AP Style Top Ten Rules
NUMBERS PERCENTAGES AGES
Draw a picture & color to illustrate the rule.
One through nine is generally spelled out, while Percentages are always expressed as numerals, Ages are always expressed as numerals.
10 and above are generally written as followed %
numerals.
EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE :
JOB TITLES FILM, BOOK & SONG DIRECTIONS & REGIONS
Job titles are generally capitalized when they Generally, these are capitalized and placed in In general, lowercase north, south, northern,
appear before a person’s name, but lowercase quotation marks. Do not use quote marks with southwest when they indicate compass
after the name. reference books or the names of newspapers or directions. Capitalize the same words when
magazines. they mean regions.
EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE :
DOLLAR AMOUNTS LANGUAGES DATES
Dollar amounts are always expressed as Capitalize the proper names of languages and Dates are expressed as numerals. The months
numerals, and the “$” sign is used. dialects. Cajun, English, Serbo-Croatian, Yiddish. August through February are abbreviated when
used with numbered dates. March through July
are never abbreviated. Months without dates
are not abbreviated. “Th” is not used.
EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE :
STREET ADDRESSES SUBJECTS DIY 1
Numerals are used for numbered addresses. Capitalize subjects if they are languages and if Rule:
Street, Avenue, and Boulevard are abbreviated they are followed by a number.
when used with a numbered address but
otherwise are spelled out. Route and Road are
never abbreviated.
EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE :
DIY 2 DIY 3 DIY 4
Rule: Rule: Rule:
EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE : EXAMPLE :
COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS
COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS
