51茶馆

These style points apply to all content published on 51茶馆.

It includes:

• guidance on specific points of style, such as abbreviations and numbers
• 51茶馆 style for specific words and phrases, in terms of spelling, hyphenation and capitalisation

If there鈥檚 a point of style that is not covered here, check .

You can search the style guide by:

1. Selecting 鈥榮how all sections鈥�.
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3. Typing the word or search term that you鈥檙e looking for.

If you鈥檙e 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 51茶馆 style guide or . If your suggestion is in the Guardian style guide, you鈥檒l need to explain why 51茶馆 should have a separate entry specifically for 51茶馆.

If your suggestion is about 51茶馆鈥檚 tone of voice, this is included in the Writing for 51茶馆 guidance.

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

Most entries in the 51茶馆 style guide do not include a definition but explain how to use the term.

All entries in the 51茶馆 style guide should be plain English rather than jargon.

How to suggest a change

You can suggest a change by . You鈥檒l need a 51茶馆 Signon account. If you do not have a 51茶馆 Signon account, contact your organisation鈥檚 51茶馆 lead or managing editor to send a ticket on your behalf.

In your request include:

• what you鈥檙e suggesting to add, change or remove
• the reason for the suggestion
• what the style guide currently says (if you鈥檙e 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鈥檒l be told if your suggestion:

• has been approved and published in the style guide
• has been rejected - you鈥檒l 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 鈥榮tar鈥�. No apostrophe in the plural.

A level

No hyphen. Lower case level.

Abbreviations and acronyms

The first time you use an abbreviation or acronym, explain it in full on each page unless it鈥檚 well known, like UK, DVLA, USA, EU, VAT and MP. This includes government departments or schemes. Then refer to it by initials.

Always use acronym Markdown so the full explanation is available as hover text.

If you think an acronym is well known, please provide evidence that 80% of the UK population will understand and commonly use it. Evidence can be from search analytics or testing of a representative sample.

Do not use full stops in abbreviations: BBC, not B.B.C.

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 acronym.

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 鈥楢ctivation Code (also known as Activation PIN)鈥�.

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:

Addressing the user

Address the user as 鈥榶ou鈥� where possible and avoid using gendered pronouns like 鈥榟e鈥� and 鈥榮he鈥�. Content on the site often makes a direct appeal to citizens and businesses to get involved or take action: 鈥榊ou can contact HMRC by phone and email鈥� or 鈥楶ay your car tax鈥�, 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鈥檚 always best to write in a way that avoids ambiguity. For example, 鈥榓 class of 15 16-year-old students took the A level course鈥� can be written as 鈥�15 students aged 16 took the A level course鈥�. Use 鈥榓ged 4 to 16 years鈥�, not 鈥�4-16 years鈥�.

Avoid using 鈥榯he over 50s鈥� or 鈥榰nder-18s鈥�. Instead, make it clear who鈥檚 included: 鈥榓ged 50 years and over鈥� and 鈥榓ged 17 and under鈥�.

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.

补濒-蚕补鈥檌诲补

Not al-Qaeda or al-Qaida.

alternative provision

Lower case.

American and UK English

Use UK English spelling and grammar. For example, use 鈥榦rganise鈥� not 鈥榦rganize鈥�, 鈥榤odelling鈥� not 鈥榤odeling鈥�, and 鈥榝ill in a form鈥�, not 鈥榝ill out a form鈥�.

American proper nouns, like 4th Mechanized Brigade or Pearl Harbor, take American English spelling.

Ampersand

Use and rather than &, unless it鈥檚 a department鈥檚 logo image or a company鈥檚 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.

arm鈥檚 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 it鈥檚 more widely known than the full name. Please note that the acronym has changed to Bacs.

backend

Used in a technical context, not 鈥渂ack-end鈥� or 鈥渂ack end鈥�.

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:

Banned words

See Words to avoid

baseline

One word, lower case.

