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saccharin, saccharine

The noun is saccharin, the adjective is saccharine.

Sahara

Not Sahara Desert – sahara means desert in Arabic.

Sahel

A belt of countries across Africa south of the Sahara, comprising Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Sudan.

Sahrawi

The people of the Western Saharan republic proclaimed by Polisario guerrillas fighting for independence from Morocco. Its full name is the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Saigon

Now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Saint

Use St. with full point.

Sahrawi

The people of the Western Saharan republic proclaimed by Polisario guerrillas fighting for independence from Morocco. Its full name is the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Saakashvili

Mikheil, not Mikhail, is the correct Georgian form of the president's first name.

salable, salably

salutary

Not salutory, for promoting health or safety, or wholesome. But salutatory, the adjective for a greeting.

Salvadorean, not Salvadoran.

salvo, salvos

Samoa

The islands making up the former Western Samoa are now officially known as the Independent State of Samoa. Use "Samoa" for short . The neighbouring U.S. territory is American Samoa.

sanction

Avoid sanction as a verb. It has conflicting meanings, to approve and to punish.

SARS

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. A flu-like and potentially fatal viral disease. Use SARS at first reference and spell out the full name lower in the story.

sat

Sat, or was seated, or was sitting, but not was sat.

savings and loans associations (U.S.)

Not banks. Use associations on second reference.

saviour, savior in American style

Scandinavia

This comprises Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The Nordic countries are these three plus Finland and Iceland. Because of the danger of confusion, list the countries even if you use Nordic or Scandinavian in a lead for the sake of brevity.

sceptic, but in American style skeptic

scheme

Use the noun with caution and prefer “plan” or “initiative”. The noun has a neutral meaning in British English but can be pejorative in American English.

Scottish names

Be particularly careful with names beginning Mac. They could be e.g. MacLaren, Maclaren, McClaren. check and check again.

screen saver

Two words.

SDRs

Special drawing rights are international reserve assets created by the IMF and member countries to supplement existing reserves. Based on a basket of the major traded currencies and are the IMF unit of account for international transactions. The reference currency basket has specific weightings of major traded currencies. The latest value is on www.imf.org.

SEALS

A special operations force of the U.S. Navy. The acronym is for sea, air, land.

seasons

Be careful in writing of summer and winter, spring and autumn (fall), since the seasons are reversed north and south of the equator. Seasons are not capitalised unless part of the formal name of an event. Be specific about when something happened rather than use the season. e.g. The transport strike last August ... rather than ... The transport strike last summer.

Seattle

Stands alone in datelines.

second guess

Noun. Hyphenate as a verb

second-hand

With hyphen.

second lieutenant

Two words.

Second World War

Use World War Two, not WWII.

Secret Service

In the United States, a federal agency administered by the Department of Homeland Security. The Secret Service Uniformed Division protects the president’s residence and offices and embassies in Washington.

secretary-general

Hyphenated. Capitalise if part of a formal title.

sector

Industry is better.

Security Council

The 15-member United Nations Security Council in New York is the body that takes many of the decisions on U.N. action around the world, often through numbered resolutions, e.g. Resolution 649. It consists of five permanent members with the power of veto over any resolution – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. There are also 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council, made up of other U.N. countries which serve in rotation, representing different areas of the world. The Security Council presidency rotates monthly, by English alphabetical listing of its member states.

The U.N. Security Council becomes the council (lower case) at second reference.

see, saw

Inanimate objects do not have the power of sight. Do not write The game saw several violent incidents; the club’s progress has seen them climb to seventh in the table. The device is less absurd but similarly lazy when overused to apply to people, Bill McGreer saw his shot go wide.

seize

selloff

One word.

semi

In general, no hyphen.

semiannual

Prefer twice-yearly or twice a year.

semi-final

Hyphenated.

Senate

Capitalised.

sentence length

Sentences should generally be short but, to avoid a staccato effect, vary their length. Avoid complex constructions. A sentence with more than one subordinate clauses can be hard to follow and difficult to translate.

separate

Sephardim

Jews of Spanish or Portuguese descent as opposed to Ashkenazim who are Jews of East or Central European descent. Adjectives Sephardic, Ashkenazic.

