
AP Style Guide State Abbreviations
State | Abbreviation |
Alabama | Ala. |
Alaska | AK |
Arizona | Ariz. |
Arkansas | Ark. |
...
Abbreviation.
Full State Name | AP Style Abbreviation |
---|---|
Alabama | Ala. |
Alaska | Alaska |
Arizona | Ariz. |
Arkansas | Ark. |
How to practice abbreviations in AP style?
It requires diligence and concentration to practice and get acquainted with the abbreviated form delivered by the AP style guide. The thumb rule for the basic AP style state abbreviations is that one should never abbreviate the term if the readers will face difficulty in figuring out what the actual term is.
What is Washington State in AP style?
Washington State is a university in the state of Washington. As you can see, there are many guidelines for writing proper AP Style state abbreviations in your text. If you have any other questions about them, feel free to email me at [email protected]
Why are states abbreviated in AP?
In the past, states were generally abbreviated in domestic articles and news stories, but they were always spelled out in international content. In an attempt to be more consistent across the board, AP has changed the ruling so that both domestic and international articles now contain spelled-out versions of state names.
How do you List political party affiliation in AP style?
In list, agate, tabular material, editor’s notes, and credit lines. In short-form listings of political party affiliation: D-Mich., R-Ind., I-Conn. Below are the 50 AP Style state abbreviations (postal code abbreviations are in parenthesis),

Does AP style use state abbreviations?
state abbreviations/U.S.: Always spell state names whether on their own or in conjunction with a city, town, village, etc. The only time a state is abbreviated is when used in a dateline. Eight states are never abbreviated (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah).
How do you write state names in AP style?
States and Cities When the name of a state name appears in the body of a text, spell it out. State abbreviations should also be avoided in headlines where possible. States should be abbreviated when used as part of a short-form political affiliation. Examples: He was travelling to Nashville, Tenn.
What is the abbreviations for all 50 states?
US STATEPOSTAL ABBREVIATIONSTANDARD ABBREVIATIONAlabamaALAla.AlaskaAKAlaskaArizonaAZAriz.ArkansasARArk.46 more rows
How do you abbreviate Florida in AP style?
Florida (Fla.) Nebraska (Neb.) Tennessee (Tenn.) Georgia (Ga.)
How do you write state abbreviations?
When states appear in bibliographies, tabular matter, lists, and mailing addresses they are usually abbreviated. When a state name is followed by a zip code, you should always use the two-letter, no-period abbreviation (see below). The United States Postal service prefers these abbreviations.
Do you capitalize all letters in state abbreviations?
Always capitalize both letters in the state abbreviation.
How do you list the 50 states in alphabetical order?
1:052:03Fifty States Song Alphabetical Order (Official Video) Fifty ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere are 50 states in the united states of america. There are 50 states in the united states. Of.MoreThere are 50 states in the united states of america. There are 50 states in the united states. Of. America you.
What is the order of the states from 1 to 50?
Order of States' AdmissionDelaware. Dec. 7, 1787.Pennsylvania. Dec 12, 1787.New Jersey. Dec. 18, 1787.Georgia. Jan. 2, 1788.Connecticut. Jan. 9, 1788.Massachusetts. Feb.6, 1788.Maryland. Apr. 28, 1788.South Carolina. May 23, 1788.More items...
How many states are in the United states 50 or 52?
There are fifty (50) states and Washington D.C.The last two states to join the Union were Alaska (49th) and Hawaii (50th). Both joined in 1959. Washington D.C. is a federal district under the authority of Congress.
How do you write California in AP Style?
AP Style for States AbbreviationsAla. ( AL) — for Alabama.Alaska (AK) — this state is not abbreviated in text.Ariz. ( AZ) — for Arizona.Ark. ( AR) — for Arkansas.Calif. ( CA) — for California.Colo. ( CO) — for Colorado.Conn. ( CT) — for Connecticut.Del. ( DE) — for Delaware.More items...•
Do you spell out California in AP Style?
Datelines continue to use abbreviations.” : AP style change: Spell out state names in the body of stories. Datelines continue to use abbreviations.” NEVER.
How do you write Michigan AP Style?
