A to Z
The Government Digital Service style guide covers style, spelling and grammar conventions for all content published on 勒貊勛圖, arranged alphabetically.
This page will be unpublished soon. Theres a new version of this content in the .
These style points apply to all content published on 勒貊勛圖.
It includes:
- guidance on specific points of style, such as abbreviations and numbers
- 勒貊勛圖 style for specific words and phrases, in terms of spelling, hyphenation and capitalisation
If theres a point of style that is not covered here, check .
You can search the style guide by:
- Selecting show all sections.
- Pressing Ctrl+f on your keyboard if youre using a PC or +f if youre using a Mac.
- Typing the word or search term that youre looking for.
If youre a publisher or content designer in government, you can suggest an addition, change or clarification to the style guide.
Before you suggest a change
Check if your suggested entry is in the 勒貊勛圖 style guide or . If your suggestion is in the Guardian style guide, youll need to explain why 勒貊勛圖 should have a separate entry specifically for 勒貊勛圖.
If your suggestion is about 勒貊勛圖s tone of voice, this is included in the Writing for 勒貊勛圖 guidance.
You should consider whether theres a cross-government need for a consistent way to refer to or use something.
Most entries in the 勒貊勛圖 style guide do not include a definition but explain how to use the term.
All entries in the 勒貊勛圖 style guide should be plain English rather than jargon.
How to suggest a change
You can suggest a change by . Youll need a 勒貊勛圖 Signon account. If you do not have a 勒貊勛圖 Signon account, contact your organisations 勒貊勛圖 lead or managing editor to send a ticket on your behalf.
In your request include:
- what youre suggesting to add, change or remove
- the reason for the suggestion
- what the style guide currently says (if youre suggesting a change to an existing entry)
- evidence to support the change - for example, user insights or research
What happens next
All suggested changes are reviewed once a month by content designers and technical writers at the Government Digital Service (GDS).
Youll be told if your suggestion:
- has been approved and published in the style guide
- has been rejected - youll be given more information about why your suggestion was rejected
- needs more information before we can make a decision
A*, A*s
The top grade in A levels. Use the symbol * not the word star. No apostrophe in the plural.
A level
No hyphen. Lower case level.
Abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms
The first time you use an abbreviation on a page, explain it in full. You can then refer to it by initials only on the rest of the page. For example, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) becomes PIP for the rest of the page.
Always use acronym Markdown so the full explanation is available as hover text.
Do not use full stops in abbreviations: BBC, not B.B.C.
You do not need to explain the following abbreviations as theyre much better known than the full wording:
- BBC
- CCTV
- DIY
- DVLA
- EU
- GP
- HM, when part of an organisations name (like HM Revenue and Customs)
- HTML
- ID
- MI5
- MI6
- MOT
- MP
- NHS
- PAYE
- SORN
- TV
- UK
- URL
- USA
- VAT
- VPN
You also do not need to explain:
- file types, like JPG, PDF or PNG
- qualification abbreviations, like BA, GCSE or PhD
- letters when used after names, like KC or OBE
There are other abbreviations you do not need to explain in technical contexts. Read the technical content A to Z for more information.
If you have evidence (such as search term data) that suggests another abbreviation is much better known by your users, you can use the abbreviation without explaining it.
the academies programme
Lower case.
academy
Only use upper case when referring to the name of an academy, like Mossbourne Community Academy. See also Titles.
academy converters
Lower case.
academy order
Lower case.
academy trust
Lower case.
Access to Work
Upper case when referring directly to the actual programme, otherwise use lower case.
accountancy service provider
Upper case when referring to the business area covered by Money Laundering Regulations. Do not use the abbreviation.
Accounts Office
Upper case.
Activation PIN
Upper case. Activation PIN has been changed to Activation Code on outgoing correspondence from the Government Gateway. Until all hard-coded instances of Activation PIN have been removed from the Online Services pages, use Activation Code (also known as Activation PIN).
act, act of Parliament
Lower case. Only use upper case when using the full title: Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, for example.
Active voice
Use the active rather than passive voice. This will help us write concise, clear content.
Addresses in the UK
Start each part of the address on a new line. You should:
- write the town and postcode on separate lines
- not use commas at the end of each line
- write the country on the line after the postcode, not before
- only include a country if there is a reasonable chance that the user will be writing to the address from a different country
For example:
HM Revenue and Customs - Child Benefit Office
PO Box 1
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE88 1AA
United Kingdom
Addressing the user
Address the user as you where possible and avoid using gendered pronouns like he and she. Content on the site often makes a direct appeal to citizens and businesses to get involved or take action: You can contact HMRC by phone and email or Pay your car tax, for example.
Adoption Register
Upper case when referring to the national Adoption Register.
Lower case in subsequent mentions that do not use the full term: the register.
adviser
For example, special adviser. Not advisor, but advisory is the correct adjective.
ages
Do not use hyphens in ages unless to avoid confusion, although its always best to write in a way that avoids ambiguity. For example, a class of 15 16-year-old students took the A level course can be written as 15 students aged 16 took the A level course. Use aged 4 to 16 years, not 4-16 years.
Avoid using the over 50s or under-18s. Instead, make it clear whos included: aged 50 years and over and aged 17 and under.
agile
Upper case when referring to the Agile Manifesto and principles and processes, otherwise use lower case.
allow list
Use allow list as the noun and allow as the verb. Do not use white list or whitelist.
硃梭-紮硃i餃硃
Not al-Qaeda or al-Qaida.
alternative provision
Lower case.
American and UK English
Use UK English spelling and grammar. For example, use organise not organize, modelling not modeling, and fill in a form, not fill out a form.
American proper nouns, like 4th Mechanized Brigade or Pearl Harbor, take American English spelling.
Ampersand
Use and rather than &, unless its a departments logo image or a companys name as it appears on the register.
animal health
Lower case.
antisocial
No hyphen.
applied general qualifications
Lower case.
apprenticeship programme
Lower case.
A-road
Hyphenated.
armed forces
Lower case.
arms length body
Apostrophe, no hyphen.
assembly ministers
Lower case.
artificial intelligence
Write first as artificial intelligence (AI) then AI throughout.
Attendance Allowance
Upper case.
Bacs (Bankers Automated Clearing System)
Acronym should come first as its more widely known than the full name. Please note that the acronym has changed to Bacs.
Bank details
When adding bank details:
- do not use a table - use bullet points and a lead-in line instead
- use spaces rather than hyphens in sort codes - 60 70 80 (not 60-70-80)
- avoid using spaces in account numbers unless they are very long (like an International Bank Account Number)
For example:
Transfer the fee to the following account within 5 working days of emailing your form:
- sort code - 80 26 50
- account number - 10014069
- account name - The Public Trustee
Banned words
See Words to avoid
baseline
One word, lower case.
Behavioural Insights team
Upper case if its a specific, named team. Always lower case for team and generic names like research team, youth offending team.
Bereavement Payment
Upper case.
billions
Always use billion in money (and million): 瞿138 billion.
Use billions in phrases: billions of people.
