This style guide applies to print publications and digital content. When writing for the web it should be used in conjunction with our digital style guide.
Supplementary notes:
See also:
It's important that we keep our terminology consistent to avoid confusing people. Here are some key terms to get right:
Campus East, Campus West not Heslington East, Heslington West
degree classes
First, 2:1, 2:2, 3rd
departments
For all University departments always use Department of Xxx not Xxx Department.
For academic schools use School of Xxx, with the exception of School for Business and Society.
Open Day
Use u/c when referring to the University's Open Days. Otherwise use l/c
Students' Union, Graduate Students' Association, Freshers' Week
Pay attention to the position of apostrophes
University of York not York University (which is in Canada)
You can search in this style guide by clicking "Show all", and using your browser's Find function (usually ctrl+f or cmd+f).
a, an
a historic or a heroic rather than an historic or an heroic
abbreviations
Try to avoid shortened words or acronyms since they may not be understood outside the University: postgraduate certificate not PgCert, School for Business and Society not SBS
January not Jan. or Jan
UK not United Kingdom
USA or US not United States
EU not European Union
Eg, etc, ie are set in roman without full points
Do not use ampersands unless in a formal name or trade name: City & Guilds
Use per cent not % in text. Use the symbol in headlines, charts and figures
Close up unit abbreviations: 10mm, pp10–12
Close up am and pm: 5pm, 10am but 12 noon
Use Dr, Mr, Mrs, Ms, PhD, MSc, MA without full points
Spell out Professor in full: never use Prof. or Prof
Use the appropriate article (a, an, or the) with abbreviations when you would use that article in speech: The CII is part of the Department of Biology
accents
Use these where possible except in words that have become part of English: hotel, elite
accommodation has double c and double m
acknowledgement not acknowledgment
acronyms
Write the phrase or title in full the first time it appears (there is no need to capitalise any word that is not a proper noun), followed by the acronym in brackets. After that, you can use the acronym on its own.
Where the abbreviation is better known than what it stands for there is no need to spell it out in full: BBC, NATO, IRA, AIDS
Use:
Do not use:
addresses
printed
Use commas when the address is on one line: University of York, York, YO10 5DD.
If the address is on different lines do not use commas:
Department of Biology
University of York
York YO10 5DDThere is no need to include 'Heslington' in the University's address
For department addresses, put the department name before the University
Some important details:
- no full stops at the ends of the lines
- no comma between the number and the street name
- do not abbreviate Road, Street or Avenue
- postcode should appear after the town, county or city on the same line
- no comma between town/county and postcode
Try to avoid breaking email addresses in print if possible but not if a large amount of white space is left. Should you have to break an email address, break it at the @:
fred.bloggs
@york.ac.ukPay careful attention to capitalisation in email addresses.
website
There is no need to include http:// at the beginning of a web address, or a final forward slash. You can often leave out www.:
york.ac.uk
It is always a good idea to check any web addresses included in a publication before going to print.
In text, try to include a web address only at the end of a sentence. Do not insert space so it moves to start the next line. If it has to run over two lines, split it at a forward slash. Make web addresses consistently bold or italic and use a full stop (not bold or italic) as closing punctuation.
For very long addresses the Communications team may provide a shortcut.
adviser not advisor
ageing not aging
Ages
Use initial capital letters in Dark Ages, Middle Ages, etc
A levels, not A-Levels or A-levels (see T levels)
alumni (plural), alum (singular) not alumnus/alumna
alot this word does not exist. A lot means a great deal
American spellings
Use English spellings unless proper nouns: the US Secretary of Defense is responsible for defence. Where there is no English equivalent, and for place names, keep the American spelling: Labor Day and Pearl Harbor
amid, among not amidst, amongst
ampersand (&)
Use the word and except in Q&A or when referring to an official company name: Smith & Nephew. Ampersands should not be used on University of York business cards and stationery
Ancient Greek not ancient Greek
any more two words
anyway one word
apostrophes
Use:
Do not use:
Some important uses:
Students' Union
Overseas Students' Association
Graduate Students' Association
Freshers' Week
asterisks
These are sometimes used in running text to refer a reader to an important footnote. They are rarely used in marketing materials and never on the web. Use only if absolutely necessary
audio-visual is hyphenated
Bachelors not Bachelor's or bachelors
-based
Use with a hyphen when combined with another word to form an adjective: work-based study
BAME stands for Black, Asian and minority ethnic, and is preferred to BME, BEM and other variations. It's important to note that this is only our preferred use for text written in the University's corporate voice, to ensure internal consistency. It is not intended to stop people using their preferred style in their own work. For more nuanced guidance, see our glossary of equality, diversity and inclusion terminology.
benefitted, benefitting not benefited, benefiting
between and among
Use between with two people or things and among with three or more people or things
billion(s)
For things, use numerals followed by the whole word: 7 billion people
For money, use numerals followed by the abbreviation bn: £2bn
bio as a prefix doesn't usually require a hyphen: bioproducts, biorenewables, biofuels, biorefineries, bioplastics, biobased products
bloodstream is one word
brackets
Punctuation stays outside the brackets (parentheses) if the sentence is complete without the information inside. (A complete sentence that stands alone in brackets starts with a capital letter and ends with a stop.)
