A to Z
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-05)

The Government Digital Service style guide covers style, spelling and grammar conventions for all content published on GOV.UK, arranged alphabetically.

About the A to Z

These style points apply to all content published on GOV.UK.

It includes:
- guidance on specific points of style, such as abbreviations and numbers
- GOV.UK style for specific words and phrases, in terms of spelling, hyphenation and capitalisation
If there’s a point of style that is not covered here, check the Guardian style guide (http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-a).

You can search the style guide by:
- Selecting ‘show all sections’.
- Pressing Ctrl+f on your keyboard if you’re using a PC or ⌘+f if you’re using a Mac.
- Typing the word or search term that you’re looking for.
Suggest a change or addition

If you’re 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 GOV.UK style guide or the Guardian style guide (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-a). If your suggestion is in the Guardian style guide, you’ll need to explain why GOV.UK should have a separate entry specifically for GOV.UK.

If your suggestion is about GOV.UK’s tone of voice, this is included in the Writing for GOV.UK guidance (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk).

You should consider whether there’s a cross-government need for a consistent way to refer to or use something.

Most entries in the GOV.UK style guide do not include a definition but explain how to use the term.

All entries in the GOV.UK style guide should be plain English rather than jargon.

How to suggest a change

You can suggest a change by raising a support ticket (https://support.publishing.service.gov.uk/content_advice_request/new). You’ll need a GOV.UK Signon account. If you do not have a GOV.UK Signon account, contact your organisation’s GOV.UK lead or managing editor to send a ticket on your behalf.

In your request include:
- what you’re suggesting to add, change or remove
- the reason for the suggestion
- what the style guide currently says (if you’re 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).

You’ll be told if your suggestion:
- has been approved and published in the style guide
- has been rejected - you’ll be given more information about why your suggestion was rejected
- needs more information before we can make a decision
A

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 (/guidance/how-to-publish-on-gov-uk/markdown#acronyms) 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 they’re much better known than the full wording:
- BBC
- CCTV
- DIY
- DVLA
- EU
- GP
- HM, when part of an organisation’s 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 (/guidance/style-guide/technical-content-a-to-z) for more information.

If you have evidence (such as search term data (/guidance/content-design/data-and-analytics)) 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 (#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 OfficePO Box 1Newcastle Upon TyneNE88 1AAUnited 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 it’s 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 who’s 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.

al-Qa’ida

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 it’s a department’s logo image or a company’s name as it appears on the Companies House (https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/) register.

animal health

Lower case.

antisocial

No hyphen.

applied general qualifications

Lower case.

apprenticeship programme

Lower case.

A-road

Hyphenated.

armed forces

Lower case.

arm’s length body

Apostrophe, no hyphen.

assembly ministers

Lower case.

artificial intelligence

Write first as artificial intelligence (AI) then AI throughout.

Attendance Allowance

Upper case.

B

Bacs (Bankers Automated Clearing System)

Acronym should come first as it’s 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 (#words-to-avoid)

baseline

One word, lower case.

Behavioural Insights team

Upper case if it’s 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): £138 billion.

Use billions in phrases: billions of people.

Do not use £0.xx billion for amounts less than £1 billion, unless it’s in a sequence where you’re talking about amounts above £1 billion. For example: “There was £15.6 billion spent in August 2024, an increase of £0.2 billion”. If you’re using it outside of the sequence again, use £2 million.

Do not abbreviate billion to b.

Blind Person’s 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 it’s part of a proper title: so upper case for the Judicial Executive Board, but lower case for the DFT’s management board.

bold

Only use bold to indicate interface elements in text that are explicitly telling the user what to do, for example:
- Select Start.
- Enter your information then select Done.
Use inverted commas 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:
- front-load sentences
- use headings (/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#headings)
- use bullets (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#bullet-points-steps)
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 it’s 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 (#great-britain)

British citizen

One of 6 types of British nationalities. See British people (#british-people).

British national

See British people (#british-people).

