Spelling and Style
Good writing begins with proper spelling and style. This guide can help with that.
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a, an |
Use a before a word that begins with a consonant sound, even if it鈥檚 spelled with a vowel. Use an before a word that begins with a vowel sound, even if it鈥檚 spelled with a consonant. If it helps, speak the words out loud. an 1890s (a) |
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associate degree Omit periods for three or more consecutive capital letters. MBA The names of degree programs, majors and minors should be lowercase, unless a word is a proper noun (e.g., English). See majors and minors. B.A., creative writing |
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academic departments |
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In general, academic titles are capitalized when they are used before a name, but not after. Do not qualify the title professor with associate or assistant before a name, but do use it after the name, if applicable. Professor Julian Morrow See academic degrees. |
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acronyms |
On first reference, use the full name of a department, division, office or organization, and include the acronym in parentheses only if it is used later in the text. (If an acronym is not used later in the text, it is not necessary to include it at all.) In every case, strive for clarity and avoid confusion. To make a plural of an acronym that ends with a period (e.g., Ph.D.), rewrite it to avoid use of the acronym: two doctorates. If it鈥檚 absolutely necessary to use the acronym, include an apostrophe: 笔丑.顿.鈥檚 Computing and Information Technology (CIT) Avoid the following acronyms: Board of Trustees (never BOT or BoT) |
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麻豆视频 follows the Associated Press style for whether or not to write out Avenue, Street or other similar words: Abbreviate such words when they are part of an address, but spell them out when they are not. The De Pree Art Center and Gallery is located at 275 Columbia Ave., between 10th and
13th streets. Note that the words are capitalized when part of a specific street name but lowercased when used as a general description. |
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alumna, alumnae, alumni, alumnus |
Alumni is a plural noun that refers to a group of male graduates or to a group of both male and female graduates, even if there is only one male. The singular alumnus refers to one male graduate, while alumna refers to one female graduate. The plural alumnae refers to a group of female graduates. If you have trouble deciding which to use, try alum and alums. These abbreviations should be used sparingly; keep your audience in mind 鈥� never use them in a formal context. When referring to an alumnus鈥� class, use an abbreviated date with a left-facing apostrophe in front of the year. If an alumna has a different last name than her graduating name, first state the name with which she graduated, then her class year, then her current last name: Wilma Slaghoople 鈥�67 Flintstone Fred Flintstone 鈥�67; never 鈥�67 See apostrophe. |
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a.m., p.m. |
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and |
In general, use and instead of &. See ampersand. |
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biannual, biennial |
The most common meaning of biannual is 鈥渉appening twice a year,鈥� but it can also (though less frequently) mean 鈥渉appening every two years.鈥� To avoid confusion, you may use biannual to mean twice yearly and biennial to mean every other year. Better, simply write what you mean: twice yearly or every other year |
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Bible, biblical |
For scripture references, spell out the full name of the book. Separate chapter and verse with a colon. John 3:16 Never Jn. 3:16 or John 3.16 |
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Board of Trustees |
Board of Trustees the board Never BOT or BoT |
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blog |
Noun and verb; never weblog. |
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bold |
Do not use bold for emphasis. Emphasis should be communicated through how you write and organize your content. |
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Following are the names of facilities owned, leased or used by 麻豆视频 as they are commonly used in first reference (acceptable secondary references follow in italics and parentheses). In many cases, the names included here are not the official building names; for formal uses, the official building name may be appropriate. A. Paul Schaap Science Center (Schaap Science Center) |
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chapel, Chapel |
Capitalize when referring to the campus service (e.g., He attended Wednesday Chapel) or in the name Dimnent Memorial Chapel or Dimnent Chapel. Lowercase for generic uses or in general references to the chapel building. See buildings. |
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class |
Capitalize when referring to a graduating class. Lowercase in all other uses. Class of 1982 |
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coach |
Even when used in front of a name, coach is lowercase. coach Eric Taylor |
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cocurricular |
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college, College |