Britain
Britain is a contraction of Great Britain and not the same as UK, but all can be used interchangeably in more colloquial contexts. Great Britain refers only to England, Wales and Scotland, UK includes Northern Ireland
Take care not to write Britain when you might mean only England and Wales, for example when referring to the education system. Use UK in the University of York address, not England
bullet points
Simple lists
Learners should identify the following organs of the human body:
- brain
- heart
- lungs
- stomach
Note there are no initial capital letters (unless using proper nouns) and no punctuation.
Part sentences
Sentences that have been broken down into bullet points should still 'flow' throughout:
People go on holiday to:
- have a change of scenery
- enjoy hot weather
- get away from editing BTEC Short Courses.
Note the colon, the lack of capitalisation and the single full stop. There is no need to end list items with a semicolon.
Full sentences
Bulleted lists containing complete sentences should start with a capital letter and finish with a full stop.
Students must give examples of how this is implemented.
- For mark band 1, one example is required of its implementation by either a care worker or the organisation.
- For mark band 2, more than one example of either a care worker or the organisation is required.
- For mark band 3, it is desirable that students give examples of both workers and the organisation.
There does not have to be a colon at the end of the preceding sentence.
Lists of links or headings
Bulleted lists are a convenient way of displaying links online. These usually act as headings, so should start with a capital.
Related links:
Campus East, Campus West not Heslington East, Heslington West
capital letters
Also known as u/c, or upper case
Capitalise:
Do not capitalise:
University: use an initial capital in specific references to York: the University. When referring to a university or universities in general, use lower case.
College: use an initial capital when referring to a specific college: The College is named after Lord James. When referring to colleges in general use lower case: Goodricke is the first college on Campus East.
Avoid over-use of capitals as they make the text more difficult to read. Whole titles or chunks of text written in capitals should be avoided as it looks like YOU ARE SHOUTING at the reader. If you want to emphasise a word, use italic or bold instead.
Accents are not needed on capital letters.
CAT scan not Cat scan
church
Capitalise when referring to the body of the Catholic Church, but church when referring to the building
city of York not City of York when referring generally to the city; use l/c for city
City of York Council is the full name of the Council
collective nouns
Nouns such as committee, family, government take a singular verb or pronoun when thought of as a single unit, but a plural verb or pronoun when thought of as a collection of individuals: The family can trace its history back to the Middle Ages.; The family were sitting down, scratching their heads.
colons (:)
Use colons to:
Never follow a colon with a dash (:-) or a capital letter unless the next word is a proper noun or title
There is no need to use a colon after a heading, even if you're introducing a list
combatted, combatting not combated, combating
compass points
Regional phrases should be in caps as in the North, the South, the West, the South East, etc but southeast England (because southeast is an adjective)
Use capitals for abbreviated compass points: NE, SW
computer terms
Use the following spellings:
app
database
desktop
disk not disc except compact disc
drop-down box
e-journal
e-learning
ebook
email
e:Vision
homepage
internet not Internet
intranet
link not hyperlink
multimedia
offline
online
onscreen
on-site
a pop-up
portal (avoid using this word)
program not programme when talking about software
url
web page
website
wiki
contact details
Always provide a telephone number and an email address
Telephone numbers should always follow the format: +44 (0)1904 32XXXX
There is no need to introduce contact details with the terms Telephone, Email or Web. They are self-explanatory
contractions
Contracted words, for example you'll for you will and we'll for we will, are fine in the right context. When writing for a student/prospective student audience, contractions can help establish a friendly, informal tone
course titles
University degree courses can be referred to as programmes or courses, but courses is preferred as it's more widely understood. The right way to write a course title is BA (Honours) History or BA (Hons) History
Covid-19, coronavirus
The virus is officially called Sars-CoV-2 and this causes the disease Covid-19. However, for ease of communication, use Covid-19 to refer to both the virus and the disease, following the same practice as the WHO
Less formally, coronavirus and covid are both acceptable, and do not require capitalisation: covid-secure, post-covid
cooperate not co-operate
coordinate not co-ordinate
dash
The en dash (also known as as en rule) is used as a dash. It is longer than a hyphen and has different functions. The en-dash can be found in most software under 'Symbol/Special characters'
database not data-base
datum (singular); data (plural)
day one not Day 1
It's been happening since day one
dates
decision maker, decision making not decisionmaker, decision-maker
degree classes
First, 2:1, 2:2, 3rd. Never use 1st. Use a capital when referring to a First, but lower case initial for first-class degree. Never use first degree, as this can be confused with an undergraduate degree. She was awarded a First in biology. He was awarded a 2:1 in English. She was awarded a first-class degree in chemistry
departments
For all University departments always use Department of not XXX Department
Department has a capital D when it is part of the department's title: Welcome to the Department of Computer Science
When referring to the specific department use an u/c D: The staff in the Department are friendly and approachable. The same applies to specific schools: Welcome to York Management School. The School has an excellent record...