Do not use 瞿0.xx billion for amounts less than 瞿1 billion, unless its in a sequence where youre talking about amounts above 瞿1 billion. For example: There was 瞿15.6 billion spent in August 2024, an increase of 瞿0.2 billion. If youre using it outside of the sequence again, use 瞿2 million.
Do not abbreviate billion to b.
Blind Persons Allowance
Upper case.
block list
Use block list as the noun and block as the verb. Do not use black list or blacklist.
blog post
Use 2 words when referring to an article published on a blog. A blog is the site on which a blog post is published.
board
Always lower case unless its part of a proper title: so upper case for the Judicial Executive Board, but lower case for the DFTs management board.
bold
Only use bold to indicate interface elements in text that are explicitly telling the user what to do, for example:
- 釦梗梭梗釵喧泭Start.
- Enter your information then selectDone.
Use single quote marks when referring to interface elements in non-instructional contexts, for example: The Done button will always be at the bottom of the page.
Use bold sparingly - using too much will make it difficult for users to know which parts of your content they need to pay the most attention to.
Do not use bold in other situations, for example to emphasise text.
To emphasise words or phrases, you can:
Brackets
Use (round brackets).
Do not use round brackets to refer to something that could either be singular or plural, like Check which document(s) you need to send to DVLA.
Always use the plural instead, as this will cover each possibility: Check which documents you need to send to DVLA.
Use [square brackets] for explanatory notes in reported speech or for placeholder text:
Thank you [Foreign Minister] Mr Smith.
Witnessed by [signature of witness].
Brexit
You can use the term Brexit to provide historical context, but its better to use specific dates where possible. For example, use:
- 31 December 2020 rather than Brexit or when the UK left the EU
- before 31 December 2020 rather than during the transition period
- after 1 January 2021 rather than after the transition period
Britain
See Great Britain
British citizen
One of 6 types of British nationalities. See British people.
British national
See British people.
British people
Reference British nationals by their activity where possible, for example British tourists, British farmers. If youre talking about them in the general sense, use British people.
Do not use British nationals unless you need to refer to them in a legal context, for example in eligibility criteria. Do not use British citizen unless youre referring to people with that particular type of British nationality.
BTEC National Diploma
Upper case.
Bullet points and steps
You can use bullets to make text easier to read. Make sure that:
- you always use a lead-in line
- you use more than one bullet
- the bullets make sense running on from the lead-in line
- you use lower case at the start of the bullet
- you do not use more than one sentence per bullet - use commas or dashes to expand on an item
- you do not put or or and after the bullets
- you do not make the whole bullet a link if its a long phrase
- you do not put a semicolon at the end of a bullet
- there is no full stop after the last bullet
Bullets should normally form a complete sentence following from the lead text. But its sometimes necessary to add a short phrase to clarify whether all or some of the points apply. For example, You can only register a pension scheme that is one of the following:
The number and type of examples in a list may lead the user to believe the list is exhaustive. This can be dealt with by:
- checking if there are other conditions (or if the list is actually complete)
- listing the conditions which apply to the most users and removing the rest
- consider broader terms in the list which capture more scenarios (and could make the list exhaustive)
- creating a journey to specialist content to cover the remaining conditions
Steps
Use numbered steps instead of bullet points to guide a user through a process. You do not need a lead-in line and you can use links and downloads (with appropriate Markdown) in steps. Steps end in a full stop because each should be a complete sentence.
business continuity management
Lower case.
Business Identifier Code (BIC)
BIC stands for Business Identifier Code (it was previously known as Bank Identifier Code, Bank International Code or Bank Identification Code). Make sure all words are capitalised.
For example: BIC (Business Identifier Code, previously Bank Identifier Code)
business plan
Lower case. Do not use upper case even in the title of a business plan publication.
business statement
Lower case.
C of E
For Church of England when referring to school names.
cabinet
The cabinet is lower case.
Capital Gains Tax
Upper case.
Capitalisation
DO NOT USE BLOCK CAPITALS FOR LARGE AMOUNTS OF TEXT AS ITS QUITE HARD TO READ.
Always use sentence case, even in page titles and service names. The exceptions to this are proper nouns, including:
- departments (specific government departments - see below)
- the Civil Service, with lower case for the
- specific job titles
- titles like Mr, Mrs, Dr, the Duke of Cambridge (the duke at second mention); Pope Francis, but the pope
- Rt Hon (no full stops)
- buildings
- place names
- brand names
- faculties, departments, institutes and schools
- names of groups, directorates and organisations: Knowledge and Innovation Group
- Parliament, the House
- titles of specific acts or bills: Housing Reform Bill (but use the act or the bill after the first time you use the full act or bill title)
- names of specific, named government schemes known to people outside government: Right to Buy, Kings Awards for Enterprise
- specific select committees: Public Administration Select Committee
- header cells in tables: Annual profits
- titles of books (and within single quotes), for example, The Study Skills Handbook
- World War 1 and World War 2 (note caps and numbers)
Do not capitalise:
- government - see government
- minister, never Minister, unless part of a specific job title, like Minister for the Cabinet Office
- department or ministry - never Department or Ministry, unless referring to a specific one: Ministry of Justice, for example
- white paper, green paper, command paper, House of Commons paper
- budget, autumn statement, spring statement, unless referring to and using the full name of a specific statement - for example, 2016 Budget
- sections or schedules within specific named acts, regulations or orders
- director general (no hyphen), deputy director, director, unless in a specific job title
- group and directorate, unless referring to a specific group or directorate: the Commercial Directorate, for example
- departmental board, executive board, the board
- policy themes like sustainable communities, promoting economic growth, local enterprise zones
- general mention of select committees (but do cap specific ones - see above)
- the military
Capitals for government departments
Use the following conventions for government departments. A department using an ampersand in its logo image is fine but use and when writing in full text.
- Attorney Generals Office (AGO)
- Cabinet Office (CO)
- Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
- Department for Education (DfE)
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
- Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
- Department for Transport (DfT)
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
- Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
- HM Treasury (HMT)
- Home Office (HO)
- Ministry of Defence (MOD)
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
- Ministry of Justice (MOJ)
care worker
Two words. Lower case.
chair of governors
Lower case.
chairman, chairwoman, chairperson
Lower case in text. Upper case in titles: Spencer Tracy, Chairman, GDS.
Change notes
See change notes in the content design manual.
changelog
Not change log.
CHAPS (Clearing House Automated Payment System)
The acronym should come first as its more widely known than the full name.
checkbox
Not check box.
chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials
Lower case. Use upper case for the abbreviation.
chief constable
Lower case except where its a title with the holders name, like Chief Constable Andrew Trotter.
Child Benefit
Upper case.
Child Tax Credit
Upper case, but generic references to tax credits are lower case.
childcare
Lower case.
Childcare Grant
Upper case.
childminder, childminding
One word.
Children in Need
Upper case for the BBC fundraising event, lower case for children in need census.
Civil Contingencies Secretariat
Upper case because its the name of an organisation.
Civil Service
Upper case.
civil servants
Lower case.
classwork
One word.
click
Dont use click when talking about user interfaces because not all users click. Use select.
