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abattoir

Not abbatoir.

abbreviations

Avoid inventing acronyms or abbreviations and never invent short spellings of proper company names. We may use some abbreviations for brevity but never at the expense of clarity. A reader should never have to read backwards to find out what an abbreviation means. Use a generic term, e.g. the company or the organisation, rather than stud a story with abbreviations, especially where more than one or two sets of initials are involved.

Space constraints on alerts and headlines make it tempting to invent new short forms for words and create company names, but a better and more accurate headline is almost always possible. It is not acceptable to change the spelling of a proper company name. An abbreviation, if widely known, should be used instead, e.g. IBM not Intl Bus. Mach.. Some very common abbreviations, e.g. AIDS, NATO, may be used alone at first reference with the full name given subsequently. These are listed in the quick reference entries. Abbreviations of two initials take full stops, e.g. U.S. and U.N. The exceptions are EU (European Union) and UK (United Kingdom). The full stops may be omitted in alerts and headlines if there are space constraints. Abbreviations of three or more initials and acronyms (words composed of initials or initial syllables) do not take full stops, e.g. IBM, UNICEF, WEU. If initials are well known, e.g. PLO, you need not bracket the initials after the first full reference. You may write The Palestine Liberation Organisation has sent two envoys ... and then a PLO statement said the two men would ... If the institution is little known, bracket the initials after the first reference, e.g. The Western European Union (WEU) decided on Tuesday. In the case of foreign groups, where the word order changes in the English translation, bracket the initials, e.g. the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). Do not bracket initials after a first reference if you are not going to use the initials again lower in the story. Form the plural of abbreviations by adding a lower-case s without an apostrophe, e.g. ICBMs not ICBM’s or ICBMS. Do not use full stops when abbreviating the names of months in datelines. The style is Jan, Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec. In tabulated lists use only the first three letters for all months, e.g. Jan, Jun, Jul. Abbreviate the names of months in text when they are used with a specific date, e.g. Jun. 19, Dec. 25. Use capital letters when abbreviating capitalised words, lower case for uncapitalised phrases, e.g. ASEAN but mph, bpd.

-able

Words ending in a silent -e normally drop the "e" before the -able, e.g. arguable. Words ending in -ce or -ge do not, e.g. changeable, ageing.


A-bomb

Use atomic bomb, unless in a direct quote.

abortion

Unless quoting someone, refer to aborted foetuses rather than unborn babies. Describe those campaigning for a woman’s right to have an abortion as abortion rights campaigners and those campaigning against abortion rights as anti-abortion campaigners. Terms such as pro-choice, pro-life and pro-abortion are open to dispute and should be avoided.

ABS

Asset-backed securities: securities collateralised by assets such as car loans and credit card receivables, which can be seized if the debtor defaults. ABS are created by the process of securitisation whereby banks pool types of loans and use them as collateral or security against a bond issue.


abscess

academic titles

Capitalise when they immediately precede a personal name, otherwise use lower case, e.g. Professor John Smith.


accept, except

Accept is to take or receive; except is to leave out.

access

Do not use as a verb.

accessible

accidentally, not accidently.

accolade, not acolade.

accommodate, not accomodate.

Achilles’ heel, tendon

Note apostrophe and capitalisation.

acknowledgment, not acknowledgement.

acolyte, not acolite.

acre

To convert to hectares roughly multiply by 2 and divide by 5. To convert precisely multiply by 0.405.

acronyms

Avoid if at all possible. Very few are understandable at first reference. Most are only of use to a specialised audience that has seen them several times before. Where possible replace with a noun such as the committee, the organisation, the inquiry.

acting

Do not capitalise before a title, acting Chairman and Chief Executive Paulo Georgio.

activity

The word can often be dropped, as in sporting activity, golfing activity, leisure activity, political activity.

actor

actor (man), actress (woman).

acute, chronic

Acute is coming to a crisis, chronic is lasting a long time or deep-seated. Be specific when writing about disease or problems.

AD

Anno Domini (in the year of our Lord). Precedes the date, e.g. AD 73. But 234 BC (Before Christ).

adage

A proverb or old saying. Old adage is tautologous.

adapter, adaptor

An adapter is the person who adapts something. An adaptor is a device for connecting parts of different sizes. American style uses adapter for both.

