AP Style Notes

Addresses

• House numbers: Always use figures. Example: 9 Morningside Circle.
• Only abbreviate Ave. (Avenue), Blvd. (Boulevard) and St. (Street) with street numbers; spell out all others (Circle, Road, Parkway, etc.).
• Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used as street names. Use figures for 10th and above. Avoid using superscript. Example: First St., 10th Ave.

Ages

• Always use figures. A 5-year-old boy, the boy is 5 years old, the 5-year-olds.

Chapters, Pages

• Capitalize word and use numeral. Chapter 3, Page 123.

Dates, Times

• Do not add "st," "th," etc. to the date. Example: Dec. 1, not Dec. 1st.
• Use colons only with times not on the hour. Example: 2 p.m., 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.
• Do not use numbers with noon or midnight.
• Use lowercase a.m., p.m., with a space before the "a" or the "p," and no space after the first period, as shown here.

Dimensions

• Use all figures and spell out inches, feet, etc., to indicate depth, height, length and width. 5 inches of snow, a 5-foot man, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 6 feet wide and 5 feet high, the rug is 9 feet by 12 feet.

Distances

• Spell out below 10. In metric system, don’t abbreviate anything unless it is film or weapons.

Fractions

• Spell out fractions less than one in text, using a hyphen. Two-thirds, four-fifths, etc. Use figures for precise amounts larger than one, converting to decimals whenever practical.

Grades

• Spell out below 10.
• Hyphenate the noun forms: First-grader, second-grader, 10th-grader. Also hyphenate the adjective forms: a fourth-grade student, a 12th-grade girl.

Numerals

• Spell out all numerals that begin a sentence, except a calendar year. Unless another specific rule applies, spell out whole numbers below 10 and use figures for 10 and above.
• In a series, apply the appropriate guidelines. They have 10 cats and three dogs.

Percentages

• Always use figures with % sign. He completed 80% to 90% of the job.

Ranges

• The form: $12 million to $14 million, not: $12 to $14 million.

Ratios

• Always use figures and hyphens. A ratio of 2-to-1, or, a 2-1 ratio.

Recipes

• Always use figures, except follow the fraction rule above.
• Do not abbreviate. 2 teaspoons, 5 cups, 1 tablespoon.

Speeds

• Always use figures. OK to abbreviate mph.

Telephone numbers

• Ensure your phone number uses hyphens only.
• Abbreviate and lowercase the extension abbreviation after the phone number. For example: 775-784-4040, ext. 101.

Temperatures

• Always use figures, except zero. Use a word, not a minus sign to indicate temperatures below zero. The low was minus 10, or the low was 10 below zero. Temperatures fell 5 degrees. If you need to specify Fahrenheit, you have two choices.
• Use number, space, capital F format: 56 F, 82 F. No degree “circle” is ever used.
• Use number, followed by degrees Fahrenheit. The water was 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

Weights

• Always use figures, spell out pounds, ounces, etc.

Years

• The 1980s (no apostrophe), the ‘80s (apostrophe).