British people

Reference British nationals by their activity where possible, for example British tourists, British farmers. If you’re 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 you’re 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 it’s 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 it’s 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 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-publish-on-gov-uk/markdown#numbered-list)) 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

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 IT’S 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 (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#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, King’s 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 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#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 General’s 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 (/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#change-notes) in the content design manual.

changelog

Not “change log”.

CHAPS (Clearing House Automated Payment System)

The acronym should come first as it’s 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 it’s a title with the holder’s 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 it’s the name of an organisation.

Civil Service

Upper case.

civil servants

Lower case.

classwork

One word.

click

Don’t 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 can’t and don’t. Many users find them harder to read, or misread them as the opposite of what they say. Use cannot, instead of can’t.

Avoid complex or conditional contractions such as should’ve, could’ve, would’ve 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 you’re 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 country register or territory register (https://data.gov.uk/dataset/0b412b57-6934-4f28-b495-640cdc7e8f7f/foreign-commonwealth-and-development-office-geographical-names-index).

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

Lower 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.

D

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
- 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…’
- when mentioning a deadline, use ‘on or before’ – for example, ‘Submit the form on or before 6 September 2025…’
Read more about dates (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#date-ranges).

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 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication/inclusive-language-words-to-use-and-avoid-when-writing-about-disability).

dispensation

Lower case.

Discretionary Housing Payment

Upper case.

Duty Deferment Electronic Statements (DDES)

Upper case.

E

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’.

email

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 it’s 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 ‘Writing about ethnicity’ guidance (https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/style-guide/writing-about-ethnicity/) 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 it’s EC directives, EC Sales List.

euros, the euro

Lower case, if referring to the currency.

etc

See eg, etc and ie (#eg-etc-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

F

FAQs (frequently asked questions)

Do not use FAQs on GOV.UK. If you write content by starting with user needs, you will not need to use FAQs.

Read more about FAQs (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#dont-use-faqs).

finance and procurement

Lower case.

fine

Use ‘fine’ instead of ‘financial penalty’.

For example, “You’ll pay a £50 fine.”

For other types of sanction, say what will happen to the user - you’ll get points on your licence, go to court and so on. Only say ‘civil penalty’ if there’s 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.

G

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 they’re 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 it’s 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 it’s a full title. For example: ‘UK government’, but ‘His Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’.

Also ‘Welsh Government’, as it’s the full title.

government offices

Lower case.

government procurement card

Lower case.

governor

Lower case.

GOV.UK

All upper case.

The GOV.UK app

Upper case for ‘GOV.UK’. Do not capitalise the first letter in ‘app’.

Always use the definite article. Write ‘the GOV.UK app’, not ‘GOV.UK app’.

GOV.UK One Login

Title case. Always use the full name, GOV.UK One Login. Not ‘One Login’, ‘login’ or abbreviations.

Do not refer to GOV.UK One Login as an account. This helps avoid confusion with other government accounts.

For signing in to a service use ‘Sign in with GOV.UK One Login’.

For signing in to your GOV.UK One Login, use ‘Sign in to your GOV.UK One Login’.

Use ‘sign in details’ not ‘GOV.UK 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 (#sign-in-or-log-in)

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 it’s the name of a programme, but note that it’s 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.

Guardian’s Allowance

Upper case.

guidance

Lower case: national recovery guidance.

Gypsies

Upper case because Gypsies are legally recognised as an ethnic group.

H

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 it’s 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 it’s 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
- email
Do not use a hyphen unless it’s confusing without it, for example, a little used-car is different from a little-used car. You can also refer to The Guardian style guide (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-h) for advice on hyphenation.

Use ‘to’ for time (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#times) and date ranges (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#dates), not hyphens.

I

IaaS

Stands for “Infrastructure as a Service”. Explain the abbreviation at first use.

ie

See eg, etc and ie (#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’), there’s no need to explain the abbreviation.

Italics

Do not use italics. Use ‘single quotation marks’ if referring to a document, scheme or initiative.