Behavioural Insights team

Upper case if it鈥檚 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): 拢138 billion.

Use billions in phrases: billions of people.

Do not use 拢0.xx billion for amounts less than 拢1 billion, unless it鈥檚 in a sequence where you鈥檙e talking about amounts above 拢1 billion. For example: 鈥淭here was 拢15.6 billion spent in August 2024, an increase of 拢0.2 billion鈥�. If you鈥檙e using it outside of the sequence again, use 拢2 million.聽

Do not abbreviate billion to b.

Blind Person鈥檚 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 鈥榖log鈥� is the site on which a blog post is published.

board

Always lower case unless it鈥檚 part of a proper title: so upper case for the Judicial Executive Board, but lower case for the DFT鈥檚 management board.

bold

Only use bold to indicate interface elements in text that are explicitly telling the user what to do, for example:

1. 厂别濒别肠迟听Start.
2. Enter your information then select聽Done.

Use inverted commas when referring to interface elements in non-instructional contexts, for example: 鈥淭he 鈥楧one鈥� button will always be at the bottom of the page.鈥�

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
• use bullets

Brackets

Use (round brackets).

Do not use round brackets to refer to something that could either be singular or plural, like 鈥楥heck which document(s) you need to send to DVLA.鈥�

Always use the plural instead, as this will cover each possibility: 鈥楥heck which documents you need to send to DVLA.鈥�

Use [square brackets] for explanatory notes in reported speech or for placeholder text:

鈥淭hank you [Foreign Minister] Mr Smith.鈥�

鈥淲itnessed by [signature of witness].鈥�

Brexit

You can use the term 鈥楤rexit鈥� to provide historical context, but it鈥檚 better to use specific dates where possible. For example, use:

• 鈥�31 December 2020鈥� rather than 鈥楤rexit鈥� or 鈥榳hen the UK left the EU鈥�
• 鈥榖efore 31 December 2020鈥� rather than 鈥榙uring the transition period鈥�
• 鈥榓fter 1 January 2021鈥� rather than 鈥榓fter the transition period鈥�

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 you鈥檙e 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鈥檙e 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 鈥榦r鈥� or 鈥榓nd鈥� after the bullets
• you do not make the whole bullet a link if it鈥檚 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鈥檚 sometimes necessary to add a short phrase to clarify whether all or some of the points apply. For example, 鈥榊ou can only register a pension scheme that is one of the following:鈥�

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 IT鈥橲 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 鈥榯he鈥�
• 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 鈥榯he act鈥� or 鈥榯he bill鈥� 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鈥檚 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, 鈥楾he Study Skills Handbook鈥�
• 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, 鈥�2016 Budget鈥�
• 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 鈥榓nd鈥� when writing in full text.

• Attorney General鈥檚 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 鈥渃hange log鈥�.

CHAPS (Clearing House Automated Payment System)

The acronym should come first as it鈥檚 more widely known than the full name.

checkbox

Not 鈥渃heck box鈥�.

chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials

Lower case. Use upper case for the acronym.

chief constable

Lower case except where it鈥檚 a title with the holder鈥檚 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鈥檚 the name of an organisation.

Civil Service

Upper case.

civil servants

Lower case.

classwork

One word.

click

Don鈥檛 use 鈥渃lick鈥� when talking about user interfaces because not all users click. Use 鈥渟elect鈥�.

You can use 鈥渞ight-click鈥� 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 鈥榯he coalition鈥�.

CO2

Use capital letters and a regular 2.

coastguard

Lower case.

code of practice

Lower case.

command paper

Lower case.

commercial software

Not 鈥渢hird-party software鈥�. Also use 鈥渃ommercial鈥� for types of software, for example 鈥渃ommercial word processor鈥�.

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.

Components that control other components

In technical writing, use:

• primary for a component that controls other components
• secondary for a component that鈥檚 controlled by the primary component

Do not use master or slave.

