AP Stylebook
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Foul means offensive, out of line. A fowl is a bird, especially the larger domestic birds used as food: chickens, ducks, turkeys.
November 27, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Foul means offensive, out of line. A fowl is a bird, especially the larger domestic birds used as food: chickens, ducks, turkeys.
Several years ago, the Stylebook advised that you heat your oven, because "preheat" is redundant.
That might be true linguistically, but we heard you. Common usage in cookbooks calls for preheating.
That might be true linguistically, but we heard you. Common usage in cookbooks calls for preheating.
November 26, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Several years ago, the Stylebook advised that you heat your oven, because "preheat" is redundant.
That might be true linguistically, but we heard you. Common usage in cookbooks calls for preheating.
That might be true linguistically, but we heard you. Common usage in cookbooks calls for preheating.
If you're making a holiday wish list, let your parents or your bestie know that you'd love a subscription to Stylebook Online. Maybe you'd rather have a registration to an AP Stylebook Workshop. Or both!
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The AP Stylebook 2 print edition, web-based access and style-checking software.
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November 25, 2025 at 4:11 PM
If you're making a holiday wish list, let your parents or your bestie know that you'd love a subscription to Stylebook Online. Maybe you'd rather have a registration to an AP Stylebook Workshop. Or both!
store.stylebooks.com
store.stylebooks.com
The traditional meaning of "hopefully" is in a hopeful manner. Also acceptable is the modern usage: it's hoped, we hope.
apnews.com/article/poll...
apnews.com/article/poll...
One issue is uniting Americans in a time of polarization, according to a new poll
A new survey from the American Communities Project shows that pessimism about the country’s future has risen in cities since last year, but rural America is more optimistic about what’s ahead for the…
apnews.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:33 PM
The traditional meaning of "hopefully" is in a hopeful manner. Also acceptable is the modern usage: it's hoped, we hope.
apnews.com/article/poll...
apnews.com/article/poll...
Do you work with a small team?
We recently added a five-user site license for AP Stylebook Online for groups like yours.
We recently added a five-user site license for AP Stylebook Online for groups like yours.
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…
store.stylebooks.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Do you work with a small team?
We recently added a five-user site license for AP Stylebook Online for groups like yours.
We recently added a five-user site license for AP Stylebook Online for groups like yours.
A Stylebook Online subscriber asked whether the preferred term is orca or killer whale.
Ask the Editor responded that the terms are used interchangeably.
No matter what you call them, these images of orcas hunting a seal that survived only by clambering onto a photographer's boat are dramatic.
Ask the Editor responded that the terms are used interchangeably.
No matter what you call them, these images of orcas hunting a seal that survived only by clambering onto a photographer's boat are dramatic.
November 21, 2025 at 6:11 PM
A Stylebook Online subscriber asked whether the preferred term is orca or killer whale.
Ask the Editor responded that the terms are used interchangeably.
No matter what you call them, these images of orcas hunting a seal that survived only by clambering onto a photographer's boat are dramatic.
Ask the Editor responded that the terms are used interchangeably.
No matter what you call them, these images of orcas hunting a seal that survived only by clambering onto a photographer's boat are dramatic.
If you're trying to train your favorite AI tool to proof for AP style, keep in mind there are thousands of entries in the Stylebook, many with multiple considerations within the entry.
AP StyleGuard Pro style-checking tools
Whether you are new to AP style or you want help keeping up with changing guidance, let our style-checking tools help you write and edit. Get style-checking help for Microsoft Word, Outlook and…
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November 20, 2025 at 7:22 PM
If you're trying to train your favorite AI tool to proof for AP style, keep in mind there are thousands of entries in the Stylebook, many with multiple considerations within the entry.
Our guidance on numbers says that in sequential designations, generally use figures, but spell out ordinal numbers ninth and under.
Capitalize the first letter for a single designation: Act 3, Day 1, Exit 2, Game 3, Phase 1, Room 6, Size 12, Stage 3, Category 4, Type 2.
Capitalize the first letter for a single designation: Act 3, Day 1, Exit 2, Game 3, Phase 1, Room 6, Size 12, Stage 3, Category 4, Type 2.
‘Now You See Me 3’ races past ‘The Running Man’ at box office
Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” pulled in $21.3 million, while Paramount’s “The Running Man” made $17 million, according to studio estimates.
apnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Our guidance on numbers says that in sequential designations, generally use figures, but spell out ordinal numbers ninth and under.
Capitalize the first letter for a single designation: Act 3, Day 1, Exit 2, Game 3, Phase 1, Room 6, Size 12, Stage 3, Category 4, Type 2.
Capitalize the first letter for a single designation: Act 3, Day 1, Exit 2, Game 3, Phase 1, Room 6, Size 12, Stage 3, Category 4, Type 2.
Always use figures for vote totals.
Spell out below 10 in other phrases related to voting: by a five-vote majority, with three abstentions, four votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority.
