APStylebook

Build your skills with AP's experienced journalists in the new year. We're offering a wide range of online courses in 2027 including: * Digital Strategy and Content Creation * Visual Storytelling * Journalism Skills Boot Camp (for Non-journalists) * Write Your Way to Success * How to Create a Custom Style Guide (And of course the AP Stylebook Workshop!) Register now if you have 2026 training budget to use, or mark your calendar and come back to sign up in January. store.stylebooks.com/

When describing election returns, it often is most accurate to describe totals as a subset of votes counted rather than votes cast. The total number of votes cast is usually not available until several days or weeks after an election. This guidance is part of the AP Stylebook Online Topical Guide covering the 2026 midterm elections. If you're a subscriber, check it out for help preparing for Election Day. apstylebook.com/topicals/top…

With Election Day coming next week, be careful not to confuse percent with percentage point. A change from 10% to 13% is a rise of 3 percentage points. This is not equal to a 3% change; rather, it’s a 30% increase.

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Lowercase the academy and the awards when they stand alone. If "You Can See Everything” is nominated for best picture at the Oscars, it would be the first documentary nominated for Hollywood’s top prize. apnews.com/article/911c6ce96…

We have heard from several AP style fans that you're teaching your AI tool to proof for AP style. We understand the appeal, which is why we've worked with the proofing tools company Tansa to offer automated AP style proofing for over two decades. Why shouldn't you DIY this? We have about 4,000 entries in the AP Stylebook, and many of them include multiple rules under one heading. That's a lot of prompts to write. Tansa employs linguists who update the rules-based recommendations weekly when the Stylebook's editors add or change guidance. This ongoing maintenance is often what people don't account for when they set up their own AI proofing. Try the AP style proofing tool we've sold since well before artificial intelligence was a trend: store.stylebooks.com/apstyle…

We post this AP style rule pretty much every time change, and it never fails to delight some people and surprise others: It’s daylight saving time, not daylight savings time. It ends at 2 a.m. Sunday in most of the U.S., when clocks fall back one hour. Enjoy that extra hour of Halloween night sleep! apnews.com/article/003f56383…

We have new artificial intelligence guidelines on Stylebook Online, informed by the AP's own policies on what we do and don't do with AI. One tip: Any output from an AI tool should be treated as unvetted source material. You must apply your editorial judgment and sourcing standards when considering and editing any information for publication. For the full list of considerations, subscribe to AP Stylebook Online. store.stylebooks.com/apstyle…

It’s World Series on first reference; the Series is acceptable after that, with the capital S. This year’s matchup pairs two of baseball’s smallest spenders for the first time since 1991. apnews.com/article/6e6e2cf0e…

When the service is Disney+, keep the plus sign. The + symbol is acceptable when it is pronounced as part of a company, brand or event name: Disney+, Apple TV+, ESPN+. Here’s what’s new to stream this week: apnews.com/article/4d6ff25ef…

Hyphenate a movie rating when it modifies the noun or follows a linking verb. An R-rated movie has an R rating. The movie is R-rated. “Clayface” brings horror to an R-rated superhero release. apnews.com/article/18a4d6120…

Our new AP Stylebook Online Topical Guide covering the 2026 midterm elections covers terms including: * Preelection, reelection, reelect * Ranked choice voting * Hand-count, hand-counting, hand-counted * Votes counted, votes cast and much more! Subscribe to AP Stylebook Online to get guidance on all the topics you will need from now through Nov. 3 and beyond. store.stylebooks.com/apstyle…

Ukraine, not “the Ukraine.” Use the country’s name without the article: Russian strikes hit Ukraine’s power grid again Monday. apnews.com/article/b041f78e5…

We have two more live sessions to go in this fall's AP Stylebook Workshop 201. Sign up today and you can join us today at 2 p.m. EDT for our next webinar, then you can go back and watch the two previous sessions at your convenience. You'll have access to all the course resources through January. AP Stylebook Workshop 201: Refine Your Content covers the big-picture questions of how to improve your writing and editing to make your copy clear and compelling. store.stylebooks.com/ap-styl…

Be specific when possible. Shiyazh Pete is a member of the Navajo Nation, not only a “Native athlete.” apnews.com/article/indigenou…

Building a watch list? Abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. with a specific date: Oct. 16. Spell out October when it stands alone or appears with only a year. apnews.com/article/00be8937c…

The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences is distinct from the five Nobel Prizes established under Alfred Nobel’s will. apnews.com/article/96f32f1aa…

Market math, AP style: Pair a numeral with the % sign, with no space: 0.1%, 1%. Use words in casual expressions, such as a zero percent chance. This reflects a change we made in 2019, from spelling out “percent” to using the percent sign. apnews.com/article/a9a26b970…

It’s not too late to join the AP Stylebook Workshop 201: Refine Your Content. We kicked off with the first live webinar last week, but there are three more to come. You get access to all the online classroom materials, plus AP Stylebook Online and AP Stylebook Study Guides, through the end of January. See you at 2 p.m. EDT today! store.stylebooks.com/ap-styl…

An epidemic is the rapid spreading of disease in a certain population or region. A pandemic is an epidemic that has spread more widely, usually to multiple countries or continents, affecting a large number of people. Endemic as an adjective refers to the constant presence of a disease. For example, malaria is endemic in some tropical regions. Endemic diseases can sometimes become epidemics if the number of cases jump above what's normally expected. Follow declarations of public health officials in terminology. apnews.com/article/32ccde1e7…

One of the fun parts of working on the AP Stylebook team is that when The New York Times runs an article about @MerriamWebster's definition of biweekly and bimonthly, we can message dictionary editor Peter Sokolowski about it. If you want to chat with Peter about all things dictionary, sign up for the AP Stylebook Workshop. Peter is our guest speaker for Week 2, coming up Wednesday at 2 p.m. EDT. nytimes.com/2026/10/08/magaz…