ADB

Asian Development Bank. A multilateral development finance institution, with headquarters in Manila, dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific. Owned by member countries, mostly from the region.


additional/in addition to

Use more or and.

adjectives

Use sparingly. Inject colour into copy with strong verbs and facts, rather than adjectives. If you use more than two adjectives before a single noun then rewrite the sentence. A reader struggles with The one-eyed poverty-stricken Greek house painter. Avoid adjectives that imply judgment, e.g. a hard-line speech, a glowing tribute, a staunch conservative. Depending on where they stand, some people might consider the speech moderate, the tribute fulsome or the conservative a die-hard reactionary. When using an adjective and a noun together as an adjective, hyphenate them, e.g. a blue-chip share, high-caste Hindus. When using an adjective and the past participle of a verb together adjectivally, hyphenate them, e.g. old-fashioned morality, rose-tinted spectacles. Do not hyphenate an adverb and adjective when they stand alone, e.g. the artist was well known. If the adverb and adjective are paired to form a new adjective, they are hyphenated, e.g. a well-known artist. Do not do so however if the adverb ends in -ly, e.g. a poorly planned operation.

ad-lib

Hyphenated for verb, noun and adjective.

administration

Always lower case, e.g. the Bush administration. See also capitalisation.

admiral

See capitalisation.

admissible, inadmissible, not admissable

Admissions of responsibility is officialese. Did they do it or didn't they?

admit

Use with care. If you say someone admitted something you imply that it had previously been concealed or that there is an element of guilt. Plain said is usually better.

ad nauseam

adoption

Refer to a child’s adoptive status only when the fact is clearly significant. Use the term “birth mother” to refer to the woman who gave birth to a child, if a distinction must be made with the woman who raised the child. ”Birth father” and “birth parent” are also preferred style. Do not use “real” or “natural” to describe parents or children. Avoid loaded and dated phrases such as “give away a child”, “give up for adoption” and “unwanted child”. “Adoptive” as an adjective can refer to parents or the general subject of adoption. Try to describe actions instead of creating labels such as “adopted child” e.g. “Hollywood actress Sharon Celebrity, who gave birth to a daughter on Friday, has two other children. She adopted Pixie, 4, and Tinkerbell, 2, during her previous marriage to actor Tim Hunk.” Be wary of cultural bias or value judgments in covering international adoptions and disputes over parental rights involving families from different cultures or socio-economic backgrounds.


ADR

American Depositary Receipt. Certificates tradeable like shares that allow U.S. investors to buy stock in an overseas company while realising capital gains and dividends in dollars.


adrenaline, not adrenalin

advance, advancement

Advance is progress; advancement is promotion.

advance planning

A tautology.

adverbs

Like adjectives they should be used sparingly. Avoid adverbs that imply judgment, e.g. generously, harshly, and sternly. Put the adverb between the auxiliary verb and the past participle, e.g. France has already refused... not France already has refused ... However, American usage favours keeping the auxiliary verb and past participle together, with the adverb either before or after the compound verb. e.g. France has refused already... or France already has refused...

adverse, averse

Adverse is contrary, opposed or unfavourable. Averse is disinclined to or reluctant. I am averse to go camping in adverse weather.

advice, advise

Advice is the noun, advise is the verb.

adviser

Not advisor.

aeroplane

Use aircraft. Do not use the U.S. term airplane. In many cases stories need the specific type of aircraft.

affect, effect

affect is a verb meaning to influence, effect is usually a noun meaning outcome or consequence, e.g. The effect of the decision will affect the company’s decision. Effect as verb means to accomplish, e.g. He effected his escape with the aid of his wife. However, affect is a vague word; be more precise. Effect is usually word-spinning. He escaped... is simpler.

AFL-CIO

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Afrikaner

A white South African, usually of Dutch descent.

Afrikaans

The language spoken by Afrikaners.

aftermath

Prefer results. Use after rather than in the aftermath of.

AG

German company title: abbreviation of Aktiengesellschaft, a joint-stock company.

Afterwards, but in American style afterward

aggravate, annoy

Aggravate makes worse. Do not use in the sense of to irritate. Annoy is to cause trouble to someone.

age

Use numerals for all ages, e.g. the 6-year-old girl, the 9-year-old boy. The 66-year-old president or an 18-year-old youth are fine. Avoid the 66-year-old Smith, which suggests he is being distinguished from another, 65-year-old Smith; said instead, in a simple way, Smith, who is 66, or just Smith, 66,.

ageing, but in American style aging

aged, elderly

Avoid, because the terms are always relative. In some societies a 50-year-old is already aged. In others a sprightly 90-year-old who has just written a novel or run a marathon would object to being called aged or elderly.

agenda

Agenda singular, agendas plural.

