UEA Style Manual

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X-Y-Z

This style manual has been prepared as a guidebook of editorial style in order to establish a cohesive image for the Utah Education Association and to provide readers with consistent, clear communications.

For the purposes of this manual, style is defined as rules regarding the mechanics of written communication such as capitalization, spelling and punctuation of words—not as rules of literary composition or forms of expression such as manner and tone.

The Utah Education Association Style Manual is based on reference works that will be uniformly applied to all publications printed for external audiences. The style references contained herein are primarily based on the Associated Press Stylebook and Webster’s New World Dictionary, considered standard style guides for most written forms of mass communication.

The UEA has adopted this manual for all written communications, particularly those directed to external audiences. These guidelines also apply to websites.

Style Manual Key

Style Manual – A to Z listing of guides to capitalization, abbreviation, spelling and usage

Appendix A: Acronyms and Abbreviations

Appendix B: Letterhead, Memos and Fax Cover Sheets

Appendix C: UEA Logo Usage and Style (pdf)

Style Manual Key

Style Manual

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X-Y-Z

a cappella

abbreviations and acronyms Do not use abbreviations or acronyms the reader would not quickly recognize. Typically spell out official names and titles on first reference. Avoid using an acronym on first reference unless its meaning is readily recognized. Preferred form is to write a name in full on first reference, directly followed by the acronym in parentheses. The acronym can then be used in subsequent references. Utah Education Association (UEA), Box Elder School District (BESD), American College Test (ACT). Remember that clarity and readability are often better served by using nouns rather than acronyms in second references. For example, defibrillator is much better than AED in subsequent references to Automated External Defibrillator. Use periods in two-letter abbreviations, but, generally, omit them in longer abbreviations and acronyms. See Appendix A: Acronyms and Abbreviations.

academic degrees Academic degrees include Ph.D., Ed.D., etc. For public educators, use degrees following their names rather than using Dr. John Smith, Ed.D. (not Dr. John Smith). Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. Use associate degree, not associate’s or associates. Use doctorate degree, not doctorate’s or doctorates. There is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.

academic departments Use lowercase except for words that are proper nouns. department of history, English department

academic titlesCapitalize and spell out formal titles, such as professor, when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere.

accept, except Accept means to take or receive. I will accept the nomination. Except means to exclude. Everyone went to the party except Jim.

addresses Follow the guidelines established by the U.S. Postal Service for mailing addresses. When listing an address in a publication, use the state abbreviations in this guide with the city names. See states. Use abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address. Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used as street names; use figures with two letters for 10th and above. Abbreviate compass points with a single, capital letter to indicate directional ends of a street in a numbered address, but spell out directions in a street name. 875 E. Pontiac Ave., 875 East 5180 South. Also see web addresses.

administration Lowercase: the administration, the president’s administration, the governor’s administration, the Obama administration.

administrator Never abbreviate.

adopt, approve, enact, pass Amendments, ordinances, resolutions and rules are adopted or approved. Bills are passed. Laws are enacted.

adviser Not advisor.

affect, effect Affect, as a verb, means to influence rather than to cause. The game will affect the standings. Effect, as a verb, means to cause. He will have a great effect on the company.

African-American The preferred term is black. Use African-American only in quotations or the names of organizations.

ages Always use numerals when referring to people unless they are at the beginning of a sentence. The 68-year-old educator has taught for seven years. Tom Smith, 8, was named Student of the Month. The woman is in her 30s. (no apostrophe)

aid, aide Aid is assistance. An aide is a person who serves as an assistant.

all right Not alright.

alma mater

a lot Two words.

alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae Use alumnus (alumni in the plural) when referring to a man who has attended a school. Use alumna (alumnae in the plural) for similar references to a woman. Use alumni when referring to a group of men and women.

a.m., p.m. Lowercase with periods.

ampersand (&) Use as part of an event or organization’s formal name. Procter & Gamble Co., UEA Convention & Education Exposition. The ampersand should not be used in place of and.

annual A first-time event cannot be the first annual.

