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29 Style Decisions Analyzed
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New York Times

Complete style rules in JSON format

{
  "serial_comma": "Drop in simple series; restore only if needed for clarity",
  "headline_title_capitalization": "Use title case for headlines; capitalize all verbs, prepositions ≥4 letters, pronouns",
  "numbers_in_running_text": "Spell out one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above",
  "date_format": "Use Jan. 4, 2025 format; abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.",
  "percent_sign_vs_word": "Always use the symbol with numerals: 7%; spell out at sentence start",
  "punctuation_inside_quotation_marks": "Place commas and periods inside closing quotation marks",
  "em_dash_spacing": "Insert spaces on both sides: word — word",
  "ellipsis_spacing": "Use spaces on each side of three points: word … word",
  "titles_of_works_formatting": "Put most works in quotation marks; avoid italics",
  "citation_system": "Use journalistic attribution in running prose; no parenthetical system",
  "capitalization_after_colon": "Capitalize if what follows is a full sentence",
  "singular_they_usage": "Use sparingly when rewording is clumsy or when a person requests it",
  "us_state_abbreviations": "Use traditional abbreviations in datelines only; spell out elsewhere",
  "compound_modifier_hyphenation": "Hyphenate before noun unless term is familiar and unambiguous",
  "us_abbreviation": "Use U.S. in text; US in headlines",
  "academic_degree_punctuation": "Omit periods in most degrees: PhD, MA",
  "time_of_day_format": "Use 9 a.m. format; drop minutes if :00; use noon/midnight",
  "number_range_style": "Use hyphen: 8-10 p.m.; spell 'to' if units switch",
  "month_abbreviation_usage": "Use Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. when date follows",
  "job_title_capitalization": "Capitalize formal title before name; lowercase after name",
  "internet_web_capitalization": "Use lowercase internet and web unless part of proper noun",
  "courtesy_title_usage": "Retain courtesy titles on second reference in hard-news copy",
  "foreign_word_formatting": "Enclose unfamiliar foreign terms in quotes and define",
  "possessive_of_s_ending_names": "Add only apostrophe for singular proper names: Dickens' novel",
  "initialism_punctuation": "Use periods in two-letter abbreviations; drop for three+ letters",
  "bulleted_list_punctuation": "Capitalize first word; end with period if sentence, no punctuation for phrases",
  "split_infinitive_preference": "Allow when avoiding awkwardness: to boldly go",
  "ampersand_in_company_names": "Keep ampersand only if organization's legal name uses it",
  "numeral_threshold_for_million": "Use figure-word combo: 2 million, $4.3 billion"
}

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Comparison of 29 High-Impact Style Decisions Across Leading Manuals

  1. Serial (Oxford) comma
  2. Headline & title capitalization
  3. "Spell-out" threshold for numbers
  4. Month-day-year dates
  5. Percent sign vs. percent
  6. Punctuation inside quotation marks
  7. Em-dash spacing
  8. Ellipses spacing
  9. Titles of works: italics vs. quotes
  10. Citation systems
  11. Capital after a colon
  12. Singular they
  13. State abbreviations
  14. Compound-modifier hyphens
  15. U.S. / US / United States
  16. Academic-degree punctuation
  17. Time-of-day format
  18. Number-range style
  19. Month abbreviations
  20. Job-title capitalization
  21. internet / web capitalization
  22. Courtesy titles (Mr., Ms.)
  23. Foreign-word italics
  24. Possessives of names ending in S
  25. Periods in initialisms
  26. Bulleted-list punctuation
  27. Split infinitives
  28. & in company names
  29. Numerals before “million”

Serial (Oxford) Comma

  • NYT – Drop it in simple series; restore only if needed for clarity. Example: red, white and blue.
  • AP – Identical to NYT; clarity overrides rule.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Always keep: red, white, and blue. Reasoning: prevents mis-grouping of the last two items.

Headline & Title Capitalization

  • NYT – Title-case headlines; capitalize all verbs, prepositions ≥4 letters, pronouns; lowercase articles and short conjunctions.
  • AP – Same uppercase pattern in headlines; but uses sentence-case for non-headline composition titles.
  • Chicago / MLA – Headline-style titles; lowercase all prepositions ≤4 letters (Chicago 18e now capitalizes longer ones).
  • APA – Title-case for journal titles; sentence-case for article titles.

Spell-Out Threshold for Numbers

  • NYT – Spell out one through nine; use numerals 10+.
  • AP – Same baseline; many numeric beats (age, percent, dates) are always figures.
  • Chicago – Spell out zero – one hundred; numerals above, except in technical copy.
  • APA / MLA – Numerals for 10+ (APA) or > two-word length (MLA); contextual exceptions for statistics.

Month-Day-Year Dates

  • NYT & AP – Jan. 4, 2025; abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.; no th.
  • Chicago – January 4, 2025 in running text; ISO (2025-01-04) allowed in data contexts.
  • APA – Text rarely needs full dates; citations use (2025, January 4).