AGM

Use annual meeting.

AIDS

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection. The initials AIDS and HIV are used at first reference with the full name given lower in the story. Do not write HIV virus, which is redundant. See medical stories on the need for caution in handling stories about reputed cures for AIDS.

air base

Two words.

Airbus

One word, capitalised, unhyphenated.

aircraft

Prefer to plane. Most airliners and military aircraft are jets so there is normally no need to specify that an aircraft is a jet. Warplane – is one word. Do not use the American term airplane or the term fighter jet. Capitalise but do not put in quotation marks the names of aircraft, e.g. Concorde, Flogger, Tomcat. When the number designating an aircraft is preceded by a letter or letters, hyphenate, e.g. Boeing 747 but DC-10, F-111. Be specific when giving aircraft models in economic stories because there are cost differences, e.g. Boeing 747-400 not just Boeing 747. Use makers’ names in the form given in Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft, e.g. MiG-21. Give numerals for aircraft speeds, e.g. Mach 1 not Mach one. Aircraft names use a hyphen when changing from letters to figures, no hyphen when adding a letter to figures, eg F-15 Eagle/747B, but Airbus 3000 is an exception.

air fare

Two words.

air force

Two words.

Air Force One

This is the radio call sign of any fixed-wing aircraft used by the president of the United States. The U.S. Marine Corps is responsible for presidential helicopter support. Marine One is the radio call sign of any helicopter used by the president.

Air France-KLM

Note hyphen

airlift

Do not use as a synonym for fly, e.g. The injured man was airlifted to hospital. Reserve it for shuttle services, e.g. The United States airlifted 50,000 troops to the Gulf.

airlines

Airlines vary widely in their use of air line(s), airline(s) or airways as part of their name. Check the spelling on the company’s Web site.

air raid

Two words.

air strike

Two words.

alibi

Not a synonym for an excuse. It means a claim to have been elsewhere at the time of an offence.

Al Jazeera

Qatar television station. Use upper case A and no hyphen since this is how the broadcaster describes itself in English. Refer to as an Arab news channel broadcasting in Arabic and in English.

al Qaeda

Created by Osama bin Laden in the late 1980s, al Qaeda ("The Base") is a militant movement that supports violent attacks on the West, Israel and governments in Muslim countries allied to the West that it believes prevent the creation of a ‘pure’ Islamic world. The movement became more diffuse after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and some key figures were captured or killed. However, new wings have emerged in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and North Africa.

Now the term al Qaeda is used by different people to mean different things. When authorities speak about an "al Qaeda plot", we should try to pin down whether they mean it was ordered and directed by "core al Qaeda" or generally inspired by the anti-Western ideology of bin Laden.

albino, albinos

alfresco

Use in the open air, or outdoors.

alias

Refers only to assumption of a false name, not an entire false identity or profession.

all right

Not alright.

all rounder

Two words, e.g. a cricketer who bats and bowls.

All Saints' Day

November 1. Note apostrophe.

all-time, all time

The greatest singer of all time, but an all-time low. Do not write an all-time record. It is simply a record. Always ensure superlatives such as all-time high are checked and sourced..

Allahu akbar

God is Greatest (not, as often written, God is Great), a common Muslim rallying cry. Also chanted when Muslims perform their five daily prayers.

allege

Avoid. Do not report allegations without saying who made them. Use of the word alleged before a defamatory statement does not provide immunity against an action for libel. Do not use allegedly.

allot, allotting, allotted

allude, refer

Allude means to refer to in passing without making an explicit mention. Refer means to mention directly. He alluded to the sins of his past and referred to his criminal record.

allusion, illusion

Allusion is a reference in passing. Illusion is a false impression or a delusion.

Almaty

Not Alma-Ata. The biggest city in Kazakhstan and the country's commercial hub. The capital was shifted to Astana in 1997.

almost exactly

It is either exact, or not.

alpine

lower case, except for Alpine skiing.

altar, alter

Altar is a table used for religious services. Alter is to change. They altered the altar to make it fit the church.

altercation

An altercation is an argument or heated exchange of words, not a fight.

alternate, alternative

Alternate means that A and B take turns, alternative that you have a choice between A and B. There can only be two alternatives. Any more and you face choices, options or possibilities.

altitudes

Convert metres to feet not yards when giving altitudes.