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

Avoid should鈥檝e, could鈥檝e, would鈥檝e, they鈥檝e 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鈥檙e describing using the service: 鈥榶ou can pay your Corporation Tax online or at the Post Office.鈥�

COTS

Meaning 鈥渃ommercial-off-the-shelf software鈥�. Not 鈥渃ots鈥� or 鈥淐ots鈥�. 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 鈥楻eading Borough Council鈥�, 鈥榃arwick District Council鈥� and 鈥楽wanage Town Council鈥�.

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:

• 鈥楥ovid-19鈥� with only the first letter capitalised
• 鈥榗ovid-19鈥� lower case
• 鈥榗oronavirus鈥� as 鈥楥OVID-19鈥� 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 鈥榚ssential worker鈥�.

Use 鈥榗ritical worker鈥� only in relation to educational provision.

Do not use 鈥榢eyworker鈥�.

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.

data

Treat as a singular noun: The data is stored on a secure server.

data centre

Not 鈥渄atacentre鈥�.

data set

Not 鈥渄ataset鈥�.

data store

Not 鈥渄atastore鈥�.

Dates

• use upper case for months: January, February
• do not use a comma between the month and year: 4 June 2017
• when space is an issue - in tables or publication titles, for example - you can use truncated months: Jan, Feb
• we use 鈥榯o鈥� in date ranges - 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: 鈥榙epartment expenses, Jan to Mar 2013鈥�
• when referring to today (as in a news article) include the date: 鈥楾he minister announced today (14 June 2012) that鈥︹��

Read more about dates.

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 鈥榙evolved governments鈥� instead.

devolved governments

Lower case.

DevOps

Similarly, use 鈥淲ebOps鈥�.

diploma

Lower case unless part of a title like Edexcel L2 Diploma in IT.鈥�

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 鈥榯he disabled鈥� or 鈥榩eople with disabilities鈥�.

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 鈥榯he鈥�.

East End (London)

Upper case.

EBacc

A performance measure linked to GCSEs. Upper case E and B.

EC Sales List (ESL)

The acronym is ESL, not ECSL.

eco-schools

Hyphenated.

education, health and care plan

Lower case.

eg, etc and ie

eg can sometimes be read aloud as 鈥榚gg鈥� by screen reading software. Instead use 鈥榝or example鈥� or 鈥榮uch as鈥� or 鈥榣ike鈥� or 鈥榠ncluding鈥� - whichever works best in the specific context.

etc can usually be avoided. Try using 鈥榝or example鈥� or 鈥榮uch as鈥� or 鈥榣ike鈥� or 鈥榠ncluding鈥�. 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 鈥榤eaning鈥� or 鈥榯hat is鈥�.

email

One word.

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 鈥楴ew Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)鈥� the first time the benefit name is used. From then on, you can use 鈥楴ew Style ESA鈥�.聽

Use 鈥榠ncome-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)鈥� the first time the benefit name is used. From then on, you can use the abbreviation as long as you put 鈥榠ncome-related鈥� first, for example 鈥榠ncome-related ESA鈥�.

You can use 鈥楨mployment and Support Allowance (ESA)鈥� and the acronym 鈥楨SA鈥� if you need to refer to both benefits at the same time.

endpoint

Not 鈥渆nd point鈥� 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鈥檚 absolutely necessary to group people from different ethnic minority backgrounds, use 鈥榚thnic minorities鈥� or 鈥榩eople from ethnic minority backgrounds.鈥�

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 鈥榯he EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein鈥�.

When rules covering the EEA also cover Switzerland, say 鈥榯he EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein鈥�.

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鈥檚 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 51茶馆. If you write content by starting with user needs, you will not need to use FAQs.

Read more about FAQs.

finance and procurement

Lower case.

fine

Use 鈥榝颈苍别鈥� instead of 鈥榝inancial penalty鈥�.