When used as part of a formal name (e.g., 麻豆视频, Wheaton College), college should always be capitalized. When not part of a formal name or when referring to colleges in general, always use lowercase. 麻豆视频 See 麻豆视频. |
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contractions |
Use of contractions (e.g., don鈥檛, we鈥檇) is encouraged. As a general rule, when we write for the web, we write how we speak 鈥� and we often speak in contractions. Using contractions can help with an informal, conversational, friendly tone. Don鈥檛 use them excessively, though. For more formal uses, contractions are discouraged. |
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course names |
Capitalize course names. No italics. Use quotation marks only if needed for clarity. Reserve official course codes (e.g., POL 212) for the catalog unless necessary for clarification. Global Feminism |
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coursework |
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curriculum, curricula |
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Follow the month, day, year format: August 5, 2006. Dates should only include ordinal numbers (e.g., 22nd, 15th) if you are handwriting a letter to your grandmother. When a date appears in a sentence, offset the year with a comma before and after only if the day of the month is used; if the day of the month is not included, no commas are necessary. August 5, 2006 |
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decades |
Use an apostrophe to indicate numerals that are left out; show plural by adding the letter s: the 1980s, the 鈥�90s, the mid-1830s. Note that the apostrophe curves to the left ( 鈥� ) when replacing numerals. See apostrophe. |
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At Hope, we have deans of academic divisions and programs; we do not have deans for anything at all. Capitalize dean when used as a title before a name, but lowercase it if it appears after a name. Dean Peter Venkman See academic titles. |
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See academic degrees. |
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At Hope College, we have departments of academic subjects, not academic subject departments. For example, we have a Department of Mathematics and Statistics; we do not have a Mathematics Department or a Math Department. If you must refer to the math department, that鈥檚 fine 鈥� so long as you don鈥檛 capitalize it. Department of Mathematics and Statistics American Ethnic Studies Program See offices and services. |
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divisions |
At Hope College, we have academic subject divisions, not divisions of academic subjects. If you must refer to the division of natural and applied sciences, that鈥檚 fine鈥攕o long as you don鈥檛 capitalize it. Natural and Applied Sciences Division Humanities Division Fine and Performing Arts Division Social Sciences Division When referring to the Humanities Division and the Fine and Performing Arts Division together, we use Arts and Humanities Division. See dean, Dean. |
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e.g. is from the Latin phrase exempli gratia and means 鈥渇or example.鈥� His doctor is looking into antidepressant medication (e.g., Prozac, Effexor). See i.e. |
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email, ebook, enewsletter |
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emeritus |
The professor emeritus distinction is appointed by the Board of Trustees. It is not synonymous with 鈥渞etired professor鈥� and should not be used unless an individual has received the distinction. professor emerita (female) Note: A group of both male and female professors emeriti uses the masculine plural form, even if there is only one professor emeritus. |
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events |
Capitalize the names of official college events, but do not use quotation marks. Winter Happening |
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freshman, freshmen |
Use freshmen only when referring to more than one first-year student. the freshman class In many cases, the term first-year or first-year student may be an appropriate gender-neutral alternative to freshman. Be aware, though, that some students transfer to Hope as sophomores, juniors or seniors; for these students, 鈥榝irst-year鈥� and 鈥榝reshman鈥� are not synonymous. Use with care. Avoid frosh except in the most casual uses. |
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Flying Dutchmen, Flying Dutch |
Flying Dutchmen is the nickname of a 麻豆视频 men鈥檚 athletic team. Flying Dutch is the nickname of a 麻豆视频 women鈥檚 athletic team. Flying Dutchmen is a team nickname; Flying Dutchman is never an individual identifier. The Flying Dutchman is a ghost ship, not a person who plays on a 麻豆视频 team. |
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God, god(s) |
Capitalize God in all instances when referring only to the one true God. When referencing any other god or multiple gods, the word should be lorwercased. Pronouns for God should be lowercased: he, him (never He or Him except at the beginning of a sentence). |
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Google is a trademarked web search engine. Google, Googling and Googled can be used informally as a verb. Always capitalize. |
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GPA |
For grade point average in all uses. |
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healthcare |