Spell out below 10 in other phrases related to voting: by a five-vote majority, with three abstentions, four votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority.
President Trump signs government funding bill, ending shutdown after a record 43-day disruption
President Donald Trump has signed a government funding bill that ends a record 43-day shutdown. The disruption caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks, stranded scores…
apnews.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Always use figures for vote totals.
Spell out below 10 in other phrases related to voting: by a five-vote majority, with three abstentions, four votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority.
Spell out below 10 in other phrases related to voting: by a five-vote majority, with three abstentions, four votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority.
Merriam-Webster has published a new edition of its Collegiate Dictionary.
It weighs in at almost five pounds – but the lightweight way to get all those new and updated entries is to subscribe to AP Stylebook Online with the Merriam-Webster add-on.
It weighs in at almost five pounds – but the lightweight way to get all those new and updated entries is to subscribe to AP Stylebook Online with the Merriam-Webster add-on.
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…
store.stylebooks.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Merriam-Webster has published a new edition of its Collegiate Dictionary.
It weighs in at almost five pounds – but the lightweight way to get all those new and updated entries is to subscribe to AP Stylebook Online with the Merriam-Webster add-on.
It weighs in at almost five pounds – but the lightweight way to get all those new and updated entries is to subscribe to AP Stylebook Online with the Merriam-Webster add-on.
In general, AP style does not use courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs. or Ms., except in direct quotations.
November 18, 2025 at 9:44 PM
In general, AP style does not use courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs. or Ms., except in direct quotations.
Merriam-Webster defines opening day as the first of a sequence of days related by some common factor, such as the opening day of deer season or a baseball park filled on opening day.
November 17, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Merriam-Webster defines opening day as the first of a sequence of days related by some common factor, such as the opening day of deer season or a baseball park filled on opening day.
A rifle is a firearm designed or made to be fired from the shoulder and having a rifled bore.
It uses bullets or cartridges for ammunition.
Its size is measured in calibers. The form: a .22-caliber rifle.
It uses bullets or cartridges for ammunition.
Its size is measured in calibers. The form: a .22-caliber rifle.
November 14, 2025 at 1:35 PM
A rifle is a firearm designed or made to be fired from the shoulder and having a rifled bore.
It uses bullets or cartridges for ammunition.
Its size is measured in calibers. The form: a .22-caliber rifle.
It uses bullets or cartridges for ammunition.
Its size is measured in calibers. The form: a .22-caliber rifle.
Do not abbreviate committee. Capitalize when part of a formal name: the House Appropriations Committee, the House Oversight Committee.
apnews.com/article/epst...
apnews.com/article/epst...
Epstein email says Trump 'knew about the girls' as White House calls its release a Democratic smear
Jeffrey Epstein wrote in a 2019 email to a journalist that Donald Trump “knew about the girls,” according to documents made public Wednesday.
apnews.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Do not abbreviate committee. Capitalize when part of a formal name: the House Appropriations Committee, the House Oversight Committee.
apnews.com/article/epst...
apnews.com/article/epst...
Use digits for odds, proportions and ratios: 9-1 long shot; 3 parts cement to 1 part water; a 1-4 chance; 1 in 3 voters; 1 chance in 3; a ratio of 2-to-1; a 2-1 ratio.
November 12, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Use digits for odds, proportions and ratios: 9-1 long shot; 3 parts cement to 1 part water; a 1-4 chance; 1 in 3 voters; 1 chance in 3; a ratio of 2-to-1; a 2-1 ratio.
Capitalize Midwest when referring to the 12-state region as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau (previously designated the North Central region) that is broken into two divisions.
Capitalize Midwestern as an adjective describing the region.
Capitalize Midwestern as an adjective describing the region.
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith’s Midwest roots inspire surprise gift to U. of Michigan
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith is gifting a need-based music scholarship to the University of Michigan. The 64-year-old grew up in Detroit's suburbs.
apnews.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Capitalize Midwest when referring to the 12-state region as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau (previously designated the North Central region) that is broken into two divisions.
Capitalize Midwestern as an adjective describing the region.
Capitalize Midwestern as an adjective describing the region.
A boat is a watercraft of any size but generally is used to indicate a small craft. A ship is a large, seagoing vessel.
The word boat is used, however, in some words that apply to large craft: ferryboat, PT boat.
apnews.com/article/edmu...
The word boat is used, however, in some words that apply to large craft: ferryboat, PT boat.
apnews.com/article/edmu...
'The legend lives on': Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald still resonates 50 years later
November 10th marks the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, perhaps the most famous of all the estimated 6,500 ships that have gone down in the Great Lakes.
apnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:15 PM
A boat is a watercraft of any size but generally is used to indicate a small craft. A ship is a large, seagoing vessel.
The word boat is used, however, in some words that apply to large craft: ferryboat, PT boat.
apnews.com/article/edmu...
The word boat is used, however, in some words that apply to large craft: ferryboat, PT boat.
apnews.com/article/edmu...