Applied Technology Education Discontinued.See Career and Technical Education.

area code See telephone numbers.

assistant Do not abbreviate. Capitalize only when used in a formal title before a name. See titles.

associate degree Not associate’s degree.

association Do not abbreviate. Capitalize as part of a proper name. See Utah Education Association. When referring to the NEA, UEA or local associations, Association (capitalized) may be used on second reference as long as the meaning is clear. The Association is working for you.

association names See acronyms and Appendix A: Acronyms and Abbreviations for education-related associations.

attorney general Never abbreviate. Capitalize only when used as a title before a name: Attorney General Griffin B. Bell. Plural: Attorneys general.

bachelor’s degree Not baccalaureate or bachelor degree. Capitalize Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science when referring to a specific degree. See academic degrees.

bad, badly Bad is an adjective. It was a bad proposal. Badly is an adverb. He writes badly.

biannual, biennial, semiannual Biannual or semiannual means twice a year. Biennial means every two years.

bimonthly, semimonthlyBimonthlymeans every other month. Semimonthly means twice a month.

biweekly, semiweeklyBiweekly means every other week. Semiweekly means twice a week.

black Preferred usage for those of the Negro race. In the context of race, black should be used only as an adjective, never as a stand-alone noun. Black educators are pressing for changes in the curriculum NOT Blacks are interested in changing the curriculum.

board Capitalize only when part of a proper name. See UEA Board of Directors.

book titlesItalicize and put quotation marks around the names of all works except the Bible and books that are primarily catalogs of reference material: “Gone With the Wind,” “Of Mice and Men,” Encyclopedia Britannica, Webster’s New World Dictionary. See titles.

boy Applicable until 18^th birthday is reached. Use man or young man afterward.

buildings Capitalize official building names. the UEA Office Building, Canyons School District Auxiliary Services Building

busing, buses Not busses.

call letters Use all caps and no periods for radio and television stations: KSL, KUTV, KALL, KRSP.

capital, capitol Capital describes money, equipment or property used in a business, or the city where a seat of government is located. Capitol refers to a building and is capitalized in reference to a specific capitol building.

capitalizationIn general, avoid unnecessary capital letters. Capitalize proper nouns and proper names. Boston, England, John, Mary, General Electric, Democratic Party, etc. Capitalize words that are derived from a proper noun. American, Christian, French, English, Marxism, Shakespearean, etc. See titles.

Career and Technical Education (formerly Applied Technology Education) CTE is acceptable on second reference.

career ladder days Discontinued. Use professional development days.

carry-over Hyphenated.

cell phone Two words.

cents Spell out and lowercase. Use numerals for amounts less than a dollar. 5 cents, 12 cents. Use the $ sign and decimal for larger amounts: $1.01, $2.50.

century Lowercase, spell out numbers less than 10: the first century, the 20^th century. For proper names, follow the organization’s practice: 20^th Century Fox, Twentieth Century Limited.

chairman, chairwoman The term chair should not be used. Only use chairperson if it is the organization’s formal title for an office.

Check in Hyphenated only when used as an adjective: Please use the check-in table. Pre-register at check in.

child care

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints LDS Church is acceptable on second reference. Members are referred to as Latter-day Saints or Mormons.

Children at Risk Foundation CARF is acceptable on second reference to the non-profit organization established to secure and manage donations to the UEA.

cities When naming major Utah cities in publications distributed within Utah, it is not necessary to follow the city name with Utah (an exception to the Associated Press Stylebook).

Class of (year) Capitalize when referring to a specific graduating class. Class of 1973 reunion

classwork, course work

co-author (n.) or co-authored (v.) Hyphenate.

coed, coeducation No hyphen.

colleges/universities Spell out on first reference and use acronym on second reference.

commas Do not use a comma at the start of an indirect or partial quotation. She said “the school strives for academic excellence.” Use a comma to complete a quotation. “The school strives for academic excellence,” she said. Also use a comma to introduce a complete one-sentence quote. She said, “The school strives for academic excellence.” Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series. The flag is red, white and blue. See punctuation.

compact disc CD is acceptable on second reference.

complement, compliment Complement means something that completes. The necklace complements her outfit. Compliment means a flattering remark or to praise. She received a compliment about her work.

composition titles See titles.