Sept. 11

The date can stand alone without reference to the Twin Towers or the year 2001, as can the alternative reference 9/11.

septuagenarian

Serie A

Italian first division soccer. Capitalised.

serried

Close-pressed, packed, not just organised or in neat rows.

set point

Two words in tennis scoring.

Sevastopol

Not Sebastepol, Crimea.

serviceable

sewage, sewerage

Sewage is waste and sewerage is the system that removes it.

sexist language

Do not use language that perpetuates the stereotype of women. Such language is offensive, out of date and often simply inaccurate. Sexist references should be avoided, as should such linguistic absurdities as creating the crime of peopleslaughter. Do not refer to gender, a woman’s looks, hairstyle or clothing unless they are details relevant to the story and similar expresssions would be used for men.

shake-up, shake up

The noun is a shake-up, the verb is to shake up.

shall, will

Strictly shall and should are reserved for the pronouns I and we, while will and would are used with you, he, she and they. If the action is performed with decided intention then shall and should can be used with you, he, she and they. They shall go to the ball no matter what their mothers say. The distinction between shall and will varies from country to country and can probably be ignored.

sharia

Islamic religious law (note lower case s). Sharia law is tautologous. Write sharia, Islamic law.

sheikh

Not sheik or shaikh. A courtesy title in Saudi Arabia but avoid in this context. The real sheikhs there are religious figures and sheikh should be used at first reference. Elsewhere in the Gulf it applies to members of ruling families as well as religious figures and should be used at first reference.

sheriff (U.S.)

Capitalise as a title before a name.

sherpas

Senior officials from G7/G8 countries who meet three or four times before each summit to agree topics to be discussed and to draft the final communiqué. Named after the Himalayan people renowned for their mountaineering ability who are often employed as guides on expeditions. Best avoided as jargon or explained if you need to use it.

Shia

Use Shi’ite unless in a direct quote.

Shimla, not Simla, India

ship tonnage

See tonnage.

ships’ names

Do not use HMS or USS to designate British or American warships if the nationality of the ship is already clear. Write the British frigate Battleaxe not the British frigate HMS Battleaxe. But in datelines write, for instance, ABOARD HMS BATTLEAXE. Routinely check the names of ships in Jane’s Fighting Ships, Lloyd’s Register or the weekly Lloyd’s Shipping Index. Do not put quotation marks round the names of ships. Always use neuter pronouns.

shoeshine, shoestring

shoo-in, not shoe-in.

short ton

See ton, tonne.

short-covering

Hyphenated.

short-lived, short-sighted

Hyphenated.

shutdown

One word.

side effect

Two words, no hyphen.

side by side

As an adverb, no hyphens e.g. they walked side by side.. Hyphenate as an adjective, e.g. The stories received side-by-side display.

siege

Sierra Nevada

Not Sierra Nevada mountains (tautologous).

silicon, silicone

Silicon chips but silicone implants.

Simla

Use Shimla, India.

since

Do not use to mean because.

single out

By definition, this phrase should be used only for single examples. Do not write, for instance, He singled out Britain, France and Italy for blame.

Sinhalese

A major ethnic group in Sri Lanka.

Sinn Fein

Do not use Sinn Fein/IRA.

siphon

Not syphon.

sister-in-law, sisters-in-law

situation

The word can usually be dispensed with, as in a crisis situation, a debt situation, a flood situation.

sizable

ski, skiing, skied, skier

skilful

skills

Jargon. Avoid if possible.

skipper

Use only of fishing vessels. Otherwise captain.

slam

Slang. Prefer said.

slang

Avoid slang not be readily understood outside the English speaking world or your own country. It creates problems for translators. If a vivid quote contains slang, explain it in brackets or give a paraphrased version, e.g. He’s in the cat-bird seat (in a favoured position) “ or Saying Smith was in a favoured position, he added: He’s in the cat-bird seat.”

slew

It is colloquial and a cliché. If you are trying to say a large number or amount then express it more precisely.

slump

A sudden or serious fall in economic activity or prices.

Smithsonian Institution, not Institute.

smoulder, but smolder in American style.

sneaked, not snuck

so as to

Use to.

so-called

Adjective and adverb.