For those states that are abbreviated with two capital letters (NY, NJ, NH, NM, NC, SC, ND, SD, RI), do not use periods in headlines. The other states, however, retain their periods when appearing in headlines (Mich., Wyo., Pa., etc.).
How do you write state names?
Always lowercase the word state in constructions such as, "the state of Michigan." In general, the construction the "state of" is unnecessary and should not be used, except as a nonspecific reference to the government of a state or in cases such as "state of Washington" or "state of New York," to distinguish between ...
Are states capitalized in AP Style?
Capitalization ● Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board, program, section, unit, etc., unless the word is part of a formal name. Capitalize common nouns such as party, river and street when they are part of a proper name.
Do you put a comma after the state in AP Style?
When punctuating state names, you should place a comma between the city and state, and another comma after the state name, unless the state name is ending the sentence or indicating a dateline. For example, I am taking a trip to Athens, Mississippi, to see the landscape. (Comma between city and state and after state.)
How do you write California in AP Style?
AP Style for States AbbreviationsAla. ( AL) — for Alabama.Alaska (AK) — this state is not abbreviated in text.Ariz. ( AZ) — for Arizona.Ark. ( AR) — for Arkansas.Calif. ( CA) — for California.Colo. ( CO) — for Colorado.Conn. ( CT) — for Connecticut.Del. ( DE) — for Delaware.More items...•
What does AP stand for in news?
AP is an abbreviation for the Associated Press. The Associated Press has its roots buried in the year 1848. The Associated Press began to take shape when six New York newspapers decided to gather adequate resources for international tidings.
How to abbreviate states?
Abbreviate the states when they are coupled with the name of a city, town or village. States whose names are short, rather five or less than five letters should not be abbreviated. Punctuate the couple, i.e. place a comma in between the state and the city name, and after the state name again, if the sentence does not end there.
What is the Associated Press style journal?
The Associated Press style journal specifies the news organizational regulations on linguistics of the language. To make newspapers, magazines, journals and reports devoid of linguistic handicaps, the style-book is a helpful guide. It is a known fact that no one can master the AP state abbreviations in a jiffy.
Is AP the largest news outlet?
Gradually, AP grew and touched new, awe-inspiring heights. In today’s day and age, AP is the world’s largest news establishment. People now have an access to read, watch and hear AP news. It indeed, has had a wide and influential impact on the news rendering sector.
Can you abbreviate AP style?
The thumb rule for the basic AP style state abbreviations is that one should never abbreviate the term if the readers will face difficulty in figuring out what the actual term is.
What is AP style?
AP Style holds that a few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some instances and some other abbreviations are acceptable depending on the context, but in general, as a writer, you should avoid having your writing appear as if it’s “alphabet soup.”. In other words, do not use abbreviations or acronyms that your readers will not ...
When to abbreviate titles?
You should abbreviate titles when they are used before a full name. For example, Mr., Mrs. Ms., Doctor (Dr.), Governor (Gov.), Lieutenant Governor (Lt. Gov.), Representative (Rep.), Senator (Sen.), the Reverend (the Rev.), and certain military titles such as General (Gen.), Lieutenant General (Lt. Gen.), Major General (Maj. Gen.), Colonel (Col.), Major (Maj.), etc. For a full listing of titles and their guidelines, including military titles, legislative titles, and courtesy titles, see the AP Style titles page.
What is the abbreviation for senior?
You should abbreviate junior (Jr.) and senior (Sr.) after an individual’s name. You should also abbreviate company (Co. or Cos.), corporation (Corp.), incorporated (Inc.), and limited (Ltd.) when used after the name of a corporate entity. See company names for more.
What months should be spelled out?
Abbreviate only the months Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. All months should be spelled out when used alone or with alone with the year. For example,
How many letters should be capitalized?
You should use only an initial capital letter then lowercase for acronyms of more than six letters, unless listed otherwise in our AP Style list or Webster’s New World College Dictionary.
Should other names be reduced to acronyms?
Other names that are not commonly used before the public should not be reduced to acronyms just to eliminate some words in your text.
Does AP style use periods?
Generally AP Style omits periods in a cronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word. AP Style does use periods in most two-letter abbreviations: U.S., U.N., U.K., B.A., B.C. AP itself along with GI and EU are exceptions to this rule.