You can use right-click if the user needs to right-click to open up a list of options to progress through the user journey.
coalition
Lower case in all instances, including the coalition.
CO2
Use capital letters and a regular 2.
coastguard
Lower case.
code of practice
Lower case.
command paper
Lower case.
commercial software
Not third-party software. Also use commercial for types of software, for example commercial word processor.
Community Care Grant
Upper case.
community resilience
Lower case.
community, voluntary and foundation schools
Lower case.
competence order
Lower case unless used in the full title, like the National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Social Welfare) Order 2008.
conduct of business rules
Lower case.
Construction Industry Scheme
Use upper case when referring to the actual Construction Industry Scheme (CIS, not the CIS).
Construction Industry Scheme Online/CIS Online
Upper case.
consultation responses
Lower case.
continuous improvement
Lower case.
contractions
Avoid negative contractions like cant and dont. Many users find them harder to read, or misread them as the opposite of what they say. Use cannot, instead of cant.
Avoid complex or conditional contractions such as shouldve, couldve, wouldve too. These can also be hard to read.
co-operation
Hyphenated.
core standards
Lower case.
Corporation Tax
Upper case.
Corporation Tax for Agents online service
Upper case.
Corporation Tax Online
Use upper case Online if referring to the actual service, not if youre describing using the service: you can pay your Corporation Tax online or at the Post Office.
COTS
Meaning commercial-off-the-shelf software. Not cots or Cots. Explain the acronym at first use.
council
Use lower case when writing about local councils in general. Use capitals for the official name of a local council. For example Reading Borough Council, Warwick District Council and Swanage Town Council.
Council Tax
Upper case.
countries and territories
When referring to a country or territory, use the names listed in the .
County Court
Upper case as it represents a single court system.
coursework
One word.
COVID-19
Upper case.
Do not use:
- Covid-19 with only the first letter capitalised
- covid-19 lower case
- coronavirus as COVID-19 is the specific condition
credit unions
Lower case.
critical national infrastructure
Lower case.
critical worker
Lower case.
Used to define workers critical to an emergency response whose children get prioritised for school attendance. It is not the same as an essential worker.
Use critical worker only in relation to educational provision.
Do not use keyworker.
cross-curricular learning
Hyphenated.
crown servants
Lower case.
curriculums
Not curricula.
Customs Duty
Upper case.
customs union
Lower case. Only use upper case when part of the title of a specific customs union: the European Union Customs Union, for example.
cyber bullying
Two words. Lower case.
data
Treat as a singular noun: The data is stored on a secure server.
data centre
Not datacentre.
data set
Not dataset.
data store
Not datastore.
Dates
- use upper case for months for example: January, February
- do not use a comma between the month and year for example: 4 June 2017
- when space is an issue in tables or publication titles, for example you can use truncated months like Jan, Feb
- we use to in date ranges and not hyphens, en rules or em dashes for example:
- tax year 2011 to 2012
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (put different days on a new line, do not separate with a comma)
- 10 November to 21 December
- do not use quarter for dates, use the months for example, department expenses, Jan to Mar 2013
- when referring to today (as in a news article) include the date for example, The minister announced today (14 June 2012) that色
- when mentioning a deadline, use on or before for example, Submit the form on or before 6 September 2025色
Daycare Trust
Two words. Upper case.
dedicated schools grant
Lower case.
defence
Lower case even when referring to the defence team at the MOD.
defence team
Lower case.
department
Lower case except when in the title: the Department of Health and Social Care.
devolved administrations
Use devolved governments instead.
devolved governments
Lower case.
DevOps
Similarly, use WebOps.
diploma
Lower case unless part of a title like Edexcel L2 Diploma in IT.
Direct Debit
Upper case.
Direct Debit Instruction
Upper case.
director
Lower case in text. Upper case in titles: Spencer Tracy, Director, GDS.
director general
Lower case. No hyphen.
Disability Living Allowance
Upper case.
disabled people
Not the disabled or people with disabilities.
Read more about words to use and avoid when writing about disability.
dispensation
Lower case.
Discretionary Housing Payment
Upper case.
Duty Deferment Electronic Statements (DDES)
Upper case.
early career teacher (ECT)
Lower case.
early years
Lower case.
early years foundation stage (EYFS)
Lower case.
early years professional status
Lower case.
early years teacher
Lower case.
early years teacher status
Lower case.
the Earth
Upper case for the Earth, Planet Earth and Earth sciences, with lower case for the.
East End (London)
Upper case.
Easy Read
Upper case for documents that use simple words and pictures to explain concepts.
EBacc
A performance measure linked to GCSEs. Upper case E and B.
EC Sales List (ESL)
Use ESL, not ECSL.
eco-schools
Hyphenated.
education, health and care (EHC) plan
Lower case for the full name. Abbreviate as EHC plan, not EHCP.
eg, etc and ie
eg can sometimes be read aloud as egg by screen reading software. Instead use for example or such as or like or including - whichever works best in the specific context.
etc can usually be avoided. Try using for example or such as or like or including. Never use etc at the end of a list starting with these words.
ie - used to clarify a sentence - is not always well understood. Try (re)writing sentences to avoid the need to use it. If that is not possible, use an alternative such as meaning or that is.
One word. Do not use it when talking about an email address. For example, say use this email address rather than use this email.
Email addresses
Write email addresses in full, in lower case and as active links. Do not include any other words in the link text.
emergency plan
Lower case.
Employment and Support Allowance (New Style or income-related)
Upper case.
Use New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) the first time the benefit name is used. From then on, you can use New Style ESA.
Use income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) the first time the benefit name is used. From then on, you can use the abbreviation as long as you put income-related first, for example income-related ESA.
You can use Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and ESA if you need to refer to both benefits at the same time.
endpoint
Not end point in the context of APIs.
enrol
Lower case.
enrolling
Lower case.
enrolment
Lower case.
ethnic minorities
Refer to ethnic minority groups individually, rather than as a single group. Where its absolutely necessary to group people from different ethnic minority backgrounds, use ethnic minorities or people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Do not use the terms BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) and BME (Black and minority ethnic). These terms emphasise certain ethnic minority groups (Asian and Black) and exclude others (Mixed, other and White ethnic minority groups).
See the for more details.
European Commission
Leave unabbreviated to distinguish from the European Community. Write out in full at first mention, then call it the Commission.
European Economic Area (EEA)
Avoid using as it is not widely understood. Say the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
When rules covering the EEA also cover Switzerland, say the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
European Union vs European Community
Use EU when you mean EU member states: EU countries, EU businesses, EU consumers, goods exported from the EU, EU VAT numbers.
EC should be used when its EC directives, EC Sales List.
euros, the euro
Lower case, if referring to the currency.
etc
See eg, etc and ie
Excel spreadsheet
Upper case because Excel is a brand name.
executive director
Lower case in text. Upper case in titles: Spencer Tracy, Executive Director, GDS.
Extended Project Qualification
Upper case.
extra-curricular
Hyphenated
FAQs (frequently asked questions)
Do not use FAQs on 勒貊勛圖. If you write content by starting with user needs, you will not need to use FAQs.
finance and procurement
Lower case.
fine
Use f勳紳梗 instead of financial penalty.