Congress Capitalize U.S. Congress and Congress when referring to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

congressional districts Use figures and capitalize district when joined with a figure: the 1^st Congressional District, the 1^st District.

convention Capitalize when referring to a specific convention. See Utah Education Association Convention & Education Exposition.

cost of living Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier (The cost of living went up, He did not receive a cost-of-living raise).

council, counsel Council refers to a deliberative body and those who are members of it. To counsel is to advise. A counselor is one who advises.

courtesy titles See titles.

co-workerHyphenate.

Criterion-Referenced Test See Utah Core Criterion-Referenced Test.

curriculum, curricula (plural)

cut off, cutoff He cut off his son’s allowance. The cutoff date for applications is Monday.

dashUse a dash or em dash in place of two hyphens and to denote abrupt changes in thought within a sentence, to set off a series of words or before an author’s name at the end of a quotation. We will try to fly to Paris in June – if I get a raise. Put a space before and after the dash.

database One word.

data A plural noun. Singular is datum.

dates Capitalize the names of months in all uses. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out when using a month alone or with a year. Do not separate the month and the year with a comma. January 2011. When a date refers to a month, day and year, separate with a comma. Jan. 1, 2011 Capitalize and spell out days of the week.

daylight-saving time Not savings. Note the hyphen.

days of the week Capitalize. Do not abbreviate except in a tabular format. See dates.

decades Use Arabic figures to indicate decades of history with no apostrophe. the 1890s, the ‘90s, the mid-1930s

degrees See academic degrees.

departments Uppercase departments with their formal names. Human Resources Department.

directions and regions Lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction; capitalize these words when they designate regions. He drove west. The storm system will bring showers to the East Coast by morning and to the entire Northeast by late in the day. The South Side of Chicago was cold. The Middle East is in crisis. The canyons of southeastern Utah are beautiful.

disabled, handicapped, impaired In general, do not describe an individual as disabled or handicapped unless it is necessary and pertinent. Avoid euphemisms as mentally challenged and descriptions that connote pity, such as afflicted with or suffers from multiple sclerosis. Rather, has multiple sclerosis. Acceptable terms to describe disabilities include: disabled (general term for a physical or cognitive condition that substantially limits one or more major daily life activity), blind (a person with complete loss of sight), visually impaired (partial loss of sight), deaf (a person with total hearing loss), partially deaf or partial hearing loss, mute (a person who physically cannot speak), speech impaired, wheel-chair user. Avoid the terms handicapped, deaf-mute, wheelchair-bound and confined to a wheelchair.

disinterested, uninterested Disinterested means unbiased or impartial: He was disinterested in the results. Uninterested means to show a lack of interest: He was uninterested in the results.

disk; diskette Use the disc spelling for phonograph records, optical and laser-based devises (laserdisc) and disc brake. Use disk for computer-related references (hard disk) and medical references (slipped a disk).

district Capitalize only as part of a formal name. North Sanpete School District

districtwide One word.

doctorate Doctorate degree, not doctor’s degree.

dollars Use figures and the dollar sign in all except casual references or amounts without a figure: The book cost $4. Dad, give me a dollar today. For amounts of more than $1 million, use the $ and numerals up to two decimal places: It is worth $4.56 million. He proposed a $300 billion budget.

drivers education No apostrophe.

each other, one another Two people look at each other. More than two look at one another. We help each other. We help one another.

e-commerce, e-advertising Always lowercase and use a hyphen.

Ed.D. See academic degrees.

e.g. Abbreviation for the Latin exempli gratia or for example and gives one or more possibilities among many. I like root vegetables, e.g., potatoes. Always followed by a comma. Often confused with i.e.