For example, 鈥淵ou鈥檒l pay a 拢50 fine.鈥�

For other types of sanction, say what will happen to the user - you鈥檒l get points on your licence, go to court and so on. Only say 鈥榗ivil penalty鈥� if there鈥檚 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 鈥渇ront-end鈥� or 鈥渇ront end鈥�.

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 鈥榯hem鈥�, 鈥榯heir鈥� or 鈥榯hey鈥�.

If you do need to refer to gender, use 鈥榳omen鈥� and 鈥榤en鈥� rather than 鈥榤ales鈥� and 鈥榝emales鈥�. For example, 鈥�33% of our senior leaders are women鈥�.

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鈥檙e 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鈥檚 commonly known by that name, like the Pole for the North Pole.

GHz

Not 鈥淕hz鈥�.

governing body

Singular noun.

The governing body is meeting today. It will decide who to appoint.

government

Lower case unless it鈥檚 a full title. For example: 鈥楿K government鈥�, but 鈥楬is Majesty鈥檚 Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland鈥�.

Also 鈥榃elsh Government鈥�, as it鈥檚 the full title.

government offices

Lower case.

government procurement card

Lower case.

governor

Lower case.

51茶馆

All upper case.

51茶馆 One Login

Title case. Always use the full name, 51茶馆 One Login. Not 鈥極ne Login鈥�, 鈥榣ogin鈥� or acronyms.

Do not refer to 51茶馆 One Login as an account. This helps avoid confusion with other government accounts.

For signing in to a service use 鈥楽ign in with 51茶馆 One Login鈥�.

For signing in to your 51茶馆 One Login, use 鈥楽ign in to your 51茶馆 One Login鈥�.

Use 鈥榮ign in details鈥� not 鈥�51茶馆 One Login details鈥� to refer to the information you sign in with, for example your email address and password.

See also 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 鈥楪reat Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)鈥� in the first instance. Where possible, you should also make a specific point of saying that Northern Ireland is not included.

For example 鈥楾hese rules apply to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). This does not include Northern Ireland.鈥�

Use 鈥楪reat Britain鈥� 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鈥檚 the name of a programme, but note that it鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 it鈥檚 the title of an organisation: North East and Central London Health Protection Unit.

helpdesk

Not 鈥渉elp desk鈥�.

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 acronym if it鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 鈥榯o鈥� for time and date ranges, not hyphens.

IaaS

Stands for 鈥淚nfrastructure as a Service鈥�. Explain the acronym at first use.

ID

In technical writing, don鈥檛 write 鈥榠dentification鈥� or 鈥榠dentifier鈥�, unless it鈥檚 part of a standard abbreviation. For example, 鈥榰nique identifier (UID)鈥�.

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 鈥榠nternet protocol鈥�), there鈥檚 no need to explain the acronym.

Italics

Do not use italics. Use 鈥榮ingle quotation marks鈥� if referring to a document, scheme or initiative.

Job titles

Specific job titles and ministers鈥� role titles are upper case: Minister for Housing, Home Secretary.

Generic job titles and ministers鈥� role titles are lower case: director, minister.

See also Shadow job titles

Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (New Style or income-based)

Upper case. Always use the apostrophe before the 鈥榮鈥�.

Use 鈥楴ew Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA)鈥� the first time the benefit name is used. From then on, you can use 鈥楴ew Style JSA鈥�.

Use 鈥榠ncome-based Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA)鈥� the first time the benefit name is used. From then on, you can use the abbreviation as long as you put 鈥榠ncome-based鈥� first, for example 鈥榠ncome-based JSA鈥�.

You can use 鈥楯obseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA)鈥� and the acronym 鈥楯SA鈥� if you need to refer to both benefits at the same time.

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 it鈥檚 鈥榯he law鈥�.

legal aid

Lower case.