Social Security

Capitalise when referring to the U.S. system.

socialist

Capitalise only when part of a proper name.

software

Capitalise, without quotation marks, e.g. Windows, Internet Explorer. Use quotation marks for computer games, e.g. “Bust a Move: Dance Summit”.

Somali

Not Somalian.

some

Write about 500 people rather than some 500 people. As an indication that a figure is an approximation, some is more likely to confuse translators than about.

song titles

Capitalise every word in the title apart from conjunctions, articles, particles and short prepositions, e.g. "All You Need Is Love", "Son of a Preacher Man".

sophisticated

A modish word when applied to weapons. Most weapon systems are sophisticated. If you just mean modern, say so.

sorcerer

SOS

An appeal for rescue. No spaces, no points.

South Asia

Use this for the region that includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

space age

Began with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957.

space centre, but American style is space center

Use in stories to describe Cape Canaveral and other spacecraft launch facilities. Do not use spaceport

spaceship

space shuttle

Lower case unless part of a proper name.

spacewalk

One word

Spanish names

See Hispanic names.

special

Avoid. It rarely adds value. Instead tell us directly what is special about the person or the event.

species

Same word for singular and plural.

speeds

Use numerals for speeds 7 mph, 7 to 9 knots.

spelled, misspelled, not spelt

spelling

There are two generally accepted spelling systems for the English language. Our global client base is accustomed to reading both. Copy orginating in the Americas should follow North American spelling conventions, such as color, defense, aging, caliber, etc. Copy orginating elsewhere should follow British spelling norms. At all times stick to official spellings for American names and titles, such as U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Watch out for regional words that non-English language services and clients will find difficult to understand and translate. In American sports coverage, use American terms and spellings e.g. center, maneuver, defense, offense, ballclub, postseason, preseason, lineman, line up, halfback, doubleheader.

spill, spilling, spilled, not spilt.

spin off, spinoff

Spin off is the verb, spinoff the noun.

spokesman, spokeswoman

not spokesperson. If the sex of the person is not known then use representative.

spoonful, spoonfuls, not spoonsful or spoons full.

sports events titles

Use lower case for sport names, junior, men’s, women’s, championship, tournament, meeting, match, test, race, game etc. Use upper case for an event title e.g. French Open tennis championships, Dutch Open golf tournament. Use singular championship when one title is at stake and plural championships for more than one, U.S. Open tennis championships (men’s, women’s, doubles). Use the name of the sport before championship, tournament etc.

sports metaphors

Think twice before using a metaphor drawn from sport. They are often particular to a single sport or culture and are difficult to translate. Not everyone knows what you mean by bowling a googly, a full court press or standing up to the plate.

sprang, sprung

Sprang is the past tense. The crew sprang to attention. Sprung is the past participle. Spring has sprung.

square leg, square-leg

Two words for the fielding position in cricket, at square leg, but hyphenated as an adjective, square-leg umpire.

stadiums, not stadia.

stagehand, one word

stanch, staunch

Use stanch for the verb, staunch for the adjective. The staunch supporter stanched the flow of blood.

Star Wars

Use quote marks when it means the U.S. Strategic Defence Initiatve.

startup

One word for a new business.

star/superstar

Avoid. Do not use in sports reporting.

state names

Abbreviate the names of states in the United States only in datelines. In text, spell out the names in full.

station wagon, two words

stationary, stationery

Stationary is fixed or still. Stationery is writing material.

statute mile

About 1.6 km.

stepping stone, two words

stretcher

Do not use as a verb. Bill Bloggs was carried off, not stretchered off.

stealth

Do not capitalize when describing aircraft or weapons. See military.

storey, storeys

The third storey of a building. But tell me a different story. In American style, story for both uses.

storms

A storm is more severe than a gale. The most severe of all storms is a cyclone, in which winds blow spirally inwards towards a centre of low barometric pressure. The word cyclone is used of such storms in the Indian Ocean and Australia. In the China Seas and West Pacific such a storm is a typhoon and in the Caribbean and on the east coast of the United States a hurricane. A tornado is a violent whirling windstorm with a very narrow focus, common in the United States. In many countries meteorological offices give tropical storms the names of men and women in alphabetical sequence. Japan numbers them sequentially, beginning afresh on January 1 each year. To be recognised as typhoon, a tropical storm has to have winds of 17 metres (56 feet) per second or stronger. The Beaufort scale measures wind speed.