-electAlways hyphenate and lowercase: President-elect Jones.

ellipsis ( … )Used to indicate the deletion of one or more words when condensing quotes, texts and documents.

e-mailAlways lowercase and use a hyphen. When listing an e-mail address, use all lowercase letters, italics, do not underline or use quotation marks susan.smith@utea.org.

end-of-level Hyphenate when used as an adjective. end-of-level testing

English as a Second Language ESL is acceptable on second reference.

ensure, insure Use ensure to mean guarantee. Steps were taken to ensure accuracy. Use insure for references to insurance. This policy insures his life.

entitled Books and other works are titled, not entitled. Entitled means a right to do or have something.

exclamation point (!) Avoid overuse.

executive director Capitalize only as a formal title before a name. Former UEA Executive Director Susan Kuziak; or Mark Mickelsen, executive director of the UEA See titles.

ext. Do not capitalize. Abbreviated form preferred to extension in a phone number. Use a comma between the number and the extension. 801- 266-4461, ext. 108.

extracurricular No hyphen.

farther, further Farther refers to physical distance. He walked farther into the woods. Further refers to an extension of time or degree. She will look further into the mystery.

fax Not facsimile or Fax. The term fax should not be used as a verb. I sent a fax to Robert Jones NOT I faxed Robert Jones.

flextime

flier, flyer Flier is the preferred term for an aviator or a handbill. Flyer is the proper name of some trains and buses: The Western Flyer.

formal titles See titles.

fractions Spell out amounts less than 1 in stories, using hyphens between the words. two-thirds, four-fifths, seven-sixteenths Use figures for precise amounts larger than 1, converting to decimals when possible.

full time, full-time Hyphenate when used as an adjective or compound modifier. He works full time. She has a full-time job.

fundraiser Event or person.

fundraising (adj.) One word in all cases.

gay Used to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred over homosexual except in clinical contexts or references to sexual activity. Include sexual orientation only when it is pertinent and avoid references to “sexual preference” or to a gay or alternative “lifestyle.”

General Educational Development Diploma GED is acceptable on all references.

girl Applicable until 18^th birthday is reached. Use woman or young woman afterward.

GOP Acceptable as a synonym for Republican Party on first reference without spelling out Grand Old Party.

government Always lowercase, never abbreviate.

governor Capitalize and abbreviate as Gov. when used as a formal title before a name.

grade-point average GPA is acceptable in all references. Students’ GPAs should never be published without their written permission, even if the student has a 4.0 GPA.

grade, grader Avoid using grader as a noun. Hyphenate the adjective form of grade. She is a 12th-grade student. He is in the fourthgrade.

gym Abbreviation forgymnasium is acceptable in all but the most formal contexts when referring to the location where activities take place. Avoid any use of the terms gym class or gym teacher.

handicapped See the listing for disabled, handicapped, impaired.

half-mast, half-staff Flags on ships are half-mast and all others are flown at half-staff. School flags are only flown at half-staff when directed by the governor.

halftime One word.

health care Two words.

holidays Official Utah holidays are: New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington and Lincoln Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Pioneer Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day,and Christmas.

home economics Replaced by family and consumer sciences (FACS).

homeroom (adj., n.) One word.

home schooling, home-schooled

home page Two words.

honors program Not honours programme.

hors d’oeuvres

HTML, HTTP Uppercase in text, lowercase in Web addresses. See Web addresses.

hyphens Avoid ambiguity. The president will speak to small-business men NOT The president will speak to small businessmen. He recovered his health. He re-covered the leaky roof. Compound modifier is when two or more words express a single concept and precede a noun. a full-time job, a well-known man, a know-it-all attitude. If a word may be used with or without a hyphen, preferred use is to omit the hyphen. See punctuation.

i.e. Abbreviation for the Latin id est or that is and used to reword or provide an alternate explanation. He likes root vegetables, i.e., the ones that grow underground. Always followed by a comma. Often confused with e.g.

iPod, iPad, iPhone, iTunes

in, into In indicates location. He was in the room. Into indicates motion. She walked into the room.

incorporated Abbreviate and capitalize as Inc. when used as part of a corporate name and do not precede with a comma.

Indians American Indian is the preferred term for those in the United States. Native American is acceptable in quotations and names of organizations.

initials Use periods and omit spaces between initials when an individual uses initials instead of a first name. E.B. White NOT E. B. White

in-service Hyphenate. Should only be used as an adjective and not as a stand-alone noun. The district provides in-service training, in-service credit.

intelligence quotient Not intelligent quotient.IQ is acceptable in all references.

interoffice No hyphen. Refers to distribution within a single office or location.

intradistrict No hyphen. Refers to multiple locations within a school district.