Legal content

Legal content can still be written in plain English. It鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 鈥渓ifecycle鈥� or 鈥渓ife-cycle鈥�.

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.

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: 鈥楾he following countries are in the EU: Spain, France, Italy鈥︹��

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 it鈥檚 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 51茶馆 One Login.

looked-after children

Hyphenated.

lottery

Always use the National Lottery if that鈥檚 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: 鈥�6

Ratios have no space either side of the colon: 5:12

One space each side of symbols: +, 鈥�, 脳, 梅 and = (so: 2 + 2 = 4)

Use the minus sign for subtraction. Use the correct symbol for the multiplication sign (脳), 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鈥檚 no need to explain the acronym.

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 鈥榞rams鈥� (not 鈥榞rammes鈥�). For example: micrograms, milligrams.

If the measurement is more than one word, like kilometres per hour, then spell it out the first time it鈥檚 used with the abbreviation. From then on, abbreviate. If it鈥檚 only mentioned once, do not abbreviate.

Use Celsius for temperature: 37掳C

member states of the EU

Lower case.

memorandum of understanding

Lower case.

metadata

Not 鈥渕eta data鈥�.

metaphors

See words to avoid

MHz

Not 鈥淢hz鈥�.

Middle East

Upper case.

middle-deemed primary school, middle-deemed secondary school

Hyphenated.

Midlands

Upper case.

migrate

When talking about software, not 鈥渕igrate over鈥�.

Mileage Allowance Payments

Upper case.

military

Lower case.

Millions

Always use million in money (and billion): 拢138 million.

Use millions in phrases: millions of people.

Do not use 拢0.xx million for amounts less than 拢1 million, unless it鈥檚 in a sequence where you鈥檙e talking about amounts above 拢1 million. For example: 鈥淭here was 拢15.6 million spent in August 2024, an increase of 拢0.2 million鈥�. If you鈥檙e using it outside of the sequence again, use 拢200,000.

Do not abbreviate million to m.

minister

Use upper case for the full title, like Minister for Overseas Development, or when used with a name, as a title, like Health Minister Norman Lamb.

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 拢 symbol: 拢75

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

Do not use 鈥樎�0.xx million鈥� or 鈥樎�0.xx billion鈥� for amounts less than 拢1 million or billion. The exception is when it鈥檚 in a sequence where you鈥檙e talking about amounts above 拢1 million or billion. For example: 鈥淭here was 拢15.6 billion spent in August 2024, an increase of 拢0.2 billion鈥�. If you鈥檙e using it outside of the sequence again, use 拢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 鈥榥o data鈥� or 鈥榥ot applicable鈥� instead.

Names and personal titles

Use a person鈥檚 full name the first time you mention them. Only include personal titles if they鈥檙e relevant to your content.

For example, it might be relevant to include:

• their job title beforehand, like 鈥楶rime Minister鈥�
• an academic title like 鈥楧r鈥� or 鈥楶rofessor鈥�
• an honorary title like 鈥楽ir鈥� or 鈥楧ame鈥�
• a military title like 鈥楢dmiral鈥� or 鈥楪eneral鈥�
• letters like 鈥極BE鈥�, 鈥楳P鈥� or 鈥楰C鈥� after their name

If they鈥檙e 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 鈥楳r鈥�, 鈥楳s鈥�, 鈥楲ord,鈥� 鈥楤aroness鈥� or 鈥楧r鈥�) - use 鈥楳s鈥� for women without another title, unless they鈥檝e expressed a preference for 鈥楳rs鈥� or 鈥楳iss鈥�
• a title and their first name, if you previously used their honorary title and they have a knighthood or damehood (like 鈥楽ir Mark鈥� or 鈥楧ame Helen鈥�)
• just their first name, in more informal content

Avoid using titles from other languages, like 鈥楬err鈥� or 鈥楳adame鈥�.

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 鈥�.net鈥� or 鈥�.Net鈥�.