For example, Youll pay a 瞿50 fine.
For other types of sanction, say what will happen to the user - youll get points on your licence, go to court and so on. Only say civil penalty if theres evidence users are searching for the term.
Describe what the user might need to do, rather than what government calls a thing.
fire and rescue service
Lower case.
fixed-period exclusions
Hyphenated.
foot and mouth disease
Lower case.
foundation degrees
Lower case.
foundation schools
Lower case.
foundation stage / foundation subjects
Lower case.
foundation trust
Lower case unless the full name of the foundation trust is being used: Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.
free school
Lower case.
the free schools programme
Lower case.
free school meals
Lower case.
Freedom of Information
You can make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, but not a request under the FOI Act.
frontend
Not front-end or front end.
Full Payment Submission
Upper case.
funding agreement
Lower case.
further education (FE)
Lower case.
GCSE, GCSEs
No full stops between the initials. No apostrophe in the plural.
Gender
Make sure text is gender neutral wherever possible, such as them, their or they.
If you do need to refer to gender, use women and men rather than males and females. For example, 33% of our senior leaders are women.
general election
Lower case, but upper case if referring to a specific election. For example, the 2019 General Election.
Geography and regions
Use lower case for north, south, east and west, except when theyre part of a name or recognised region.
So, the south-west (compass direction), but the South West (administrative region).
Use lower case for the north, the south of England, the south-west, north-east Scotland, south Wales, the west, western Europe, the far east, south-east Asia.
Use upper case for East End, West End (London), East Midlands, West Midlands, Middle East, Central America, South America.
Always write out the full name of the area the first time you use it. You can use a capital for a shortened version of a specific area or region if its commonly known by that name, like the Pole for the North Pole.
GHz
Not Ghz.
governing body
Singular noun.
The governing body is meeting today. It will decide who to appoint.
government
Lower case unless its a full title. For example: UK government, but His Majestys Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Also Welsh Government, as its the full title.
government offices
Lower case.
government procurement card
Lower case.
governor
Lower case.
勒貊勛圖
All upper case.
The 勒貊勛圖 app
Upper case for 勒貊勛圖. Do not capitalise the first letter in app.
Always use the definite article. Write the 勒貊勛圖 app, not 勒貊勛圖 app.
See also the 勒貊勛圖 One Login app
勒貊勛圖 One Login
Title case. Always use the full name, 勒貊勛圖 One Login. Not One Login, login or abbreviations.
Do not refer to 勒貊勛圖 One Login as an account. This helps avoid confusion with other government accounts.
For signing in to a service use Sign in with 勒貊勛圖 One Login.
For signing in to your 勒貊勛圖 One Login, use Sign in to your 勒貊勛圖 One Login.
Use sign in details not 勒貊勛圖 One Login details to refer to the information you sign in with, for example your email address and password.
See also sign in or log in
The 勒貊勛圖 One Login app
This is 勒貊勛圖 One Logins main identity proving app. Direct users to this app if they need to prove their identity with 勒貊勛圖 One Login.
Use title case for 勒貊勛圖 One Login. Do not capitalise the first letter in app.
Always use the definite article. Write the 勒貊勛圖 One Login app, not 勒貊勛圖 One Login app.
grammar school
Lower case unless part of a school name: The Manchester Grammar School.
Great Britain
Refers only to England, Scotland and Wales and does not include Northern Ireland.
Use Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) in the first instance. Where possible, you should also make a specific point of saying that Northern Ireland is not included.
For example These rules apply to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). This does not include Northern Ireland.
Use Great Britain in subsequent mentions on the page.
Britain
Use UK and United Kingdom in preference to Britain and British (UK business, UK foreign policy, ambassador and high commissioner). But British embassy, not UK embassy.
Green Deal
Upper case because its the name of a programme, but note that its Green Deal programme, Green Deal team, Green Deal assessment.
green paper
Lower case.
Group
Upper case for names of groups, directorates and organisations: Knowledge and Innovation Group.
Lower case when a group has a very generic title like working group or research team.
Guardians Allowance
Upper case.
guidance
Lower case: national recovery guidance.
Gypsies
Upper case because Gypsies are legally recognised as an ethnic group.
harbour authority
Lower case unless part of a proper noun: Cardiff Harbour Authority.
harbour master
Lower case.
hazardous waste registration
Lower case.
headteacher
One word. You can use head if the context is clear.
health protection unit
Lower case unless its the title of an organisation: North East and Central London Health Protection Unit.
helpdesk
Not help desk.
high-attaining pupils
Hyphenated.
higher education (HE)
Lower case.
Holocaust
Upper case.
home-school agreement
Hyphenated.
homepage
Lower case.
HTTPS
Upper case. No need to explain the abbreviation if its used in content for a technical audience.
human resources
Lower case.
Hurricane
Upper case for named hurricanes: Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy.
Hyphenation
Hyphenate:
- re- words starting with e, like re-evaluate
- co-ordinate
- co-operate
Do not hyphenate:
- reuse
- reinvent
- reorder
- reopen
Do not use a hyphen unless its confusing without it, for example, a little used-car is different from a little-used car. You can also refer to for advice on hyphenation.
Use to for time and date ranges, not hyphens.
IaaS
Stands for Infrastructure as a Service. Explain the abbreviation at first use.
ie
See eg, etc and ie
Import Control System
Upper case.
implementation period
Always lower case.
inclusion statement
Lower case.
Income Support
All names of benefits are upper case.
Income Tax
Names of taxes are upper case, except input tax.
independent schools adjudicator
Lower case.
individual education plan
Lower case.
individual schools budget
Lower case.
initial teacher training
Lower case.
input tax
Lower case.
inset day
Lower case.
instrument of government
Lower case.
International Baccalaureate
Upper case.
internet
Lower case.
Intrastat Supplementary Declaration
Upper case.
IP
When used in the technical context (for example internet protocol), theres no need to explain the abbreviation.
Italics
Do not use italics. Use single quotation marks if referring to a document, scheme or initiative.
Job titles
Specific job titles and ministers role titles are upper case: Minister for Housing, Home Secretary.
Generic job titles and ministers role titles are lower case: director, minister.
See also Shadow job titles
Jobseekers Allowance (New Style or income-based)
Upper case. Always use the apostrophe before the s.
Use New Style Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) the first time the benefit name is used. From then on, you can use New Style JSA.
Use income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) the first time the benefit name is used. From then on, you can use the abbreviation as long as you put income-based first, for example income-based JSA.
You can use Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and JSA if you need to refer to both benefits at the same time.
Junk and spam emails
When referring users to the folder in their email client, use junk or spam folder.
kanban
Upper case when referring to The Kanban Method, otherwise lower case.
key stage
Lower case and numeral: key stage 4.
the King
Upper case K, lower case t.
law
Lower case even when its the law.
legal aid
Lower case.
Legal content
Legal content can still be written in plain English. Its important that users understand content and that we present complicated information simply.
If you have to publish legal jargon, it will be a publication so write a plain English summary.
Where evidence shows theres a clear user need for including a legal term (like bona vacantia), always explain it in plain English.