Intermountain West Capitalize.

Internet Always capitalize.

Internet Addresses Avoid long addresses in printed documents. Italicize in text unless text is otherwise be italicized, then use regular font face. The “www.” is typically not necessary in printed documents. myUEA.org. See Appendix D: Website Style.

intramural No hyphen.

irregardless Is redundant for regardless. Avoid use.

italic; italicize Not italics

it’s, its It’s is a contraction for it is or it has. It’s up to you. It’s been a long time. Its is the possessive form of the neuter pronoun. The company lost its assets. It’s is never a possessive.

Jell-o Utah’s official state snack food.

judgment not judgement

junior Abbreviate as Jr. only with full names of persons and do not precede with a comma. John F. Kennedy Jr.

kids Avoid in formal contexts unless you are talking about goats. Use children or students.

kindergarten Not kindergarden.Not capitalized.

legislative titlesUse these rules: Representative or Rep. Jan Doe; Senator or Sen. Jim Doe; Congressman Jim Matheson; Democratic Whip Dave Wright; Speaker of the House Dave Nelson. Add U.S. or state before a title only if necessary to avoid confusion: state Sen. Mike Dmitrich, U.S. Senator Mike Lee (Utah). When referring to members of the Utah Legislature, use this rule: Rep. Patrice Arent (D-Salt Lake City), Sen. Scott McCoy (D-Salt Lake). On second reference: Rep. Arent, Sen. Mansell.

legislature Capitalize when preceded by the name of the state. the Utah Legislature. Retain capitalization when the state name is dropped but the reference is specifically to that state’s legislature. The Legislature passed Senate Bill 1 today.

listserv One word.

links See website links.

live stream, live streaming Two words.

login/logout or logon/logoff

local of a union Capitalize the name of all locals. Granite Education Association. GEA on second reference. Use the Association for general second reference. Avoid use of the term “local” by itself when referring to local subdivisions of the Association.

logo UEA LOGO: An approved UEA logo should be included on formal documents and external publications. For logo usage guidelines, see Appendix C: Logo Style and Usage.

magazine names Capitalize the name but do not place it in quotes. Lowercase magazine unless it is part of the publication’s formal title. Harper’s Magazine, Newsweek magazine, Time magazine. Check the masthead if in doubt. For magazine articles, place the title in quotation marks.

mailing addresses See addresses.

make up (v.), makeup (n., adj.) No hyphen in the noun or adjective form. The teacher scheduled a makeup exam. The couple decided to make up.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day No comma. Not Civil Rights Day.

master’s degree Master’s degree in education, NOT master’s degree of education. Capitalize when referring to a specific degree. Master of Arts. See Academic Degrees.

math Do not capitalize.

memos Memorandums sent from the UEA should follow the style outlined in Appendix B: Letterhead, Memorandums and Fax Cover Sheets.

months See dates.

more than Preferred instead of over when estimating numbers. more than 100 students.

mount Spell out in all uses. Mount Jordan Middle School NOT Mt. Jordan.

MP3 Acceptable in all references to the music compression format.

mph Acceptable in all references to miles per hour.

music titles Capitalize, but do not use quotation marks. Bach’s Suite No. 1 for Orchestra. Use quotation marks for non-musical terms in a title. Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony.

myUEA.org The official UEA member website. See Internet addresses.

names In general, use last name only on second reference. Use of middle initials is encouraged in formal context. Board and Cabinet members’ names should appear in formal form. See titles.

nonprofit No hyphen.

nontraditional No hyphen. Acceptable reference to schools not on a traditional school year schedule, although the preference is to state the type of schedule. year-round, extended, split-session. Avoid use when referring to a school that is not a traditional public school (e.g.: charter schools).

noon Not 12 p.m. or 12 noon.

numbers Spell out numbers below 10, use figures for 10 and above. When large numbers must be spelled out, use a hyphen to connect a word ending in y to another word. thirty-one. Do not use commas between other separate words that are part of one number. one hundred forty-three. Spell out first through ninth when indicating a sequence. If you must begin a sentence with a number, spell it out except when it identifies a calendar year. Twelve students received the award. 1976 was a very good year. Also see the following listings: addresses, ages, cents, dollars, percent, telephone numbers, temperatures, weights, years.