New Computerised Transit System (NCTS)

Upper case.

New Export System (NES)

Upper case.

newly qualified teacher

Use 鈥榚arly career teacher (ECT)鈥� 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 鈥榦ne鈥� unless you鈥檙e talking about a step, a point in a list or another situation where using the numeral makes more sense: 鈥榠n point 1 of the design instructions鈥�, for example. Or this:

You鈥檒l 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鈥檚 part of a common expression like 鈥榦ne or two of them鈥� 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 there鈥檚 no digit before the decimal point (for example, 0.5 not .5).

Use 鈥榸ero degrees鈥� not 鈥�0 degrees鈥� or 0掳.

Use 鈥�500 to 900鈥� and not 鈥�500-900鈥� (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 鈥榯o鈥� 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 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

Lower case if the service name starts with a verb - write the sentence so the user knows what action they can take. For example: You can visit someone in prison by booking online.

Only use upper case if the name of the service you鈥檙e referring to contains named thing. For example: You can apply for Marriage Allowance.

open source software

Not 鈥淥pen Source software鈥� or 鈥淥S software鈥�.

opposition

Lower case even for the opposition and opposition leader.

or

Do not use slashes instead of 鈥渙r鈥�. For example, 鈥淒o this 3/4 times鈥�.

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 鈥榯hey鈥� when replacing an organisation name with a pronoun.

For example: 鈥楬MPO is the sole issuer of UK passports. They will send your new passport within 3 weeks鈥�

The definite article can be used when referring to the organisation by its full name, but should not be used with the organisation鈥檚 acronym: 鈥榊ou should contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency if鈥︹�� but 鈥榊ou should contact DVSA if鈥︹��

You should only use 鈥榳e鈥� if it鈥檚 clear which organisation you鈥檙e referring to.

Read more about when to use 鈥榳e鈥� in content.

Use local council, instead of local authority, where possible. See also council.

overseas-trained teacher

Lower case. Hyphenated.

PaaS

Stands for 鈥淧latform as a Service鈥�. Explain the acronym at first use.

Pages and screens

You should usually be able to use statements like 鈥榳hen you continue鈥� or refer to an interaction as a 鈥榮tep鈥� 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 鈥榩age鈥�. This applies to both web and app interfaces.

For example:

• 鈥楰eep this page open鈥�
• 鈥榊ou鈥檒l need to come back to this page later鈥�
• 鈥楪o back to the page you had open on your computer or tablet鈥�
• 鈥楻eport a problem with this page鈥�

Do not use 鈥榮creen鈥� unless you鈥檙e referring to part of a device, for example 鈥榯he oval on your screen鈥�.

User research by GDS noticed users use and understand the word 鈥榩age鈥�, even in the context of a mobile app. For example, they talk about the 鈥榟ome page鈥� of the app, and not the 鈥榟ome screen鈥�.

You can use 鈥榳indow鈥� or 鈥榯ab鈥� if you ever need to describe how a page will be shown in a user鈥檚 web browser. For example, if you need a link to open in a new tab, include the words 鈥榦pens in new tab鈥� 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 鈥楶atent Box deduction鈥� and when using phrases like 鈥楢nswers to your Patent Box questions鈥�.

pathfinder

Lower case.

payroll

Lower case.

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.

PDF

Upper case. No need to explain the acronym.

penalty

See the entry for 鈥榝颈苍别鈥�.

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 51茶馆 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

There鈥檚 usually no need to say 鈥榩lease鈥� or 鈥榩lease note鈥�.

police

Lower case, even when referring to 鈥榯he police鈥�.

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鈥檚 the name of an organisation.

Prime Minister

Use Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Prime Minister.

priority school building programme

Lower case.

Private Member鈥檚 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 sector

Lower case.

pull request

Lowercase, the same as GitHub does in its documentation. GitLab uses the term 鈥渕erge request鈥�.