Acronyms should not be used, except for reasons of space
Deputy Vice-Chancellor but Pro-Vice-Chancellor with two hyphens
disc for CDs, DVDs and recordings but disk for other digital storage
drop-down box not drop down box
ebook, but e-learning, e-journal
eg with no full stops. Use a comma before: We offer part-time courses in a range of subjects, eg computing, languages and the environment
Only use the abbreviation where space is an issue, otherwise write for example.
elite
ellipsis...
Close up to previous word, but leave one space before following word. When used in direct quotation, it indicates a pause in speech... or where words are missing
email no hyphen. Less well-known e-words such as e-commerce and e-learning should be hyphenated
esports are played electronically
en masse as a single body, as one. Not on mass
enquire and enquiry rather than inquire and inquiry unless a formal public inquiry: the Hutton Inquiry
ensure means to make sure, insure means to arrange financial cover
enrol, enrolled, enrolling, enrolment note which forms take a double l
eras take capital letters, for example Gothic, Romantic, Modernist except in wider use: He had a romantic nature
etc no full stop, preceded by a comma if there are three or more items
equal opportunities
Take care when describing or addressing different groups of people in print or on the web. For example:
et al use roman, not italic, and no full stop
e:Vision
examination not exam
exclamation mark (!) Do not use except in quoted speech
Fairtrade not Fair trade or Fair-trade
FAQs (frequently asked questions) not FAQS
Far East use only in historical context. Use Asia or East Asia
feed back (verb) not feed-back. She was asked to feed back on the day's activities
feedback (noun) not feed-back. Her feedback was not very helpful
fellowship is generally lower-case, unless a specific title. He took up a teaching fellowship in the Department; she was awarded a Leverhulme Research Fellowship
fewer and less
Use fewer for countable nouns/numbers and less for uncountable nouns/quantity: fewer lectures; less time
field trip not field-trip or fieldtrip
fieldwork no hyphen, not field-work or field work
filmmaker, not film maker or film-maker
final-year students are in their final year
flu (no apostrophe)
focused, focusing not focussed, focussing
forums, not fora
foreign words
Use italics if not accepted as fully part of English: en masse, fait accompli
for example
Only use the abbreviated eg (without full points) when space is an issue, such as in tables. Always use the full for example if possible
forward slash (/)
Do not use a forward slash for or (male/female) or to (July/August). However, use a forward slash in place of to for academic years: 2015/16
fractions
In sentences, an hour and a half has no hyphens. Similarly, two and a half years, two thirds
In headlines and bullets use 1½ hours. Use a fraction symbol if possible, not 1 1/2 hours
In tables and data use 1.5 hours
full stop (.)
Do not use after abbreviations (BA, Mrs), acronyms (BBC) or middle initials
Try to split long sentences into shorter ones. Shorter sentences make text easier to read
Leave one blank space (not two) after a full stop, colon or semi-colon
full-time, part-time
Hyphenated when used adjectivally as in full-time course but not in my course is full time
fully
Unlike most other adverbs, fully should be fully-hyphenated when used like this
fundraiser, fundraising not fund raising or fund-raising
gauge is correct, not guage
government
Use l/c government in all contexts, unless it's a full title: Her Majesty's Government of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Scottish Government, Welsh Government
groundbreaking not ground-breaking or ground breaking
hard-wired
headings and titles
Use:
Do not use:
healthcare one word, without a hyphen
Heslington East is now referred to as Campus East
higher education not Higher Education
homepage not home page
the Hub not The Hub
Hull York Medical School should only be HYMS in hashtags or other cases where length is a consideration. The School or Hull York may be used in lengthier copy once the full name has been established.
hyphen (-)
Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity.
