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Rule	Category	Status	Description
Space Before Punctuation	punctuation	implemented	No space before punctuation marks.
Very/Adverb Compound Modifiers	punctuation	implemented	No hyphen when modifiers include very or end in -ly.
Oxford Comma	punctuation	implemented	AP doesn't use the Oxford comma in a simple series.
Quotation Punctuation	punctuation	implemented	Periods and commas go inside quotation marks.
En Dash Range	punctuation	implemented	Use a hyphen for numeric ranges.
Double Spacing Part 1.3	punctuation	partial	Flags multiple spaces; covers sentence spacing generally.
Em Dash Spacing Part 1.1	spacing	implemented	Em dashes need a space on both sides in narrative text.
Slash Spacing Part 1.2	spacing	implemented	No space on either side of a slash in dual constructions.
Initials Spacing Part 1.4	spacing	implemented	No space between consecutive initials (T.S. not T. S.).

Rule	Category	Status	Description
More Than Not Over	numerals	implemented	Prefer more than over over with numbers.
Unnecessary 'On' Before Date	datetime	implemented	Don't use on before a date or day unless at sentence start.
AM/PM Format Part 2.11	datetime	implemented	Use lowercase a.m. and p.m. with periods.
12 AM/PM Part 2.11	datetime	implemented	Use midnight instead of 12 a.m. and noon instead of 12 p.m.
Drop :00 in Times	datetime	implemented	Omit :00 when there are no minutes.
Redundant Time Part 2.11	datetime	implemented	Avoid redundant time phrases like 10 p.m. tonight.
Month Abbreviations	datetime	implemented	Abbreviate months when used with specific dates.
Date Ordinals Part 2.8	datetime	implemented	Don't use ordinal numbers for dates.
12 Noon/Midnight Part 2.11	datetime	implemented	Don't put 12 in front of noon or midnight.
Percent Space Part 2.7	punctuation	implemented	No space between number and % symbol.
Zero Percent Part 2.7	punctuation	implemented	Spell out zero percent instead of 0%.
Percent Missing Leading Zero Part 2.7	punctuation	implemented	For amounts less than 1%, precede decimal with zero.
Percent At Sentence Start Part 2.7	punctuation	implemented	Spell out number and percent at sentence start.
Percent vs Percentage Part 2.7	punctuation	implemented	Use percentage when not paired with a number.
Percent Fraction Part 2.7	punctuation	implemented	Use decimals, not fractions, in percentages.
Percent Word Form Part 2.7	punctuation	implemented	Use % sign with numbers, not the word percent.
Letter Plurals Part 2.12	punctuation	implemented	Multi-letter acronyms take s without apostrophe (ABCs, not ABC's).
Numbers Below 10	numerals	implemented	Spell out numbers below 10 in general text.
Numbers 10 and Above	numerals	implemented	Use figures for numbers 10 and above.
Numbers Starting Sentences	numerals	implemented	Spell out numbers that start a sentence (except years).
Decades Apostrophe Part 2.8	numerals	implemented	Decades take no apostrophe (1980s, not 1980's).
Age Decades Apostrophe Part 2.5	numerals	implemented	Age decades: in her 30s, not 30's.
Decade Apostrophe Forms Part 2.8	numerals	implemented	Use '20s or the 1920s; class of '62.
Redundant Currency Part 2.9	numerals	implemented	Don't use both a currency symbol and the word.
Ages Figures Part 2.5	numerals	implemented	Always use figures for ages (5 years old, not five years old).
Dimensions Figures Part 2.6	numerals	implemented	Use figures with spelled-out units for dimensions.
Cent Symbol Part 2.9	numerals	implemented	Spell out cents instead of using the ¢ symbol.
Spelled Dollar Amounts Part 2.9	numerals	implemented	Use $ and figures for dollar amounts.
Fractions Part 2.10	numerals	implemented	Hyphenate spelled fractions; use space in mixed numbers.
Betting Odds Part 2.13	numerals	implemented	Betting odds use figures and hyphens (3-2, 3-to-2).
Page/Chapter/Scene Capitalization Part 2.14	capitalization	implemented	Capitalize Page, Chapter, Scene, Route, Section with figures; lowercase line.