Percent Sign vs. percent

  • NYT / AP – Since 2019, always use the symbol with a numeral: 7%; spell out at sentence start.
  • Chicago – In prose, 7 percent; symbol reserved for scientific/statistical contexts.
  • APA – Symbol after numerals; word after spelled-out numbers (seven percent).

Punctuation Inside Quotation Marks

  • NYT / AP / Chicago – Comma & period go inside the closing quote in American English.
  • APA / MLA – Follow Chicago rule; question/colon/semicolon placement depends on logic.

Em-Dash Spacing

  • NYT / AP – Insert a space on both sides: word — word.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Closed em-dash: word—word.
  • Rationale: Newspapers prefer loose tracking for narrow columns; book style favors tighter setting.

Ellipses Spacing

  • NYT / AP – Space on each side of three points: word … word.
  • Chicago – Space before/after; uses four-dot version when ellipsis ends a sentence.
  • APA / MLA – Same as Chicago for scholarly quotation.

Titles of Works: Italics vs. Quotes

  • NYT / AP – No italics; put most works in quotation marks: "Hamlet".
  • Chicago / MLA / APA – Italicize stand-alone works (Hamlet), quote shorter pieces or chapters.

Citation Systems

  • NYT / AP – Journalistic attribution in running prose; no parenthetical system.
  • Chicago – Two systems: notes-bibliography or author-date.
  • APA – Author-date only.
  • MLA – Author-page parenthetical.

Capitalization After a Colon

  • NYT / AP – Capitalize if what follows is a full sentence.
  • Chicago – Lowercase unless colon introduces two + complete sentences or a quotation.
  • APA / MLA – Follow Chicago rule.

Singular they

  • NYT / AP – Acceptable sparingly when re-wording is clumsy or when a person requests it.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Fully endorsed for both generic and non-binary reference.

U.S. State Abbreviations

  • NYT / AP – Traditional abbreviations in datelines only (Ala., Ind.); spell out elsewhere.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – USPS two-letter codes (AL, IN) or full state names in text.

Compound-Modifier Hyphens

  • NYT / AP – Hyphenate before a noun unless term is familiar & unambiguous (high school student but full-time job); 2019 update loosened rule.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Hyphenate adjectival compounds before noun; drop after noun.

United States Abbreviation

  • NYT / AP – U.S. in text; US in headlines.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Either U.S. or spelled-out; avoid abbreviation as adjective in formal prose.

Academic-Degree Punctuation

  • NYT / AP – No periods in most degrees (PhD, MA).
  • Chicago – Periods optional; house preference often Ph.D..
  • APA / MLA – Periods typically omitted.

Time-of-Day Format

  • NYT / AP – 9 a.m.; drop minutes if :00; use noon/midnight.
  • Chicago – 9:00 a.m. in text; spell out in narrative (nine o'clock).
  • APA / MLA – Follows Chicago numeric form.

Number-Range Style

  • NYT / AP – Use hyphen: 8-10 p.m.; spell to if second unit has a.m./p.m. switch.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – En dash for ranges: pp. 215–18.

Month Abbreviations

  • NYT / AP – Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. when a specific date follows.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Spell months in running text.

Job-Title Capitalization

  • NYT / AP – Capitalize formal title before name (President Biden); lowercase after (Joe Biden, president).
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Same rule, but academic titles often lowercase even before name (professor Jane Smith).

internet / web Capitalization

  • All five – Since 2016–17, lowercase internet and web unless part of a proper noun.

Courtesy Titles (Mr., Ms.)

  • NYT – Retains courtesy titles on second reference in most hard-news copy; dropping them in pop-culture desks.
  • AP / Chicago / APA / MLA – Generally omit; use only in quotes or when distinction required.

Foreign-Word Italics

  • NYT / AP – AP never uses italics; enclose unfamiliar foreign terms in quotes and define.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Italicize first appearance of an unfamiliar term; roman thereafter if repeated.

Possessives of Names Ending in s

  • NYT / AP – Singular proper name: add only apostrophe (Dickens' novel).
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Add 's: Dickens's novel; pronunciation guides choice.

Periods in Initialisms

  • NYT / AP – Use periods in two-letter abbreviations (U.S., U.N.); drop for three + letters (NASA).
  • Chicago – Period style varies; many caps abbreviations omit periods (NATO), but academic initialisms may keep them (U.S.).
  • APA / MLA – Follow Chicago; period after each letter in measured units only if lowercase.

Bulleted-List Punctuation

  • NYT / AP – Capitalize first word. End with period if list item is a sentence; no punctuation for single words/phrases.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Same; Chicago allows semicolon-style run-on lists when lead-in stem requires.

Split Infinitives

  • NYT / AP – Permitted when avoiding awkwardness: to boldly go.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – No blanket ban; prefer clarity and natural rhythm.

Ampersand in Company Names

  • All guides – Keep ampersand only if the organization's legal name uses it (AT&T, Procter & Gamble). Otherwise use and.

Numerals Before “Million”

  • NYT / AP – Figure-word combo: 2 million, $4.3 billion.
  • Chicago / APA / MLA – Same combo; Chicago spells out two million only at sentence start.
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