Do not use hyphens:
When there is another adjective or adverb preceding the hyphenated word, there does not need to be another hyphen: a well thought-out plan
The following words are never hyphenated:
interpersonal
lawmaker
milkround
multidisciplinary
multinational
nationwide
ongoing
policymaker
postgraduate
undergraduate
worldwide
ie no full stop afterwards. Use a comma before, ie like this
initials
Do not use initials in a name unless the person particularly wants them for clarity. Do not use full stops: John GP Barnes
interdisciplinary
internet use l/c, not Internet
-ise not -ize, unless a proper noun: World Health Organization
italics
Use italics for:
Do not use italics for:
it's or its
It's means it is. Its means belonging to it
jargon
Avoid using jargon, business-speak, corporate buzzwords – any terms that will only be understood by a select group. Marketing hyperbole should be avoided at all times
job titles
Capitalise when referring to a person's specific title: John Smith, Vice-Chancellor
Use lower case when referring to generic occupations: Staff included professors and receptionists.
job titles and commas
No commas: Vice-Chancellor John Smith said...
With commas: John Smith, Vice-Chancellor, said...
judgement not judgment
jump-start is hyphenated as a verb, but not as a noun. I had to jump-start the car. My career needs a jump start.
Key Stage 1, 2, 3 caps and figures
keynote all one word and l/c unless referring to Keynote for Mac, a presentation program
kick-off (noun), but to kick off (verb)
kick-start (hyphenate, whether noun or verb)
King’s Manor not the King's Manor or Kings Manor
kilogram not kilogramme
laboratory, formally, but lab is fine, especially lab work
Latin
When in common usage, there is no need to use italics, quid pro quo, QED, habeas corpus, in situ, vice versa
learned not learnt
LGBT+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other identities, and is preferred to LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQI and other variations. It's important to note that this is only our preferred use for text written in the University's corporate voice, to ensure internal consistency. It is not intended to stop people using their preferred style in their own work. For more nuanced guidance, see our glossary of equality, diversity and inclusion terminology.
liaise is correct, not liase
lower case
Also known as l/c; means not a capital letter
manmade not man made or man-made
masterclass is one word
Masters not master's or masters
medieval not mediaeval
media
The media is a plural so use the plural form of the verb: the news media are not the news media is
million(s)
For things, use numerals followed by the whole word: 7 million people
For money, use numerals followed by the abbreviation m: £2m
minuscule not miniscule
module titles
When used in text, use u/c on all important words
music
Use italics only for named multi-part works: Don Giovanni, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Individual pieces and songs take single quotation marks: 'All You Need is Single Quotation Marks'. Generic titles should be set in Roman: Beethoven's Symphony no.4
music-making
myriad
There are myriad ways to use this word. A myriad of is not one of them
new
Avoid using new for things which aren't that new. Buildings, facilities and equipment can be considered new up to two years from their date of completion (see investing in our campus). Avoid referring to courses as new.
newspapers and journals
Use italics for titles and use u/c The in the title whenever appropriate: The Times, The Sunday Times, The Economist, The Press but the Guardian, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Telegraph, the Observer, the Financial Times, the Daily Mirror, the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, the Yorkshire Post
non- words are hyphenated, except nonentity which is non-hyphenated
non-governmental organisation (NGO) on first use, thereafter NGO
no one not noone or no-one
noticeboard not notice board
numbers
offline not off-line
on-campus when adjectival: On-campus events occur on campus at Campus East
ongoing not on-going
online not on-line
onscreen not on-screen
Open Day
Use u/c when referring to the University's Open Days. Otherwise use l/c
part-time, full-time
Hyphenated when used adjectivally as in full-time course but not in my course is full time
per cent
Use numbers to express per cent: 5 per cent (text or caption) and 2% in table, box, list or label
phone number
Use the full international code when giving a University phone number in marketing material with the following spacing: +44 (0)1904 320000
place names
Use the English convention but be aware of official changes: Mumbai not Bombay. If in doubt, put the old name in brackets following the new name
please note, the construction please note adds nothing and should not be used
policymaker one word, without a hyphen
policy making two words
postdoctoral one word, without a hyphen. May be abbreviated to postdoc as a noun in less formal contexts: James is a postdoc in the Department of Biology; Eliza did a postdoc at Manchester
postgraduate one word, without a hyphen. May be abbreviated to postgrad as a noun in less formal contexts
practice (noun) but practise (verb)
prehistoric, prehistory not pre-historic, pre-history
Pro-Vice-Chancellor with two hyphens but Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Abbreviate, sparingly, as PVC with no hyphen
problem-solving is hyphenated
programme (for courses) but program (for computer programs)
programme titles
When used in text, use u/c on all important words
pronouns
Use they as a singular pronoun unless gender is established or relevant. If your supervisor can't help you, they will be able to direct you to someone who can
prophecy (noun) but prophesy (verb)
publications
Use italics and u/c on major words for names of books and journals: The War of the Worlds, The Plant Journal. Use single quotation marks for journal articles
Q&A is an exception to the ampersand (&) rule.