OK, OK’d, OK’ing, OKsDo not use okay.

off campus, on campus (subject) off-campus, on-campus (adj.) Hyphenate the adjective form. The recruiter conducted on-campus interviews. The interview was conducted off campus.

online One word.

over More than is preferred with a number. more than 100 students NOT over 100 students.

paraeducatorOne word.

Parent Teacher Association Capitalize when part of a proper name. PTA is acceptable on all references.

parent-teacher conferences Hyphenate.

parenthesis ( ) Use when necessary for clarity. Place a period outside closing parenthesis if the material inside is not a complete sentence (such as this fragment).

part time, part-timeShe works part time. She has a part-time job.

PDA Acceptable on all references to a handheld personal digital assistant.

PDF Acceptable on all references to the Adobe Acrobat^® portable document format.

percent Spell out unless used in a table. Numbers should be used when expressing a percent. Utah’s dropout rate is less than 5 percent. See numbers.

Ph.D. see academic degrees.

physical education P.E. is acceptable in all references.

p.m., a.m. Lowercase with periods.

podcast

policymaker, policymaking

pre-kindergarten

pre-register

preschool

president Capitalize only as a formal title used directly before an individual’s name. Lowercase all other uses. See titles.

Presidents Day No apostrophe. In Utah, the official holiday name is Washington and Lincoln Day.

principal, principle Principal means someone or something first in rank. Principal Jane Doe He was the principal player in the trade. Principle means a fundamental truth, law, doctrine or motivating force. They fought for the principle of self-determination.

professional development days Formerly career ladder days.

professor Never abbreviate. Lowercase before a name. See titles.

proportions Always use figures. 2 parts powder to 6 parts water

punctuation In general, think of punctuation as a courtesy to your readers, designed to help them understand your message. See commas, hyphens, parenthesis and quotations.

quotations Open-quote marks and close-quote marks are used to surround the exact words of a quote. They are not italicized. “I will not stay,” he replied. “I do not object,” he said, “to the tenor of the report.” The period and the comma always go within the quotation marks. The dash, the semicolon, the question mark and the exclamation point go within the quotation marks when they apply to the quoted matter only. They go outside when they apply to the whole sentence.

radio stations The call letters alone are frequently adequate but use lowercase when a description is needed. radio station KUER. See call letters.

RAM Acronym for random access memory.

rebut, refute Rebut means to argue to the contrary. He rebutted his opponent’s statement. Refute connotes success in argument and almost always implies an editorial judgment. Instead, use deny, dispute, rebut or respond to.

résumé Accents optional.

room numbers Use figures and capitalize room when used with a figure. Room 20. It is unnecessary to use the word room if the building is named. Auxiliary Services Building 201.

rooms Capitalize the names of special rooms. Blue Room, Lincoln Room, Oval Office, Creepy Room.

R.S.V.P. The abbreviation for the French repondez s’il vous plait, it means please reply. Use periods.

saint Abbreviate in proper names. St. George.

Salt Lake City Never write as SLC or Salt Lake. See cities.

school Capitalize only when part of a proper name. Cottonwood High School. The word school should be included after the name on first reference. Butler Elementary School The word school can be dropped on second reference.

school years See years.

schoolwide One word.

seasons Lowercase fall, spring, summer and winter unless part of a proper name.

secretary Capitalize only when part of an official corporate title. See titles.

secretary-treasurer Hyphenate. Capitalize as a formal title before a name.

semimonthly See bimonthly.

senior Abbreviate as Sr. only with full names of persons and do not precede with a comma. George Bush Sr. If necessary to distinguish between father and son in second reference, use the elder Kennedy or the younger Kennedy.

software titles Capitalize but do not use quotation marks or italics around such titles as WordPerfect or Windows but use quotation marks for computer games. “Halo.”

speeds Use figures. The car slowed to 7 miles per hour.

sports scores Game scores should be written in numerals, even if fewer than 10. The final score was 33-6.

spring recess Not Spring Break.

states Use the following state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city in printed materials. Place one comma between the city and the state name and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence. Two-letter ZIP code abbreviations are shown in parentheses and should only be used with a full address, including ZIP code.