AP style advises one L in cancel, canceled and canceling, but two Ls in cancellation.
apnews.com/article/gove...
apnews.com/article/gove...
What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled during the US government shutdown
The U.S. government shutdown has now dragged on for over a month, and shortages of air traffic controllers are straining operations — with flight disruptions piling up nationwide.
apnews.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:21 PM
AP style advises one L in cancel, canceled and canceling, but two Ls in cancellation.
apnews.com/article/gove...
apnews.com/article/gove...
Uncertainty doesn't go far enough to describe the current digital landscape. Revenue models have had a series of disruptions, algorithmic updates and AI features have destabilized search strategies, and social continues to be an enigma.
Digital Strategy and Content Creation
In this course, we'll cover the current state of the digital landscape, including the impact of AI, the importance of investing in loyal audiences and how to nurture the communities you create.
store.stylebooks.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Uncertainty doesn't go far enough to describe the current digital landscape. Revenue models have had a series of disruptions, algorithmic updates and AI features have destabilized search strategies, and social continues to be an enigma.
To filibuster is to make long speeches to obstruct the passage of legislation.
A legislator who used such methods also is a filibuster, not a filibusterer.
apnews.com/article/fili...
A legislator who used such methods also is a filibuster, not a filibusterer.
apnews.com/article/fili...
November 6, 2025 at 1:51 PM
To filibuster is to make long speeches to obstruct the passage of legislation.
A legislator who used such methods also is a filibuster, not a filibusterer.
apnews.com/article/fili...
A legislator who used such methods also is a filibuster, not a filibusterer.
apnews.com/article/fili...
It's not too late to join AP Stylebook Workshop 201: Refine Your Content.
You can watch a replay of the first two sessions at your convenience, and join us live for the next two. Sign up now and mark your calendar for 11 a.m. Eastern on Wednesdays this month.
You can watch a replay of the first two sessions at your convenience, and join us live for the next two. Sign up now and mark your calendar for 11 a.m. Eastern on Wednesdays this month.
AP Stylebook Workshops
Join editors from The Associated Press for one or both engaging AP Stylebook Workshops in fall 2025, and you'll build your knowledge of AP style and your confidence in how to apply it to your work.…
store.stylebooks.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:02 PM
It's not too late to join AP Stylebook Workshop 201: Refine Your Content.
You can watch a replay of the first two sessions at your convenience, and join us live for the next two. Sign up now and mark your calendar for 11 a.m. Eastern on Wednesdays this month.
You can watch a replay of the first two sessions at your convenience, and join us live for the next two. Sign up now and mark your calendar for 11 a.m. Eastern on Wednesdays this month.
Use NEW YORK in datelines for New York City , not the name of an individual community or borough such as Flushing or Queens. Identify the borough in the body of the story if pertinent.
apnews.com/article/who-...
apnews.com/article/who-...
Zohran Mamdani's rise from Queens lawmaker to New York City mayor
Zohran Mamdani has stormed onto the national political scene by winning New York City's mayoral election.
apnews.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Use NEW YORK in datelines for New York City , not the name of an individual community or borough such as Flushing or Queens. Identify the borough in the body of the story if pertinent.
apnews.com/article/who-...
apnews.com/article/who-...
The producer price index is an index of changes in wholesale prices produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. It is used as a gauge of inflation.
November 4, 2025 at 7:22 PM
The producer price index is an index of changes in wholesale prices produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. It is used as a gauge of inflation.
Use the one word form sportsbook for places where sports bets are accepted either in person or online, unless part of a formal name.
The shorthand "book" is acceptable on second reference: The sportsbook opened in December; the book stopped taking bets before kickoff.
apnews.com/article/spor...
The shorthand "book" is acceptable on second reference: The sportsbook opened in December; the book stopped taking bets before kickoff.
apnews.com/article/spor...
Sports betting roundup: Game 7 of the World Series surrounded by a big football weekend
The Major League Baseball season concluded over the weekend with a thrilling Game 7 and it was surrounded by plenty of football action in college and the NFL.
apnews.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Use the one word form sportsbook for places where sports bets are accepted either in person or online, unless part of a formal name.
The shorthand "book" is acceptable on second reference: The sportsbook opened in December; the book stopped taking bets before kickoff.
apnews.com/article/spor...
The shorthand "book" is acceptable on second reference: The sportsbook opened in December; the book stopped taking bets before kickoff.
apnews.com/article/spor...
Enjoy that extra hour of sleep this weekend, and don't forget: It's daylight saving time, not savings with an S.
apnews.com/article/dayl...
apnews.com/article/dayl...
Here's what happens to your body when clocks 'fall back' an hour
It's time for most of America to move clocks back on Sunday. Daylight saving time ends in the U.S. at 2 a.m. local time, which means setting your clock back an hour.
apnews.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Enjoy that extra hour of sleep this weekend, and don't forget: It's daylight saving time, not savings with an S.
apnews.com/article/dayl...
apnews.com/article/dayl...