although Chicago recommends retaining the spelled-out version of the state name (“San Diego, California”), AP style calls for abbreviating the state name (“San Diego, Calif.”) if it consists of more than six letters.