---
name: ap-newsroom-style
source: https://app.decimal.ai/s/ap-newsroom-style@1/SKILL.md
source_sha256: 7ffda2d915d6
---

# AP newsroom style

## Contract

Enforce the Associated Press Stylebook's arbitrary conventions for numbers, money,
percentages, ordinals, dates, times, attribution, restrictive word choice, and headlines.
Apply whenever writing or editing news copy, briefs, headlines, or converting notes into
publishable copy. These are specific AP choices — not general "good writing" — and they
differ from the defaults of everyday prose.

## Rules

### Numbers

1. Spell out whole numbers **one through nine**. Use **numerals for 10 and above**:
   "five witnesses", "15 people".
2. **Always use numerals, regardless of size, for:** ages ("a 5-year-old"), money
   ("$5 million"), percentages ("5%"), and street addresses ("123 Main St.").
3. **Money:** write the dollar sign + numeral + word for large round amounts — "$5 million",
   "$1.2 billion". Never "$5,000,000" and never "five million dollars". Under a million, use
   the figure: "$750", "$12,400".
4. **Percent:** numeral + the `%` symbol — "5%", "3.5%". Not "five percent", not "5 percent".
5. **Ordinals:** spell out **first through ninth** ("fifth anniversary", "third place");
   use numerals for **10th and up** ("10th anniversary", "25th").
6. **Never begin a sentence with a numeral.** Spell the number out, even if it is 10 or
   greater, or rewrite the sentence so it does not start with the figure.

### Dates and times

7. Abbreviate these months **only when a specific date follows**: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept.,
   Oct., Nov., Dec. → "Oct. 14".
8. **Never abbreviate** March, April, May, June, July — spell them in full even with a date:
   "July 4", "March 3".
9. A month with **no specific day** is always spelled out in full: "September 2025",
   "Sept. 2025" is wrong; "in October" not "in Oct.".
10. **Drop ordinal suffixes from dates:** "Oct. 14", never "October 14th" or "the 14th of
    October".
11. **Times:** figures with **lowercase a.m./p.m.** and **no ":00"** on the hour →
    "9 a.m.", "10:30 p.m.". Not "9:00 a.m.", "9 AM", "9am", or "9 o'clock".
12. Use the words **"noon"** and **"midnight"** — never "12 p.m.", "12 a.m.", "12 noon".
13. **Days of the week** are capitalized and not abbreviated in running text: "Tuesday",
    not "Tues." or "tuesday".

### Attribution

14. The attribution verb is **"said"**. Do not use "stated", "noted", "remarked",
    "expressed", "claimed", "announced", "declared", or "explained" as a neutral substitute.
15. Put the attribution **after the quote**, at the first natural pause: `"We are
    committed," Smith said.` — not before it.
16. Use the **full name on first reference**; after that, the **last name only**, with **no
    courtesy title** (no Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr.).

### Word choice

17. **"more than"** for quantities, never "over": "more than 100 jobs".
18. **"fewer"** for countable items ("fewer cars"); **"less"** for mass/uncountable nouns
    ("less water"). Never "less protesters".
19. **"that"** for restrictive clauses, with **no comma** ("the bill that passed");
    **"which"** for nonrestrictive clauses, **set off by commas** ("the bill, which passed
    yesterday, ...").
20. **"about"**, not "approximately". **"because"**, not "due to the fact that".

### Headlines

21. **Sentence case** — capitalize only the first word and proper nouns. Not Title Case
    where most words are capitalized.
22. **No period at the end.** **No exclamation point** in hard news.
23. **Present tense** for events that already happened: "Council approves budget", not
    "Council approved budget".
24. **Infinitive "to"** for future events: "Mayor to announce plan", not "Mayor will
    announce plan" or "Mayor announces plan".

### Quotation punctuation (adjacent)

25. Periods and commas go **inside** the closing quotation mark. Colons and semicolons go
    **outside**.

## Worked examples

Each pairs the base model's likely default (BEFORE) with the AP-conforming form (AFTER).