strait, straight

a strait is a narrow channel joining two larger bodies of water; in dire straits or in desperate straits is a cliché for someone in distress. The home straight is the final part of a racecourse between the last bend and the finishing post.

straitjacket

strait-laced

Narrow in principles, or prudish. Not straight-laced.

strategic

The distinction between strategy – the conduct of a military campaign – and tactics – manoeuvring in the presence of the enemy – is worth preserving. Do not abuse strategic by making it mean simply important. A mountain pass, a bridge or even a building is of strategic importance if its possession could affect the conduct of a campaign as a whole. If it is only of local importance its value is tactical.

stratum, strata

One stratum, several strata.

stricture

Adverse criticism, or a binding or closure. The first meaning is the one most commonly used.

strike

Do not use as a transitive verb. For strike action say strike.

strong-arm

Hyphenated as verb and adjective.

stupefy, stupefying, stupefaction

stupor

sub

In general, no hyphen as a prefix.

submachinegun

One word. See also Military

subpoena, subpoenaing, subpoenaed

subprime

One word.

subsequent to, subsequently

Use after or later.

substitute for

The verb substitute takes the preposition for. Do not confuse with replace with or replace by.

successive

Preferable to straight.

successor

successfully

Can often be excised, as in They successfully sailed round the world.

such as, like

Such is used when offering an example. Like means similar to. Politicians like Brown have short tempers and long memories, but Players such as Smith, Patel and Jones are essential in the team.

Sudan, not the Sudan.

sufficient

Generally prefer enough.

sue, suing, sued

Not sueing.

suit, suite

A suit of clothes or to follow suit in cards. However, a suite of followers, rooms or furniture or play a suite of tunes.

summit

Use this term only for meetings of heads of state or government. You cannot have a summit of foreign ministers or of trade union leaders. Do not use mini-summit. Two leaders can make a summit.

summon, summons

The verb is to summon. The noun is a summons.

Sunni/Shi’ite

Muslims are split into two main groups, Sunni and Shi'ite. Sunnis are estimated about 80 percent of all Muslims and include most Arabs. Sunnis and Shi'ites draw spiritual inspiration from the same source, the Prophet Mohammad, but Shi'ite theologians have much greater freedom of interpretation. As well as adhering to the revelations of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, Sunnis follow the Prophet Mohammad's rule of life (the Sunna) and traditions based on his sayings. Shi'ites hold that the succession to the Prophet should remain in his own family. Since the direct line was broken not long after the death of Mohammad, Shi'ites believe there is a Hidden Imam (spiritual leader) who will reappear one day. In Iran, where Shi'ites are predominant, the revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was considered the Imam's deputy on earth. His successor as Supreme Leader holds the same authority Rivalry between Sunnis and Shi'ites extends back to the years following the death of the Prophet Mohammad, when Islam first split over the question of who was the rightful successor. Some hardline Sunnis regard Shi'ites as heretics and Shi'ite minority communities in some parts of the Middle East complain of discrimination

super

In general, no hyphen as a prefix.

superlatives

Be careful with first, largest, biggest, highest and oldest because such descriptions are often challenged. Have a source for them. but be particularly sceptical about news releases claiming records, especially auction records.Avoid similar value judgments. Do not call a company giant, because many companies are giants in one way or another. When does a company become a giant?


supersede

supervisor

supremo

Do not use the term for a supreme commander, which is not widely understood outside Britain.

Surinam, not Suriname

Former Dutch colony in South America.

surrounded

Completely surrounded is tautologous, as is surrounded on all sides. it is impossible to be surrounded on two or three sides.

SUV

Sport (singular) Utility Vehicle.

Swastika

swath, swathe

A swath is a strip cut by a scythe or mowing machine. Swathe is to wrap, or a binding or bandage. Cut a swath, but swathe someone in love.

swat, swot

Swat a wasp but swot for your exams.

syllabus, syllabuses

sync

Prefer to 'synch' as a way to shorten synchronisation, as in out of sync.

synthesise, synthesizer, but in American style synthesize, synthesizer

Szczecin, not Stettin, Poland.

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Category: The Reuters General Style Guide

This page was last modified 11:25, 19 October 2009.

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