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On the 麻豆视频 website, our heading styles are automatically formatted as all caps. Do not simply type in all caps, however. Use title case (capitalize the first letter of each major word), then use the formatting dropdown menu in the WYSIWYG toolbar to apply the appropriate style. Headings are expressions of information hierarchy, not design choices. Heading 1 (h1) is always reserved for the page heading, which means the first heading you use in the page content must be h2, after which you may use another h2 (for parallel information) or an h3 (for subordinate information). Avoid skipping from h1 to h5, for example, or from h2 to h4. It may be helpful to think of headings as bullets in an outline:
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homepage |
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Always use the full name in first reference. In subsequent references, Hope or the college may be used, depending on context. In some cases (especially legal, business or other formal and professional communications), use of the full name in all references may be appropriate. Avoid ambiguity or confusion around the word 鈥渉ope.鈥� Never use HC or Hope college. |
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html |
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i.e. is from the Latin phrase id est and means 鈥渢hat is鈥� or 鈥渋n other words.鈥� Use i.e. when clarifying meaning or explaining a statement with more precision. Please take the medication as prescribed (i.e., twice daily). See e.g. |
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internet |
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italics |
Use italics to indicate book titles, movie titles and the names of publications (e.g., newspapers, magazines and academic journals). Do not use italics for emphasis. Emphasis should be communicated through how you write and organize your content. |
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log in, login; |
log in (verb) |
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Except for proper nouns and adjectives (e.g., English, Spanish), majors and minors are lowercase. |
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mailing address |
Anderson-Werkman Financial Center Note: We do not use periods in PO Box (never P.O. Box or Post Office Box). Whenever possible, use the nine-digit ZIP Code. See addresses. |
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Michigander |
A person from Michigan. Never Michiganian. |
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months |
Capitalize the names of the month in all uses. When used with a specific date, months of more than five letters may be abbreviated: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. Do not abbreviate when using alone or with only the year. Months may be spelled out for more formal uses or aesthetic considerations. Rick Astley was born Feb. 6, 1966. See dates. |
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Use full name and academic title on first reference. Subsequent references may use the individual鈥檚 last name and academic title (e.g., Dr., Professor) if he or she has one, but it is not necessary. If an individual has no academic title, use only their last name; a courtesy title (e.g., Ms., Mrs., Mr.) or religious title (e.g., the Rev., Pastor) may be used as appropriate but is not necessary. Professor Pomona Sprout teaches herbology. Professor Sprout is an exceptional faculty member. According to her peers, Sprout recently managed to procure some mandrakes. See academic titles. Following is a short list of high-profile names and titles as they should be used for first reference, along with preferred uses for subsequent references. President Matthew A. Scogin 鈥�02 in formal use; President Matt Scogin in more common use. Second reference: President Scogin, Matt Scogin, Scogin (never Scogie, the Scogs, Matty Poppins) Albertus Van Raalte (Van Raalte) |
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nonprofit |
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numbers, numerals |
In general, but not always, spell out numbers one through nine and use figures for numbers 10 and higher. There are plenty of exceptions:
Unless it鈥檚 a year, spell out every number that begins a sentence: Seventy-six trombones led the big parade. If you鈥檙e writing a number with more than three digits, use a comma. 2,019 donuts As with many words, add an s without an apostrophe to make a number (including decades) plural: 3s, 1400s Use an en dash (鈥�) with no spaces to indicate number ranges. If you are using a construction that begins with 鈥渇rom,鈥� use the word 鈥渢o鈥� rather than an en dash. There were 25鈥�30 students at the event. See dash. Refer to the AP Stylebook for more information. |
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Office of the President |
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Academic Success Center |
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online |
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phone numbers |
Use periods instead of parentheses and/or hyphens. 616.395.7000 |
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percent |
When used in a sentence, spell out percent. Note that it is one word; never per cent. When used in a technical capacity, such as a table of figures, it may be appropriate to use the percent symbol ( % ). |
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p.m., a.m. |
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PO Box |
Never P.O. Box or Post Office Box. |