Aluminium

But aluminum in American style.

alumnus (man) alumna (woman) alumni (plural)

Alzheimer’s disease

A progressive, incurable and disabling disease leading to severe dementia. Although it usually occurs in elderly people it is not synonymous with dementia or senility.

a.m.

Time, e.g. 6 a.m., 6:45 a.m.

AM

The amplitude modulation method of radio transmission.

ambassador

Use for a man or a woman.

ambience, not ambiance.

American

As a noun this may be used to describe a U.S. citizen.

American Indian

Acceptable but Native American (capitalised) is preferred, bearing in mind that this includes e.g. Inuit who are not Indians. Where possible, be more specific and give the name of the tribe (eg. Navajo, Cherokee). See race

American spelling

There are two generally accepted spelling systems for the English language. Our global client base are 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.

Americas

Includes South American states.

America's Cup

The sailing trophy, named after the yacht America, takes an apostrophe.

amid

Not amidst. However, amid is a sign of thoughtless writing; there is always a better way to express this.

amok, not amock or amuck.

among, between

Between is restricted to two choices or two parties. Among is for several options or parties. Use between in referring to bilateral contacts e.g. relations between France and Germany. Use among for a collective linkage, e.g. relations among the NATO states. Be careful to use between if there are just two groups to choose from, even though it looks like several. It was hard to decide between a touring holiday in France, Belgium and Spain or in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It was hard to decide among a holiday in France, in Belgium or in Spain.

ampersand

Do not use, instead use 'and' in full, even in company names.

anaemia, anaemic but anemia, anemic is American style.

analog, not analogue

analysts

Do not use analysts alone, but qualify -- political analysts, stock market analysts.

ancestor

One from whom someone is descended. Do not use to mean predecessor.

and

Do not start a sentence with 'and'.

annex

Not annexe, for both verb and noun.

annual meeting

Lower case. For companies use annual meeting rather than annual general meeting.

another

Avoid when you are trying to say additional or extra. It should be used only when referring to things of the same type, size and number. Two teams were at full strength; another two were short of players. In most instances it can simply be omitted. Three men died in the crash and three were injured.

Antarctic, Antarctica

Not Antartic.

antennae, antennas

Antennae are insect feelers. Antennas are aerials.

Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty

ABM Treaty on second reference.

anticipate, expect

These are not synonyms. If you anticipate something, you not only expect it but take precautionary action to deal with it.

anti-

Hyphenate in most cases. Antitrust is an exception..

antitrust

One word. Largely an American term that refers to government policy or law that restrains monopolistic or anti-competitive behaviour by businesses. The term originated in late 19th century United States where businesses were often merged into large industry wide holding companies or trusts.

aneurysm

Not aneurism.

anxious, eager

Anxious means uneasy with fear or desire. Prefer eager if the promised experience is desirable. I am anxious about going to the dentist but eager to go the party.

any more

Two words

anything

One word.

anywhere

One word.

anyone, any one

Anyone can do that, but any one among them is guilty. When it is two words the emphasis is on the second word. Similarly with anybody and any body.

APEC

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, aimed at promoting regional trade and economic co-operation. 21 members.


apostolic delegate

See Roman Catholic Church.

apostrophes

apostrophes: Use the apostrophe according to the following rules, unless to do so would lead to a word that looked or sounded very strange.

Singular words and plural words not ending in s form the possessive by adding ‘s, e.g. Boeing’s new airliner, the children’s books. Plural words already ending in s form the possessive by adding the apostrophe alone, e.g. the soldiers’ weapons. There is usually no problem about using the apostrophe with words ending in s. the class’s performance, the princesses’ return, Shultz’s car are all acceptable because they can be pronounced easily. Some words would look or sound so odd, e.g. Paris’s reputation, Tunis’s main prison or Woolworths’s results that it best to write your way out of trouble. Recast such phrases, e.g. the son of the Dukasises, the reputation of Paris, the main prison in Tunis and results from Woolworths. Companies which end in s like Qantas or Optus might also appear ugly with the ‘s possessive. The best option is to avoid if possible. Reuters does not take an apostrophe, the only exception being in connection with the founder’s name, e.g. Reuter’s birthplace in Kassel. Note that it’s is a contraction of it is. The possessive form of it is its. Do not use an apostrophe in for example the 1990s or abbreviations such as NCOs. Joint possession: use the possessive form only after the last word if ownership is joint, e.g. Fred and Sylvia's apartment, but the possessive of both words if the objects and individually owned, e.g. Fred's And Sylvia's books.

appeal

The verb takes a preposition. You appeal against a decision, not appeal a decision.

appraise, apprise

Appraise is to set a value on or to price, apprise is to inform.

appreciation

Increase in an asset's value, as opposed to depreciation

approximately

About is shorter and simpler. So is almost or nearly.