J

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 (#shadow-job-titles)

Jobseeker’s Allowance (New Style or income-based)

Upper case. Always use the apostrophe before the ‘s’.

Use ‘New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)’ the first time the benefit name is used. From then on, you can use ‘New Style JSA’.

Use ‘income-based Jobseeker’s 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 ‘Jobseeker’s 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’.

K

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.

L

law

Lower case even when it’s ‘the law’.

legal aid

Lower case.

Legal content

Legal content can still be written in plain English. It’s 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 there’s a clear user need for including a legal term (like bona vacantia), always explain it in plain English.

Read more about writing legal content (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#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.

Learn more about links (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/links).

Lists

Lists should be bulleted to make them easier to read. See bullets and steps (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#bullet-points-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…’

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 (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#council).

Local Authority Trading Standards Services

Upper case as long as it’s 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 (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#council).

log book

Two words.

log in

See sign in or log in (#sign-in-or-log-in) and GOV.UK One Login (#govuk-one-login).

looked-after children

Hyphenated.

lottery

Always use the National Lottery if that’s what you mean.

lunchtime

One word.

M

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: +, –, ×, ÷ 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 there’s 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 it’s used with the abbreviation. From then on, abbreviate. If it’s only mentioned once, do not abbreviate.

Use Celsius for temperature: 37°C

member states of the EU

Lower case.

memorandum of understanding

Lower case.

metadata

Not “meta data”.

metaphors

See words to avoid (#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): £138 million.

Use millions in phrases: millions of people.

Do not use £0.xx million for amounts less than £1 million, unless it’s in a sequence where you’re talking about amounts above £1 million. For example: “There was £15.6 million spent in August 2024, an increase of £0.2 million”. If you’re using it outside of the sequence again, use £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 £ symbol: £75

Do not use decimals unless pence are included: £75.50 but not £75.00

Do not use ‘£0.xx million’ or ‘£0.xx billion’ for amounts less than £1 million or billion. The exception is when it’s in a sequence where you’re talking about amounts above £1 million or billion. For example: “There was £15.6 billion spent in August 2024, an increase of £0.2 billion”. If you’re using it outside of the sequence again, use £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 (#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

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 person’s full name the first time you mention them. Only include personal titles if they’re relevant to your content.

For example, it might be relevant to include:
- their job title (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z#job-titles) 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 they’re a member of the House of Lords, use their official title instead. You can search the members of the House of Lords (https://members.parliament.uk/members/Lords) to find that information.

When you mention a person again, use one of the following:
- their job title (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z#job-titles)
- a title and their surname (like ‘Mr’, ‘Ms’, ‘Lord,’ ‘Baroness’ or ‘Dr’) - use ‘Ms’ for women without another title, unless they’ve 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 you’re 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:

You’ll 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 it’s 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 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z#millions) or how to use billions (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z#billions).

Spell out common fractions like one-half.

Use a % sign for percentages: 50%

Use a 0 where there’s no digit before the decimal point (for example, 0.5 not .5).

Use ‘zero degrees’ not ‘0 degrees’ or 0°.

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.

O

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 inverted commas: 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 (https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits) by booking online.’
- ‘You can apply for Marriage Allowance online (https://www.gov.uk/apply-marriage-allowance).’
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: ‘HMPO is the sole issuer of UK 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 organisation’s abbreviation: ‘You should contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency if…’ but ‘You should contact DVSA if…’

You should only use ‘we’ if it’s clear which organisation you’re referring to.

Read more about when to use ‘we’ in content (/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#when-to-use-we).

Use local council, instead of local authority, where possible. See also council (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#council).

overseas-trained teacher

Lower case. Hyphenated.

P

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’
- ‘You’ll 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 you’re 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 user’s 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 ‘fine’ (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#fine).

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 GOV.UK should be written in plain English (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#plain-english). You should also make sure you use language your audience will understand - check which words you should avoid (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#words-to-avoid).

Planet Earth

Upper case.

please

There’s 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 it’s the name of an organisation.

Prime Minister

Use Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Prime Minister.

priority school building programme

Lower case.