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President Matthew A. Scogin 鈥�02 |
President Matthew A. Scogin 鈥�02 in formal use; President Matt Scogin in more common use. Second reference: President Scogin, Matt Scogin, Scogin (never Scogie, the Scogs, Matty Poppins) See names and academic titles. |
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professor, Professor |
See academic titles. |
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Keyboard shortcuts: (PC alt shortcuts require a full keyboard with number pad) Mac: option + R See trademark. |
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Albers/Dorian Cottage |
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seasons |
Lowercase the names of the seasons 鈥� spring, summer, fall/autumn, winter 鈥� in all uses, even when referring to a semester (e.g., in fall semester, spring 2021). When using a season with a year, do not include the word 鈥渙f鈥�: He has worked here since spring 1996. |
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SEO |
For search engine optimization. |
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Skype |
Skype can be used informally as a verb for using the service. |
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states |
Except for addresses, 麻豆视频 spells out the full name of a state. When it follows a city, offset the state with commas (one before and one after). Only use postal abbreviations (e.g., MI) in addresses. The state of Michigan has two peninsulas. Refer to states in the . |
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theater |
Unless it is spelled differently in the formal name of a program or facility, always use theater; never theatre. Knickerbocker Theatre Department of Theatre |
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TikTok |
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Use italics for book titles, movie titles and publication names (e.g., newspapers, magazines, academic journals). The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The titles of chapters, individual poems, articles and television episodes are placed in quotation marks: 鈥淗ow One University Worked to Meet Its 鈥楥hallenge Grant.鈥欌�� For titles and headings of our own articles, stories or web pages, 麻豆视频 uses title case, with the first letter of each word (except prepositions) capitalized. When using title case with hyphenated words, capitalize the second word. Off-Campus Study See headings. For job titles, see academic titles. For courtesy titles, see names. |
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toolbar |
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Keyboard shortcuts: Mac: option+2 See registered trademark. |
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tussenvoegsels |
A tussenvoegsel is the part of a Dutch name that appears between a first and last name (e.g., de, ten, ter, van, vander), usually considered part of the last name by English speakers. The capitalization and spacing of tussenvoegsels vary by preference and usage; for example, DeVos and deHaan, Vander Borgh and VanderWerf. Double-check your spelling and use with care. |
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Twitter, tweet, tweeted, retweet, retweeted |
Use of Twitter (and related words) is being phased out for X, but is still acceptable in common usage. See X. A tweet is a public message of up to 260 characters on Twitter. You may also use tweet as a verb. Never the Twitters, even in jest. |
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underline |
Do not underline text, as users think underlined content is a link. Use italics for book and movie titles. See titles. |
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username |
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URL |
Rarely or never include an actual URL in your web content; instead, link your text. If you must list a URL, do not include www. at the front of a web address. hope.edu Never or . |
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U.S., USA |
In general, the United States or the United States of America is preferred for first reference. |
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web, webinar, webpage, website |
Never Web site or web site. |
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West Michigan |
When referring to the region; never west Michigan or Western Michigan. |
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who, whom |
Although it is technically correct in many instances, we generally try to avoid using whom on the 麻豆视频 website. For many people, whom comes across as dated and stuffy. If you鈥檙e unsure, use who. |
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Wi-Fi |
Never WIFI or WiFi. |
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Use X in reference to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. If necessary for clarity, you may use X.com. A post is the preferred terminology instead of tweet (and repost instead of retweet, etc.). Use of Twitter and related words is still acceptable in most cases. |
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YouTube |
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Zoom |
Zoom may be used informally as a verb for using the actual Zoom service, but not as a generic verb for using video meeting services in general. For example, one never Zooms on Google Meet. For unspecified references to virtual meetings, use a term such as remote meeting or meeting virtually. |
workP. 616.395.7860
marketing@hope.edu