April Fool's Day

One fool and one day, but All Fools’ Day.

Arab names

Reuters style is to end Arab names in i rather than y (Ali not Aly, Gaddafi not Gaddafy). The words al and el both mean the. They are usually in lower case and followed by a hyphen. We prefer al- to el- but should use el- if that is how the person spells his or her name in English. In personal names starting al- or el- include the particle only at first reference, e.g. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at first reference, thereafter Assad. In place and other names the particle is retained at second reference, e.g. al-Arish, (the newspaper) al-Akhbar. Particles that go in lower case are ait (Mohamed ait Atta) bin and bint (Aziza bint Ahmed), ben (Ahmed ben Bella), bar, bou and ould (Moktar ould Daddah). See also sheikh.

arbitrator, arbiter, mediator

An arbitrator or arbiter is appointed to make a decision and hand down a ruling. A mediator tries to produce a compromise agreed by both parties in a dispute.

archaeology, but American style is archeology

Arctic Sea, Arctic Circle

But arctic wind, arctic cold.

Argentina, Argentine

Not the Argentine as a noun or Argentinian as an adjective.

aroma

Do not use for unpleasant smells. It means a spicy fragrance or something with particular charm. It makes no sense to write the aroma of defeat.

armada

A fleet of armed ships. Do not use for a collection of pleasure boats.

army

Never capitalised when referring to the service as a whole, e.g. the U.S. army, the French army. Exceptions are armies that have a unique name, e.g. the Palestine Liberation Army, the Red Army. Capitalise army when referring to a specific formation, e.g. the U.S. 1st Army, the British 8th Army. Use figures for military units: 1st Army not First Army. However, American style capitalises all references to U.S. forces – U.S. Army, the Army, Army regulations.

around

Use about for approximation -- about 30, not around 30.

artefact,but American style is artifact

arrest

to avoid prejudging the issue, do not say arrested for murder, say arrested on a charge of murder; see also allege.

as

An overused conjunction, especially in leads, to link two developments that may have only a distant connection and may occur in different time frames, e.g. Jones issued new threats against Ruritania as Brown considered his options in the region. Use with restraint, preferably when actions are both contemporaneous and closely linked, e.g. Smith leaped out of the window as Jones kicked down the door. As substitutes use and, when, because.

as, like

As compares verbs, like compares nouns. He fought as a hero should, but he acted like a hero.

ASEAN

Association of South East Asian Nations, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. See www.aseansec.org

Asian subcontinent

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

assassin, assassination

Restrict to the killing of a prominent person for political motives.

assert

It can mean to vindicate, so use with care. Plain said is better.

Astana

The capital of Kazakhstan. Almaty was the capital until 1997.

Asiatic

Use Asian.

at the present time, at this time

Use now.

athlete’s foot

attache

Not a formal title: lower case.

attempt

Try is shorter, better

ATM

Automated teller machine, but spell out later. ATM machine is tautologous.

audiovisual

One word, no hyphen.

augur, auger

Augur is a soothsayer, or to foretell by signs. It augurs success. Auger is a carpenter’s tool for boring.

Australian Labor Party

(not Labour)

Autarchy, autarky

Autarchy means absolute power and autarky is self-sufficiency. Use plain words instead to remove the confusion.

author

Man or woman. As a verb use write.

automaker

One word (American usage). Also steelmaker, toymaker, drugmaker etc. Similarly autoworkers, steelworkers, etc.

auxiliary, not auxilliary.

averages

Place the word average where it correctly qualifies the item or quantity intended, e.g. Reporters drink an average of six cups of coffee a day. (Not: the average reporter drinks six cups of coffee a day). There are three types:(most often used) is calculated by adding all the constituent parts together and dividing by the number of parts.The middle value, meaning the number of values above it is the same as the number below it. The most commonly occurring value.

Average takes a singular or plural verb according to what it refers. The average age is 24, but an average of three men die each day.

AU

African Union (Addis Ababa). See www.africa-union.org

averse

See adverse, averse.

awakened

Prefer this form to awoken or awaked or awoke.

awe-struck

awhile, a while

I will rest awhile, or I will rest for a while.

axe, axed, axeing; but American style is ax, axed, axing

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