Read more about writing legal content
legislative competence order
Upper case if used as the full title: the National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Social Welfare) Order 2008.
Lower case otherwise: the legislative competence orders (LCOs) are approved, rejected or withdrawn.
liaison officers
Lower case.
life cycle
Not lifecycle or life-cycle.
Links
Front-load your link text with the relevant terms and make them active and specific. Always link to online services first. Offer offline alternatives afterwards, when possible.
Lists
Lists should be bulleted to make them easier to read. See bullets and steps.
Very long lists can be written as a paragraph with a lead-in sentence if it looks better: The following countries are in the EU: Spain, France, Italy色
In an alphanumeric list:
- put entries that start with numbers before entries that start with letters
- order the numbers numerically in the correct order for the whole number
local authority
Lower case. Do not use LA.
When referring to local government, use local council instead of local authority where possible. See also council.
Local Authority Trading Standards Services
Upper case as long as its a specific named organisation, not trading standards services in general.
local council
Lower case.
When referring to local government, use local council instead of local authority where possible. See also council.
log book
Two words.
log in
See sign in or log in and 勒貊勛圖 One Login.
looked-after children
Hyphenated.
lottery
Always use the National Lottery if thats what you mean.
lunchtime
One word.
Machine Games Duty (MGD)
Upper case.
Machine Games Duty for Agents online service
Upper case.
mainstream schools
Lower case.
maintained schools, maintained nursery schools
Lower case.
mark scheme, mark sheet
Lower case.
Maths content
Use a minus sign for negative numbers: 6
Ratios have no space either side of the colon: 5:12
One space each side of symbols: +, , , 繩 and = (so: 2 + 2 = 4)
Use the minus sign for subtraction. Use the correct symbol for the multiplication sign (), not the letter x.
Write out and hyphenate fractions: two-thirds, three-quarters.
Write out decimal fractions as numerals. Use the same number format for a sequence: 0.75 and 0.45
MD5
Used in a technical context theres no need to explain the abbreviation.
Measurements
Use numerals and spell out measurements at first mention.
Do not use a space between the numeral and abbreviated measurement: 3,500kg not 3,500 kg.
Abbreviating kilograms to kg is fine - you do not need to spell it out.
Use grams (not grammes). For example: micrograms, milligrams.
If the measurement is more than one word, like kilometres per hour, then spell it out the first time its used with the abbreviation. From then on, abbreviate. If its only mentioned once, do not abbreviate.
Use Celsius for temperature: 37簞C
member states of the EU
Lower case.
memorandum of understanding
Lower case.
metadata
Not meta data.
metaphors
See words to avoid
MHz
Not Mhz.
Middle East
Upper case.
middle-deemed primary school, middle-deemed secondary school
Hyphenated.
Midlands
Upper case.
migrate
When talking about software, not migrate over.
Mileage Allowance Payments
Upper case.
military
Lower case.
Millions
Always use million in money (and billion): 瞿138 million.
Use millions in phrases: millions of people.
Do not use 瞿0.xx million for amounts less than 瞿1 million, unless its in a sequence where youre talking about amounts above 瞿1 million. For example: There was 瞿15.6 million spent in August 2024, an increase of 瞿0.2 million. If youre using it outside of the sequence again, use 瞿200,000.
Do not abbreviate million to m.
minister
Use upper case for the full title, like Minister for Overseas Development.
Use the full title when referring to a named minister, for example: Minister for Overseas Development, Joe Bloggs.
Do not use the shortened title with a name, like Minister Bloggs.
When used without the name, shortened titles are lower case: The health minister welcomed the research team.
MIT License
Note the spelling.
mixed-age class
Hyphenated.
mixed-sex schools
Hyphenated.
MLA
Do not use Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland), just MLA.
modern foreign languages
Lower case.
money
Use the 瞿 symbol: 瞿75
Do not use decimals unless pence are included: 瞿75.50 but not 瞿75.00
Do not use 瞿0.xx million or 瞿0.xx billion for amounts less than 瞿1 million or billion. The exception is when its in a sequence where youre talking about amounts above 瞿1 million or billion. For example: There was 瞿15.6 billion spent in August 2024, an increase of 瞿0.2 billion. If youre using it outside of the sequence again, use 瞿2 million. Write out pence in full: calls will cost 4 pence per minute from a landline.
Currencies are lower case.
money laundering
Lower case when referring to the activity not the regulation.
Months
See Dates.
MP
Do not use Member of Parliament, just MP.
MS
Do not use Member of the Senedd (Wales), just MS.
MSP
Do not use Member of the Scottish Parliament, just MSP.
multi-academy trust
Hyphenated.
multidisciplinary
One word.
multi-ethnic
Hyphenated.
multi-year funding
Hyphenated.
multilingual
One word.
N/A
Do not use N/A in empty cells in tables. Use no data or not applicable instead.
Names and personal titles
Use a persons full name the first time you mention them. Only include personal titles if theyre relevant to your content.
For example, it might be relevant to include:
- their job title beforehand, like Prime Minister
- an academic title like Dr or Professor
- an honorary title like Sir or Dame
- a military title like Admiral or General
- letters like OBE, MP or KC after their name
If theyre a member of the House of Lords, use their official title instead. You can to find that information.
When you mention a person again, use one of the following:
- their job title
- a title and their surname (like Mr, Ms, Lord, Baroness or Dr) - use Ms for women without another title, unless theyve expressed a preference for Mrs or Miss
- a title and their first name, if you previously used their honorary title and they have a knighthood or damehood (like Sir Mark or Dame Helen)
- just their first name, in more informal content
Avoid using titles from other languages, like Herr or Madame.
national curriculum
Lower case.
national curriculum tests
Do not call them SATs.
National Insurance card
Upper case.
National Insurance contributions
Upper case.
National Insurance number
Upper case. Not NINO.
National Living Wage
Upper case.
National Minimum Wage
Upper case.
national occupational standards
Lower case.
national pupil database
Lower case.
national scholarship fund
Lower case.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)
Upper case.
.NET
For the programming language, not .net or .Net.
New Computerised Transit System (NCTS)
Upper case.
New Export System (NES)
Upper case.
newly qualified teacher
Use early career teacher (ECT) instead.
non-executive director
Lower case in text, upper case in titles: Spencer Tracy, Non-executive Director, GDS.
the north, the north of England
Lower case.
north-east, north-west
Lower case, hyphenated.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Upper case.
Northern Ireland Civil Service
Upper case.
Northern Ireland Executive
Upper case.
north Wales
Not a specific region of the UK.
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Upper case.
Numbers
Use one unless youre talking about a step, a point in a list or another situation where using the numeral makes more sense: in point 1 of the design instructions, for example. Or this:
Youll be shown 14 clips that feature everyday road scenes.
There will be:
- 1 developing hazard in 13 clips
- 2 developing hazards in the other clip
Write all other numbers in numerals (including 2 to 9) except where its part of a common expression like one or two of them where numerals would look strange.
If a number starts a sentence, write it out in full (Thirty-four, for example) except where it starts a title or subheading.
For numerals over 999 - insert a comma for clarity: 9,000
See how to use millions or how to use billions.