- **Spell 1-9 / numerals 10+** — BEFORE: "5 protesters were arrested." AFTER: "Five
  protesters were arrested." BEFORE: "Ten witnesses testified." AFTER: "10 witnesses
  testified."
- **Money** — BEFORE: "a $5,000,000 project" / "five million dollars". AFTER: "a $5 million
  project".
- **Percent** — BEFORE: "Sales rose five percent." AFTER: "Sales rose 5%."
- **Ages always numeric** — BEFORE: "a five-year-old girl". AFTER: "a 5-year-old girl".
- **Ordinals** — BEFORE: "its 5th anniversary". AFTER: "its fifth anniversary". BEFORE: "its
  tenth anniversary". AFTER: "its 10th anniversary".
- **No numeral to open a sentence** — BEFORE: "15 people attended the vigil." AFTER:
  "Fifteen people attended the vigil." (spelled out because it starts the sentence).
- **Abbreviate Sept./Oct. with a date** — BEFORE: "on October 14th, 2024". AFTER: "Oct. 14,
  2024".
- **Never abbreviate July** — BEFORE: "on Jul. 4th". AFTER: "on July 4".
- **Bare month spelled out** — BEFORE: "founded in Sept. of 2025". AFTER: "founded in
  September 2025".
- **Times** — BEFORE: "started at 9:00 AM". AFTER: "began at 9 a.m." BEFORE: "at 12:00 p.m.
  sharp". AFTER: "at noon".
- **Attribution verb + placement** — BEFORE: `Smith stated, "We are committed."` AFTER:
  `"We are committed," Smith said.`
- **Courtesy title on second reference** — BEFORE: "Police arrested Mr. John Smith. Mr.
  Smith faces three charges." AFTER: "Police arrested John Smith. Smith faces three
  charges."
- **more than / fewer** — BEFORE: "over 100 jobs"; "less protesters". AFTER: "more than 100
  jobs"; "fewer protesters".
- **that vs. which** — BEFORE: "The bill which passed yesterday includes tax cuts." AFTER:
  "The bill that passed yesterday includes tax cuts."
- **about / because** — BEFORE: "Approximately 200 residents attended"; "delayed due to the
  fact that". AFTER: "About 200 residents attended"; "delayed because".
- **Headline, past event** — BEFORE: "City Council Approves New Budget." AFTER: "Council
  approves new budget".
- **Headline, future event** — BEFORE: "Mayor Will Announce Transit Plan!" AFTER: "Mayor to
  announce transit plan".

## Edge cases & exceptions

- **Number starting a sentence vs. mid-sentence:** "10 people" mid-sentence, but spell it as
  "Ten people" when it opens the sentence. The "always numeral" categories (ages, money,
  percent) are also rewritten or spelled out rather than starting a sentence with a figure.
- **Years are an exception to "never start with a numeral":** "2024 was a record year" is
  acceptable AP usage. The no-numeral-first rule targets counts, not calendar years.
- **September is both abbreviated and spelled out** depending on context: "Sept. 15" (with a
  date) but "September 2025" (month + year only, no day).
- **Mass vs. countable for fewer/less:** "less than 10 cars" is wrong (cars are countable →
  "fewer than 10 cars"), but "less than $10" and "less than 10 percent" are correct because
  money and percentages are treated as single quantities, not countable items.
- **"more than" vs. "over":** AP relaxed this in 2014, but newsroom house style still
  prefers "more than" for quantities — keep "more than" for counts; "over" is fine for
  spatial/position senses ("the bridge over the river").
- **Attribution mid-sentence:** a long quote may take attribution at the first natural pause
  in the middle: `"We are committed," Smith said, "and we will deliver."` Still "said", still
  not leading.
- **Noon/midnight ranges:** "noon to 5 p.m." — keep the words even inside a range.

## Do / Don't

- **Do** write "said" for every attribution. **Don't** reach for "stated", "noted", or
  "claimed" to add variety.
- **Do** abbreviate Jan./Feb./Aug./Sept./Oct./Nov./Dec. with a date. **Don't** abbreviate
  March, April, May, June, July ever.
- **Do** write "9 a.m." **Don't** write "9:00 a.m.", "9 AM", or "9am".
- **Do** write "$5 million" and "5%". **Don't** write "$5,000,000", "five million dollars",
  or "five percent".
- **Do** spell out one through nine. **Don't** spell out ages, money amounts, or percentages
  even when they are under 10.
- **Do** put attribution after the quote. **Don't** lead with `Smith said, "..."`.
- **Do** drop courtesy titles on second reference. **Don't** carry "Mr./Ms." past the first
  full-name reference.
- **Do** write headlines in sentence case, present tense, no end punctuation. **Don't** use
  Title Case, past tense, periods, or exclamation points.

## Common mistakes

The wrong defaults the base model falls into:

- Writing dates as "October 14th, 2024" (full month + ordinal) instead of "Oct. 14, 2024".
- "9:00 AM" or "9 AM" instead of "9 a.m."; "12 p.m." instead of "noon".
- "stated" / "noted" / "claimed" for variety instead of plain "said".
- Leading with the attribution: `Smith said, "..."` instead of `"...," Smith said.`
- "$5,000,000" or "five million dollars" instead of "$5 million"; "five percent" instead of
  "5%".
- Spelling out ages and percentages ("five-year-old", "five percent") when AP wants numerals.
- Using numerals for small counts ("5 protesters") when AP spells out one through nine.
- Title-Case headlines with an end period or exclamation point, in past tense.
- "over 100", "less protesters", "approximately", "due to the fact that", and "which" for
  restrictive clauses.

## Quick checklist

- [ ] 1-9 spelled out; 10+ numerals; ages/money/percent always numerals
- [ ] "$5 million" and "5%" forms; no "$5,000,000", no "five percent"
- [ ] No sentence starts with a numeral
- [ ] Months abbreviated only with a date; never March-July; bare month spelled out
- [ ] Dates have no "th/rd" suffix
- [ ] Times: "9 a.m.", no ":00"; noon/midnight as words
- [ ] Attribution is "said", placed after the quote
- [ ] Full name first, last name only after, no courtesy titles
- [ ] "more than", "fewer" (countable), "about", "because", "that" (restrictive)
- [ ] Headlines: sentence case, present tense, no end period or exclamation