Private Member’s 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.

Q

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:
- in headlines
- for unusual terms - only for the first mention
- when referring to words
- when referring to publications
- when referring to notifications such as emails or alerts
For example: Download the publication ‘Understanding Capital Gains Tax’ (PDF, 360KB).

Double quotes

Use double quotes in body text for direct quotations.

Block quotes

Use the block quote Markdown (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-publish-on-gov-uk/markdown#blockquotes) for quotes longer than a few sentences.

R

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. ‘A systematic review of medical practice variation in OECD countries’ (http://www.healthpolicyjrnl.com/article/S0168-8510%2813%2900215-7/fulltext) 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.

S

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 (#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 it’s 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 it’s used with the holder’s 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 it’s not clear from the context, you may need to clarify that it’s a classification not a general description: ‘information classified as Official’ rather than ‘Official information’.

self-assessment

This compound noun should be hyphenated, unless it’s 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 (#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 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#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 it’s used with the holder’s 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 (#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 it’s part of a name such as GOV.UK One Login (#govuk-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 (#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

See ‘Quotes and speech marks’ (#quotes-speech-marks)

Spending Review

Upper case for the 5-year view of the government’s 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 Style.ONS (http://style.ons.gov.uk) 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

See Bullet points and steps (#bullet-points-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 it’s the name of a programme, but programme is lower case.

T

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 it’s not a proper title.

After that refer to them in full, or if it’s clear what you’re 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. They’re not jargon. You just need to explain what they mean the first time you use them.

Read more about writing for specialists (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#writing-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:
- xx-xxxx-xxxx
- xx-xxxx-xxxx
- xx-xxxx-xxxx
- xx-xxxx-xxxx
- xx-xxxx-xxxx
- +39 1 33 45 70 90
If the number is memorable, group the numbers into easily remembered units. For example, xx-xxxx-xxxx.

Temperature

Use Celsius: 37°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 (#abbreviations-acronyms-and-initialisms) 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.

Twitter

The social media platform is now known as X (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z/#x-account).

two-factor authentication

Shorten as “2FA”. Do not confuse with “multi-factor authentication”.

U

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”.

V

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 it’s very clear from the context which return you’re 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.

W

walkaround

When it’s the daily check that lorry and bus drivers do, it’s one word - a vehicle walkaround.

webchat

One word. Not ‘web chat’.

webpage

One word.

web server

Not “webserver”.

Welsh Government

Title case because it’s 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) (/guidance/style-guide/a-to-z-of-gov-uk-style#senedd-cymru-welsh-parliament).

the west, western Europe

Lower case.

West End (London)

Upper case.

WhatsApp

Use ‘WhatsApp’ with an upper case A. Do not use ‘Whatsapp’.

white paper

Lower case.

Widowed Parent’s Allowance

Upper case.

wifi

Lower case, no hyphen.

Withdrawal Agreement

Use ‘Withdrawal Agreement’ if you’re 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 it’s a brand name.

Words to avoid

Plain English is mandatory for all of GOV.UK so avoid using these words:
- agenda (unless it’s 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 ‘we’re 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 it’s 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 you’re helping - for example, use ‘run’ if talking about a workshop
- focus, use ‘work on’ or ‘concentrate on’
- foster (unless it’s 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 you’re 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 one’s waistline), use ‘make smaller’ or ‘reduce the size’
- streamline, use ‘simplify’ or ‘remove unnecessary administration’
- strengthening (unless it’s 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 you’re 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 it’s cattle), use ‘stop’, ‘avoid’ or ‘prevent’
- going/moving forward, use ‘from now on’ or ‘in the future’ (it’s 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 you’re actually doing. Be open and specific.

Read more about plain English and words to avoid (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk#plain-english).

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

X account

Upper case ‘X’. Formerly called Twitter but no need to mention this. Use ‘post on X’ rather than ‘tweet’.

Y

year 1, year 2

Lower case.

Z

zero-hours contract

Not “zero-hour contract” or “zero hours contract”.