Spell out common fractions like one-half.
Use a % sign for percentages: 50%
Use a 0 where theres no digit before the decimal point (for example, 0.5 not .5).
Use zero degrees not 0 degrees or 0簞.
Use 500 to 900 and not 500-900 (except in tables).
Use MB for anything over 1MB: 4MB not 4096KB.
Use KB for anything under 1MB: 569KB not 0.55MB.
Keep it as accurate as possible and up to 2 decimal places: 4.03MB.
Addresses: use to in address ranges: 49 to 53 Cherry Street.
Ordinal numbers
Spell out first to ninth. After that use 10th, 11th and so on.
In tables, use numerals throughout.
nursery school
Lower case.
occupational pension
Lower case. This term covers both company and public sector pension schemes. Only use this term if explaining tax rules that are specific to occupational pension schemes.
Ofsted judgements
Lower case and not in quote marks: Westminster School was judged outstanding in its latest Ofsted inspection.
There are 4 Ofsted grades:
- outstanding (or grade 1)
- good (or grade 2)
- requires improvement (or grade 3)
- inadequate (or grade 4)
one-year-on
If used adjectivally, hyphenate and use one rather than 1.
online
One word.
online services
If an online service has a name that starts with a verb, you do not need to capitalise its name when linking to it. Write the link as part of a sentence so users know what action they can take.
For example:
- You can visit someone in prison by booking online.
- You can apply for Marriage Allowance online.
open source software
Not Open Source software or OS software.
opposition
Lower case even for the opposition and opposition leader.
or
Do not use slashes instead of or. For example, Do this 3/4 times.
order
Lower case unless used as the full title: Standing Order 22
Organisations
Use the singular verb form when referring to organisations by name. Use they when replacing an organisation name with a pronoun.
For example: HM Passport Office is the sole issuer of British passports. They will send your new passport within 3 weeks.
The definite article can be used when referring to the organisation by its full name, but should not be used with the organisations abbreviation: You should contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency if色 but You should contact DVSA if色
You should only use we if its clear which organisation youre referring to.
Read more about when to use we in content.
Use local council, instead of local authority, where possible. See also council.
overseas-trained teacher
Lower case. Hyphenated.
PaaS
Stands for Platform as a Service. Explain the acronym at first use.
Pages and screens
You should usually be able to use statements like when you continue or refer to an interaction as a step if you need to help users understand where they are in their journey.
If you ever need to describe what the user is actually interacting with, use page. This applies to both web and app interfaces.
For example:
- Keep this page open
- Youll need to come back to this page later
- Go back to the page you had open on your computer or tablet
- Report a problem with this page
Do not use screen unless youre referring to part of a device, for example the oval on your screen.
User research by GDS noticed users use and understand the word page, even in the context of a mobile app. For example, they talk about the home page of the app, and not the home screen.
You can use window or tab if you ever need to describe how a page will be shown in a users web browser. For example, if you need a link to open in a new tab, include the words opens in new tab as part of the link text.
Paper B
In national curriculum tests.
Parliament
Upper case.
Parliamentary committees
Parliamentary is upper case and committees is in lower case.
Parliamentary report
Parliamentary is upper case and report is in lower case.
Patent Box
When referring to the product/relief/regime, then say the Patent Box. Occasionally the definite article will be dropped, for example in calculations, where we use Patent Box deduction and when using phrases like Answers to your Patent Box questions.
pathfinder
Lower case.
payroll
Lower case.
pay by bank
Use for the open banking payment method when a user pays directly, using their banking app or website without giving any bank details.
Do not use the name of the payment provider, like pay by [provider name].
PAYE/CIS for Agents online service
Upper case.
PAYE Coding Notice
Upper case.
PAYE Online for employers
This can be abbreviated to PAYE Online within the PAYE Online for employers area of the website.
PAYE Settlement Agreements (PSAs)
Upper case.
penalty
See the entry for f勳紳梗.
pension provider
Lower case. Not pension payer.
Pension Schemes for administrators
Lower case on administrators.
Pension Schemes for practitioners
Lower case on practitioners.
Per cent
Use per cent not percent. Percentage is one word. Always use % with a number.
performance management
Lower case.
performance tables
Lower case.
performance-related pay
Hyphenated.
Personal Independence Payment
Upper case
physical education or PE
You can write in full or use the initials.
plain English
Lower case plain and upper case English unless in a title: the Plain English Campaign.
All content on 勒貊勛圖 should be written in plain English. You should also make sure you use language your audience will understand - check which words you should avoid.
Planet Earth
Upper case.
please
Theres usually no need to say please or please note.
police
Lower case, even when referring to the police.
police service
Lower case. You can use police force when referring to a regional police body.
policy note
Lower case.
policy statement
Lower case.
PowerPoint presentation
Upper case because PowerPoint is a brand name.
pre-school
Hyphenated.
Primary Care Trust (PCT)
Upper case because its the name of an organisation.
Prime Minister
Use Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Prime Minister.
priority school building programme
Lower case.
Private Members Bill
Upper case.
probate/grant of probate
Lower case.
probation trust
Lower case unless in a title: Hampshire Probation Trust.
Proforma
Do not use proforma - say what it is in plain English: a template or form, for example. Be specific about what to do with it.
programme
Lower case: Troubled Families programme, Sure Start programme.
Progress 8 measure
Upper case P, lower case m.
public health
Lower case.
public limited company (plc)
Use lower case for both public limited company and plc.
Do not use plc to mean private limited company.
public sector
Lower case.
pull request
Lowercase, the same as GitHub does in its documentation. GitLab uses the term merge request.
pupil premium
Lower case.
pupil referral unit
Lower case.
qualified teacher status
Lower case.
Quotes and speech marks
In long passages of speech, open quotes for every new paragraph, but close quotes only at the end of the final paragraph.
Single quotes
Use single quotes for unusual terms that users might not recognise but still need to know. Only use the quotes for the terms first mention.
Also use single quotes when:
- using quotations in titles
- quoting individual words (like a Submit button or a Sign in link)
- referring to publication titles (like Understanding Capital Gains Tax)
- referring to names of notifications such as emails or alerts (like Deadline alert)
Double quotes
Only use double quotes in body text for direct quotations of something that a person has said or written.
Block quotes
Use the block quote Markdown for quotes longer than a few sentences.
Real Time Information and RTI
This is an HMRC programme and should only appear either with initial capitals or as an abbreviation when referring to the programme itself.
When describing customer processes, use common language phrases like send your payroll information to HMRC or operate your payroll in real time. Do not say send your payroll under RTI or use the abbreviation, for example in RTI or under RTI.
When using real time information in any other sense, it should be lower case.
Rebated Oils Enquiry Service
Upper case.
recovery structures
Lower case.
Reduced Earnings Allowance
Upper case.
References
References should be easy to understand by anyone, not just specialists.
They should follow the style guide. When writing a reference:
- do not use italics
- use single quote marks around titles
- write out abbreviations in full: page not p, Nutrition Journal not Nutr J.