qualifications
No full stops or commas to separate each qualification but use a comma between the surname and the first qualification: Andy Smith, MSc PhD
quotation marks
Use "double" quotation marks for speech and quotations from articles and books; and 'single' for a quotation within speech.
Use 'single' quotation marks to put 'spin' on words or phrases.
Make sure the full stop comes inside the closing speech marks if the quote is a complete sentence: "We're very excited about this new area of research."
ranges (numerical) children aged from 12 to 16; not children aged from 12–16. In ranges spanning single to double figures, use numerals, not words: 9 to 13
the Ron Cooke Hub not The Ron Cooke Hub
seasons are l/c, winter, but use Spring Term, the Summer Term
semi-circle is hyphenated
semicolon (;) see Use of English
schoolchildren one word, without a hyphen
social media handles do not require a preceding @ or /. Indicate platform using an icon where possible
spacing
Use:
only one space after end punctuation (full stops, exclamations points, question marks) and after colons and semicolons
Do not use a space before:
spelling
Use:
Do not use:
spin-out is hyphenated
stand-alone is hyphenated
subtitles one word, without a hyphen
T levels, not T-levels or T Levels (see A levels)
teamwork one word, without a hyphen
telephone numbers give as an international number with the following spacing: +44 (0)1904 430000
terms should be styled Spring Term, Summer Term, Year 1, Term 4
term time isn't hyphenated, except as an adjective: term-time opening hours
Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media not Theatre Film and Television
thousand can be abbreviated as k (l/c): £10k
times
Use am and pm, not the 24-hour clock
Use full stops not colons: 9.30am not 09:30
There is no need to add .00 to whole hours: 4pm
There is no space between the number and the abbreviation to avoid confusion with the word am: 1am, 5.15pm
Use 12 noon or 12 midnight (with a space) to distinguish between night and day
For ranges in text use 5.30pm to 6.45pm with no dash in between
Where necessary, use GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) or BST (British Summer Time) for clarity, particularly for audiences who may not be in the UK. The deadline for India Scholarship applications is 11.59pm GMT
In sentences, an hour and a half has no hyphens. Similarly, two and a half years
In headlines and bullets use 1½ hours. Use a fraction symbol if possible, not 1 1/2 hours
In tables and data use 1.5 hours
titles
Use Professor not Prof. or Prof
Use Dr not Doctor
Avoid using Mr, Mrs, Ms or Mx in publications unless it is requested
Always use Mr, Mrs, Ms or Mx when referring to a surgeon who chooses this form of address as an alternative to Dr
Vice-Chancellor is hyphenated, as is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Lord-Lieutenant
towards, not toward. This general rule works with other directional words, including forwards, backwards, upwards and downwards, along with afterwards
tweet a noun and a verb. I sent a tweet; I tweeted you
undergraduate one word without a hyphen
under way two words
University
Always refer to York as the University of York not York University (which is in Canada). Use an initial capital in specific references to York: the University. When referring to university in general use l/c: a university
For example: 'York, a British university, has lots of ducks. York has lots of ducks. The University also has a pond.'
USA or US, not United States or America. Where adjectival, use US, for example US Secretary of Defense
v, versus no full point, no capitalisation. York v Lancaster, James versus Alcuin. Not vs or verses
Vice-Chancellor two words, hyphenated. Abbreviate, sparingly, as VC with no hyphen
the web but a web address
web addresses
web page two words
website is one word, not web site or web-site. The w is lower case unless at the beginning of a sentence
Week 0, Week 1 capitalised, but a week is not
Welcome Week initial caps on both words
wellbeing not well being or well-being
while not whilst
wifi not Wi-Fi
worldwide one word, l/c
World War I, World War II or First World War, Second World War initial caps on all words, Roman numerals if used
X-ray X is u/c
year in industry not Year in Industry
year abroad not Year Abroad, but year in Europe
ize or ise?
Use s spelling, not z: organise not organize, organisation not organization, emphasise not emphasize, specialise not specialize, hypothesise not hypothesize, internationalise not internationalize
Who to contact
Communications
Related links