Rule	Category	Status	Description
Seasons Part 3.15	capitalization	implemented	Lowercase spring, summer, fall, winter unless part of a proper name.
Cabinet Part 3.16	capitalization	implemented	Capitalize Cabinet when referring to executive advisers.
Census Capitalization Part 3.17	capitalization	implemented	Lowercase census except in U.S. Census Bureau.
Equator Part 4	capitalization	implemented	Always lowercase equator.
Satan vs Devil Part 3.20	capitalization	implemented	Capitalize Satan; lowercase devil.
Compass Directions vs Regions Part 3.18	capitalization	planned	Lowercase compass directions; capitalize regional names.
Genus and Species Casing Part 3.19	capitalization	planned	Capitalize genus, lowercase species in Latin names.

Rule	Category	Status	Description
Adviser Spelling	style	implemented	AP prefers adviser over advisor.
Health Care Spelling	style	implemented	Use health care as two words when used as a noun.
Gender-Neutral Language	gender neutral	implemented	Use gender-neutral terms for jobs and roles.
ATM Machine Part 4	style	implemented	ATM is redundant with machine.
HIV Virus Part 4	style	implemented	HIV virus is redundant.
Rio Grande River Part 4	style	implemented	Rio means river; use Rio Grande.
First Annual Part 4	style	implemented	Avoid the term first annual.
Six-Month Anniversary Part 4	style	implemented	Avoid anniversary for spans less than a year.
Anti-Vaxxer Part 4	style	implemented	Avoid anti-vaxxer; use descriptive phrasing.
Wheelchair-Bound Part 4	style	implemented	Use wheelchair user or uses a wheelchair.
Confined to a Wheelchair Part 4	style	implemented	Use wheelchair user or uses a wheelchair.
Officer-Involved Part 4	style	implemented	Avoid vague officer-involved jargon; be specific.
Police-Involved Part 4	style	implemented	Avoid vague police-involved jargon; be specific.
Asymptomatic Part 4	style	implemented	Avoid medical jargon; use no symptoms or without symptoms.
Tasered Part 4	style	implemented	Don't use tasered as a verb (except in quotes).
The Poor / The Homeless Part 4	style	planned	Avoid dehumanizing the-labels; context-dependent.
Refugees (Internal) Part 4	style	planned	Do not call displaced persons within their country refugees.
Trauma Jargon Part 4	style	planned	Prefer specific terms over vague trauma when possible.
Inanimate Pronouns Part 4.21	style	planned	Use it/its for nations, ships, storms, voice assistants.

Rule	Category	Status	Description
Email Hyphen	style	implemented	Use email without a hyphen.
Website Spelling	style	implemented	Use website as one word.
Internet Capitalization	style	implemented	Write internet in lowercase except in proper names or quotes.
OK Not Okay	style	implemented	Use OK, not okay (except in quotes).
Toward/Afterward Family	style	implemented	AP prefers toward, backward, forward without a trailing s.
Dateline Format Part 4.22	style	implemented	Datelines use CITY NAME — (em dash).
U.S. Abbreviation	abbreviations	implemented	Use U.S. with periods.
State Abbreviations Part 4.22	abbreviations	partial	Flags postal codes in geographic context; narrative spell-out policy deferred.

Organized per our AP Stylebook linter spec (Parts 1–4). See AP Stylebook for authoritative guidance.

AP Style Rule Coverage

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Part 1: Spacing and Punctuation

Part 2: Numbers, Units, and Formatting

Part 3: Capitalization & Casing

Part 4: Word Choice, Redundancy, and Jargon

Additional Rules