- use plain English, for example use and others not et al
- do not use full stops after initials or at the end of the reference
If the reference is available online, make the title a link and include the date you accessed the online version:
Corallo AN and others. Health Policy 2014: volume 114, pages 5-14 (viewed on 18 November 2014)
reform plan
Lower case.
regional resilience team
Lower case.
Registered Dealers in Controlled Oils (RDCO)
Upper case.
regulations
Upper case in the full title: Licensing of Animal Dealers (Scotland) Regulations 2009. (No comma before the date.) Lower case when referring to them: the licensing of animal dealers regulations.
religious education
Lower case.
resilience
Lower case.
resilience plans
Lower case.
RESTful
In the context of APIs, not restful or Restful.
risk assessment
Lower case.
risk management
Lower case.
the Royal Household
Upper case when referring to the departments that, collectively, support the British Royal Family.
Rt Hon
No full stops.
SaaS
Stands for Software as a Service. Explain the acronym at first use.
same-sex schools
Hyphenated.
sat nav
Two words, lower case.
SATs
See national curriculum tests.
School Admissions Code
Upper case. After the first mention you can refer to it in lower case: the admissions code or the code.
school and college performance tables
Lower case.
school improvement plan
Lower case.
school subjects
Lower case for all except languages and initialisations.
schools workforce
No apostrophe as its an attributive noun.
schoolwork
One word.
science and technical advice cell
Lower case.
Scientific names
Capitalise the first letter of the first part of the scientific name. Do not use italics.
Scottish Government
Upper case.
Scottish Parliament
Upper case.
Scrum
Upper case when referring to the framework and method for developing products, otherwise use lower case.
seasons
spring, summer, autumn, winter are lower case.
Secretary of State for XXX
The Secretary of State for XXX is upper case whether or not its used with the holders name because there is only one. Use common sense to capitalise shortened versions of the SoS titles such as Health Secretary. The rule for ministers is different because there is more than one.
section 2
As in part of an act or a strategy.
sector resilience plans
Lower case.
Security classifications
Official, Secret, Top Secret
Upper case when referring to government security classifications, otherwise lower case.
If its not clear from the context, you may need to clarify that its a classification not a general description: information classified as Official rather than Official information.
self-assessment
This compound noun should be hyphenated, unless its an HMRC title.
Self Assessment for Agents online service
Upper case.
Self Assessment Online
Upper case.
Self Assessment Online for partnerships
Upper case.
Self Assessment Online for trusts
Upper case.
Self Assessment tax return
See tax returns.
self-driving vehicle
Hyphenated. Use self-driving vehicle not automated vehicle.
self-employment
Hyphenate this noun.
semicolons
Do not use semicolons as they are often mis-read. Long sentences using semicolons should be broken up into separate sentences instead.
Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament)
Upper case. Write in full the first time you use it, then use the Senedd.
This is the parliament and should not be confused with the Welsh Government.
Sentence length
Do not use long sentences. Check sentences with more than 25 words to see if you can split them to make them clearer.
Read more about short sentences.
serious case review
Lower case when written in full.
service children
Recognised term for children whose parents serve in the armed forces.
services
In military contexts this should be lower case, even when referring to the armed forces services or the services.
It can be upper or lower case for other contexts (for example, Pension Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, customer service).
settlor
A settler of trusts.
Shadow job titles
The Shadow Secretary of State for XXX is upper case whether or not its used with the holders name because there is only one. Use common sense to capitalise shortened versions of the Secretary of State titles: the Shadow Health Secretary.
See also Job titles
Shadow Cabinet
Upper case.
sign in or log in
Use sign in rather than log in (verb) for calls-to-action where users enter their details to access a service.
Do not use login as a noun - say what the user actually needs to enter (like username, password, National Insurance number). You can use it as a noun if its part of a name such as 勒貊勛圖 One Login or NHS login.
16 to 19 Bursary Fund
Upper case. After the first mention you can refer to it in lower case: the fund.
sixth former
Not hyphenated.
sixth-form college
Hyphenated. Lower case.
SMEs
This abbreviation means small and medium-sized enterprises. Use SME for the singular.
south, the south of England
Lower case.
south-east, south-west
Lower case, hyphenated.
spaces
One space after a full stop, not 2.
Spam emails
See junk and spam emails.
special educational needs/special educational needs and disabilities (SEN/D)
Lower case, but use upper case for the acronym.
Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
Upper case. When not using the full title in subsequent mentions, refer to it in lower case: the code of practice or the code.
special measures
Lower case.
Speech marks
Spending Review
Upper case for the 5-year view of the governments spending plans. Lower case in other contexts: we are conducting a spending review.
Stamp Taxes for Agents online service
Upper case.
Stamp Taxes Online
Upper case.
standards of conduct
Lower case.
standing order
Lower case unless used as the full title: Standing Order 22.
State Pension
Upper case.
statement of SEND
Lower case.
statistical first release
Lower case.
Statistics
Read to find out how to write about statistics. This has been produced by the Office for National Statistics for all members of the Government Statistical Service.
Upper case National Statistics for the official statistics quality mark. Lower case for anything else, including statistics that are national in scope.
Statutory pay and leave
Use upper case for the names of statutory pay, such as:
- Statutory Adoption Pay
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- Statutory Neonatal Care Pay
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay
- Statutory Sick Pay
- Statutory Shared Parental Pay
Do the same for statutory leave, such as:
- Statutory Adoption Leave
- Statutory Maternity Leave
- Statutory Neonatal Care Leave
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave
- Statutory Paternity Leave
- Statutory Shared Parental Leave
steps
strategic national framework on XXX
Lower case.
strategic partners
Not a title.
strategy
Lower case. Do not capitalise a named strategy: national health and welfare strategy.
studio school
Lower case.
study programme
Lower case.
subdomain
Not sub domain or sub-domain.
Summaries
Summaries should:
- be 160 characters or less
- end with a full stop
- not repeat the title or body text
- be clear and specific
summary of consultation responses
All lower case.
summer school
Lower case.
Sure Start programme
Upper case because its the name of a programme, but programme is lower case.
T Level
No hyphen. Upper case for Level.
tax credits
Lower case and plural. Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit are specific benefits, so are upper case and singular.
tax returns
Upper case when referring to proper titles for the first time: Company Tax Return, Partnership Tax Return, Employer Annual Return.
Use Self Assessment tax return at first mention, as its not a proper title.
After that refer to them in full, or if its clear what youre referring to, simply as a return. General references to tax returns are lower case.
When referring to the legal requirement we use deliver or file the return. Online, we say submit the return. For Self Assessment (paper or online) use send or file the return. Send is better.
the teachers standards
Lower case.
teaching school
Lower case.
team
Lower case: youth offending team, Behavioural Insights team.
teamwork
Lower case. One word.
tech levels
Lower case. The name given to the occupational qualifications endorsed by employers and trade associations.
technical level qualifications
Lower case.
TechBacc
A performance measure of level 3 vocational qualifications.
technical terms
Use technical terms where you need to. Theyre not jargon. You just need to explain what they mean the first time you use them.
Read more about writing for specialists.
Telephone numbers
Before the number, add Telephone: or Mobile phone: do not use Mobile: or Mob:.