Ala. (AL)
Alaska (AK)
Ariz. (AZ)
Ark. (AR)
Calif. (CA)
Colo. (CO)
Conn. (CT)
Del. (DE)
Fla. (FL)
Ga. (GA)
Hawaii (HI)
Idaho (ID)
Ill. (IL)
Ind. (IN)
Iowa (IA)
Kan. (KS)
Ky. (KY)
La. (LA)
Maine (ME)
Md. (MD)
Mass. (MA)
Mich. (MI)
Minn. (MN)
Miss. (MS)
Mo. (MO)
Mont. (MT)
Neb. (NE)
Nev. (NV)
N.H. (NH)
N.J. (NJ)
N.M. (NM)
N.Y. (NY)
N.C. (NC)
N.D. (ND)
Ohio (OH)
Okla. (OK)
Ore. (OR)
Pa. (PA)
R.I. (RI)
S.C. (SC)
S.D. (SD)
Tenn. (TN)
Texas (TX)
Utah (UT)
Vt. (VT)
Va. (VA)
Wash. (WA)
W.Va. (WV)
Wis. (WI)
Wyo. (WY)
Washington, D.C. (DC)

statewide One word.

student body (n.) student-body (adj.) No hyphen unless used as an adjective. The student body elected a new president. Student-body elections determined the new president.

street names See addresses.

substitute teacher Avoid using substitute as a noun. Never abbreviate as subs.

such as Preceded by a comma when nonrestrictive or when what follows is an example of whatever went before. My favorite flavors of candy are fruit flavors, such as cherry and lemon. You do not need a comma when it is restrictive or defines or limits what went before. The refugees were unable to carry things such as clothes, bedding, and furniture.

superintendent Do not abbreviate. The formal position title in most states and school districts is superintendent of schools. Capitalize only when used as a formal title before a name. Superintendent Larry K. Shumway, Ed.D. See titles.

tchotchke A knickknack or trinket.

team teach, team teacher, team teaching No hyphen.

teen, teen-ager(n.), teen-age(adj.) Do not use teen-aged.

telephone numbers Use the form 801-266-4461 or 800-594-8996 (no “1”). 801-266-4461, ext. 101. See ext.

television program titles Put quotation marks around the name of a program as well as the title of an episode. Use around the word show only if it is part of the formal name. Do not use italics.

television stationThe call letters alone are frequently adequate but use lowercase when a description is needed. television station KUED. See call letters, TV.

temperaturesUse figures for all except zero. Use a word, not a minus sign, to indicate temperatures below zero. The day’s low was a minus 10. The day’s low was 10 below zero.

than, thenThan is used when making comparisons. Then means therefore, as a result or a point in time or is used to indicate a sequence.

that, whichUse that and which in referring to inanimate objects and to animals without a name. Use that for essential clauses that are important to the meaning of a sentence and without commas. I remember the day that we met. Use which for nonessential clauses, where the pronoun is less necessary and use commas. The team, which finished last a year ago, is in first place. (Tip: If you can drop the clause and not lose the meaning of the sentence, use which; otherwise, use that.) Avoid the unnecessary use of that.

theater Not theatre.

time frame

time line

time-out Hyphenate when used as a noun.

times Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes, but avoid “:00” to represent the top of the hour. 10:45 a.m., 4 p.m. Avoid such redundancies as 7 a.m. this morning, 7 p.m. tonight or 12 noon. See noon, a.m., p.m. Never use o’clock or figures with noon or midnight (not 12 noon).

titles

COMPOSITION TITLES: Capitalize the principal words. Italicize or put quotation marks around the names of all works. These rules apply to book titles, movie titles, musical works, play titles, poem titles, titles of lectures and speeches, and works of art.