When writing out a number, separate out the area, freephone, mobile or international code from the rest of the number. For example:
- 0131 496 0454
- 020 7946 0457
- 08081 570 422
- 07700 900 265
- +44 (0)29 2018 0542
- +39 1 33 45 70 90
If the number is memorable, group the numbers into easily remembered units. For example, 0800 80 70 60.
Temperature
Use Celsius: 37簞C
threshold assessment
Lower case.
Times
- use to in time ranges, not hyphens, en rules or em dashes: 10am to 11am (not 10-11am)
- 5:30pm (not 1730hrs)
- midnight (not 00:00)
- midday (not 12 noon, noon or 12pm)
- 6 hours 30 minutes
Midnight is the first minute of the day, not the last. You should consider using 11:59pm to avoid confusion about a single, specific time.
For example, You must register by 11:59pm on Tuesday 14 June. can only be read one way, but You must register by midnight on Tuesday 14 June can be read in two ways (the end of Monday 13, or end of Tuesday 14).
If the content or service helps users who are outside the UK, include UK time. For example, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm UK time.
Tied Oils Enquiry Service
Upper case.
Titles
Page titles should:
- be 65 characters or less
- be unique, clear and descriptive
- be front-loaded and optimised for search
- use a colon to break up longer titles
- not contain dashes or slashes
- not have a full stop at the end
- not be questions
- explain abbreviations unless they are well known see the entry on abbreviations for more information
Trade marks
Avoid using trademarked names where possible - so tablet not iPAD.
Trade mark is 2 words but trademarked is one word.
Trading Standards
Upper case.
training schools
Lower case.
transition period
The period of time between 1 February and 31 December 2020 during which the UK and EU are negotiating their future relationship. Not transition phase, implementation phase or implementation period.
Travellers
Upper case because Irish Travellers are legally recognised as an ethnic group. New age travellers is lower case.
Trust or Company Service Provider
When used to refer to the business area covered by Money Laundering Regulations.
trust school
Lower case.
The social media platform is now known as X.
two-factor authentication
Shorten as 2FA. Do not confuse with multi-factor authentication.
UK government
Never HM government.
umbrella trust
Lower case.
underachiever
One word.
underperforming
One word.
under-declared
Hyphenated.
union (the)
If using the union to refer to the United Kingdom, use lower case.
unique pupil number
Lower case.
Universal Credit
Upper case.
university technical college
Lower case.
user ID
Lower case user.
USA
Upper case. Not US. Use United States of America for the full official country name.
username
Not user name.
VAT for Agents online service
VAT EC Sales List (ECSL)
VAT EU Refunds
VAT EU Refunds for Agents online service
VAT on e-Services
VAT Online
VAT online services
Used when referring to all the online services for VAT.
VAT-registered
Hyphenated when used as a compound adjective: VAT-registered business.
VAT registration number
Lower case, except when it refers to a field within a form.
VAT Registration Online
Upper case.
VAT registration threshold
Lower case.
VAT Return
Always use VAT Return unless its very clear from the context which return youre referring to (as in How to submit your return within a guide on VAT Returns).
VAT Reverse Charge Sales List (RCSL)
Upper case.
voluntary-aided schools, voluntary-controlled schools
Hyphenated. Lower case.
VPN
When describing a VPN that is always on, write it like this: always-on VPN. Note the single quotes and hyphen.
walkaround
When its the daily check that lorry and bus drivers do, its one word - a vehicle walkaround.
webchat
One word. Not web chat.
webpage
One word.
web server
Not webserver.
Welsh Government
Title case because its the full, official title.
Welsh exotic animal disease contingency plan
Lower case. This is not a proper title.
Welsh Parliament
See Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament).
the west, western Europe
Lower case.
West End (London)
Upper case.
Use WhatsApp with an upper case A. Do not use Whatsapp.
white paper
Lower case.
Widowed Parents Allowance
Upper case.
wifi
Lower case, no hyphen.
Withdrawal Agreement
Use Withdrawal Agreement if youre referring to the legal document.
Do not refer to the withdrawal agreement to let users know if:
- they fall into a particular group
- a rule applies to them
Instead, refer to things which allow a user to understand which group they fall into - for example, if they were living in an EU country before 1 January 2021.
Do not link to further information about the withdrawal agreement from guidance content.
Word document
Upper case, because its a brand name.
Words to avoid
Plain English is mandatory for all of 勒貊勛圖 so avoid using these words:
- agenda (unless its for a meeting), use plan instead
- advance, use improve or something more specific
- collaborate, use work with
- combat (unless military), use solve, fix or something more specific
- commit/pledge, use plan to x, or were going to x where x is a specific verb
- counter, use prevent or try to rephrase a solution to a problem
- deliver, use make, create, provide or a more specific term (pizzas, post and services are delivered - not abstract concepts like improvements)
- deploy (unless its military or software), use use or if putting something somewhere use build, create or put into place
- dialogue, use spoke to or discussion
- disincentivise, use discourage or deter
- empower, use allow or give permission
- facilitate, say something specific about how youre helping - for example, use run if talking about a workshop
- focus, use work on or concentrate on
- foster (unless its children), use encourage or help
- impact (unless talking about a collision), use have an effect on or influence
- incentivise, use encourage or motivate
- initiate, use start or begin
- key (unless it unlocks something), usually not needed but can use important or significant
- land (unless youre talking about aircraft), depending on context, use get or achieve
- leverage (unless in the financial sense), use influence or use
- liaise, use work with or work alongside
- overarching, usually superfluous but can use encompassing
- progress, use work on or develop or make progress
- promote (unless talking about an ad campaign or career advancement), use recommend or support
- robust (unless talking about a sturdy object), depending on context, use well thought out or comprehensive
- slim down (unless talking about ones waistline), use make smaller or reduce the size
- streamline, use simplify or remove unnecessary administration
- strengthening (unless its strengthening bridges or other structures), depending on context, use increasing funding or concentrating on or adding more staff
- tackle (unless talking about fishing tackle or a physical tackle, like in rugby), use stop, solve or deal with
- transform, describe what youre doing to change the thing
- utilise, use use
Avoid using metaphors - they do not say what you actually mean and lead to slower comprehension of your content. For example:
- drive, use create, cause or encourage instead (you can only drive vehicles, not schemes or people)
- drive out (unless its cattle), use stop, avoid or prevent
- going/moving forward, use from now on or in the future (its unlikely we are giving travel directions)
- hub, portal or one stop shop, use website or service (unless those words are in the name of the website or service)
- in order to, usually not needed - do not use it
- ring fencing, use separate or when talking about budgets use money that will be spent on x
With all of these words you can generally replace them by breaking the term into what youre actually doing. Be open and specific.
Read more about plain English and words to avoid.
Working Tax Credit
Upper case, but generic references to tax credits are lower case.
World War 1, World War 2
Upper case and numbers.
written ministerial statement, written statement
Lower case.
X account
Upper case X. Formerly called Twitter but no need to mention this. Use post on X rather than tweet.
year 1, year 2
Lower case.
zero-hours contract
Not zero-hour contract or zero hours contract.