COURTESY TITLES: In general, avoid the use of courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.) in written correspondence. However, since these titles are commonly used in schools, exceptions may be made for publications specifically directed to parents and/or students.

JOB TITLES: In general, confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual’s name. UEA Executive Director Mark Mickelsen or Mark Mickelsen, executive director of the Utah Education Association; Granite Education Association UniServ Director Star Orullian or Star Orullian, UniServ director for the Granite Education Association; teacher Harold Jones. Lowercase titles when not used with an individual’s name. The superintendent issued a statement. The Association president approved the measure.

traditional public schools Acceptable reference to neighborhood schools (not charter schools). Use traditional calendar schools when referring to schools on a nine-month calendar. See nontraditional.

trimester No hyphen.

TV Acceptable as an abbreviated form of television, as a noun or adjective.

UEA Board of Directors Spell out on first reference. On second reference, refer to it simply as the Board. Always use formal names for Board members. When listing members of the Board, the proper order is president, vice president, executive director, NEA state directors (listed alphabetically), ethnic minority director, then remaining members in alphabetical order by UniServ.

under way Two words.

UniServ Always capitalize the letters U and S. Means ‘Unified Services’ and is the staffing program developed by the National Education Association in the early 1970s.

United StatesUse periods in the abbreviation U.S.

URL Acceptable in all references to Uniform Resource Locator. Preferred terms in most correspondence are website or Internet address. See Internet addresses.

Utah Never abbreviate except in an address followed by a ZIP code for mailing purposes.

Utah Education Association UEA is acceptable in all references in internal publications, on second reference in external publications. Put “the” before UEA. I am driving to the UEA.

Utah Education Association Convention & Education Exposition UEA Convention or Convention (capitalized) is acceptable on second reference.

Utah High School Activities Association Not Athletics Association. UHSAA is acceptable on second reference.

Utah State Legislature Capitalize when using the formal title. Otherwise lowercase legislature.

Utahn Not Utahan.

Valentine’s DayUse an apostrophe.

versus Abbreviate as vs. in all uses.

Veterans Day No apostrophe.

vice Use two words with no hyphen. vice chairman, vice president, vice principal, etc.

VIP, VIPs Acceptable in all references for very important person(s).

vote tabulations Always use figures for the totals. Spell out below 10 in other phrases related to voting. by a five-vote margin; with three abstentions; four votes short of a two-thirds majority. The House voted 230-205, a 230-205 vote.

Wasatch Front, Wasatch Mountains

Washington Abbreviate the state as Wash. Never abbreviate when referring to the U.S. capital. Washington, D.C.

Washington and Lincoln Day Utah holiday corresponds with Presidents Day nationally.

Web page Two words. Capitalize Web.

Web addresses See Internet addresses and Appendix D: Website Style.

website See Appendix D: Website Style.

webcast, webcam, webmaster

weights Use figures. The baby weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces. She had a 9-pound, 7-ounce boy.

whether (or not) In most cases, the or not is unnecessary.

who, whom Who is used for references to human beings and to animals with a name. It is grammatically the subject (never the object) of a sentence, clause or phrase. The woman who rented the room left the window open. Who is there? Whom is used when someone is the object of a verb or preposition. The woman to whom the room was rented left the window open. Whom do you wish to see?

-wide No hypen (worldwide, nationwide, districtwide)

winter recess Not Christmas break.

workday, workweek

work force

workplace

work sheet

World Wide Web Preferred use is the Internet. The Web is acceptable on all references.

X-Y-Z

Xerox A trademark, never a verb. Use a generic term, such as photocopy.

year-round Hyphenate when used as an adjective. year-round school calendar.

years Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries. the 1980s, the 1800s Avoid using an apostrophe when omitting the first two numbers of the year. ’98. School years should be written as 1998-99, omitting the century in the second year.

youth Applicable to boys and girls from age 13 until their 18th birthday. Use man or woman for individuals 18 and older.

ZIP code Use all caps for ZIP but lowercase code to reflect the fact that ZIP is an acronym for Zone Improvement Program.

UEA Style Manual

CONTENTS

Style Manual Key

Style Manual