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:

• 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 鈥楿nderstanding Capital Gains Tax鈥� (PDF, 360KB).

Double quotes

Use double quotes in body text for direct quotations.

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 acronym when referring to the programme itself.

When describing customer processes, use common language phrases like 鈥榮end your payroll information to HMRC鈥� or 鈥榦perate your payroll in real time鈥�. Do not say 鈥榮end your payroll under RTI鈥� or use the acronym, for example 鈥榠n RTI鈥� or 鈥榰nder RTI鈥�.

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 鈥榓nd others鈥� not 鈥榚t al鈥�
• 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 鈥渞estful鈥� or 鈥淩estful鈥�.

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 鈥淪oftware as a Service鈥�. 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 it鈥檚 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鈥檚 used with the holder鈥檚 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鈥檚 not clear from the context, you may need to clarify that it鈥檚 a classification not a general description: 鈥榠nformation classified as Official鈥� rather than 鈥極fficial information鈥�.

self-assessment

This compound noun should be hyphenated, unless it鈥檚 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 it鈥檚 used with the holder鈥檚 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 it鈥檚 part of a name such as 51茶馆 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 acronym 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.

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 鈥楺uotes and speech marks鈥�

Spending Review

Upper case for the 5-year view of the government鈥檚 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 Adoption Pay

Upper case.

Statutory Maternity Pay

Upper case.

Statutory Sick Pay

Upper case.

steps

See Bullet points and 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 鈥渟ub domain鈥� or 鈥渟ub-domain鈥�.

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鈥檚 the name of a programme, but programme is lower case.

T Level

No hyphen. Upper case for 鈥楲evel鈥�.

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鈥檚 not a proper title.

After that refer to them in full, or if it鈥檚 clear what you鈥檙e 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鈥� 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鈥檙e not jargon. You just need to explain what they mean the first time you use them.

Read more about writing for specialists.

Telephone numbers

Use Telephone: 011 111 111 or Mobile: - not Mob:.

Use spaces between city and local exchange. Here are the different formats to use:

01273 800 900

020 7450 4000

0800 890 567

07771 900 900

077718 300 300

+44 (0)20 7450 4000

+39 1 33 45 70 90

When a number is memorable, group the numbers into easily remembered units: 0800 80 70 60.

Temperature

Use Celsius: 37掳C

threshold assessment

Lower case.

Times

• use 鈥榯o鈥� 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 鈥�11:59pm鈥� to avoid confusion about a single, specific time.

For example, 鈥淵ou must register by 11:59pm on Tuesday 14 June.鈥� can only be read one way, but 鈥淵ou must register by midnight on Tuesday 14 June鈥� 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 鈥淯K time鈥�. For example, 鈥淢onday to Friday, 8am to 5pm UK time鈥�.

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
• not use acronyms unless they are well-known, like EU

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 鈥榯ransition phase鈥�, 鈥榠mplementation phase鈥� or 鈥榠mplementation period鈥�.

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 account

Upper case. Twitter is a trademarked name.

two-factor authentication

Shorten as 鈥�2FA鈥�. Do not confuse with 鈥渕ulti-factor authentication鈥�.

UK government

Never HM government.

umbrella trust

Lower case.

underachiever

One word.

underperforming

One word.

under-declared

Hyphenated.

union (the)

If using 鈥渢he union鈥� to refer to the United Kingdom, use lower case.

unique pupil number

Lower case.

Universal Credit

Upper case.

university technical college

Lower case.

URL

Upper case. No need to explain the acronym.

user ID

Lower case 鈥榰ser鈥�.

USA

Upper case. Not 鈥楿S鈥�. Use 鈥楿nited States of America鈥� for the full official country name.

username

Not 鈥渦ser name鈥�.

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鈥檚 very clear from the context which return you鈥檙e referring to (as in 鈥楬ow to submit your return鈥� within a guide on VAT Returns).

VAT Reverse Charge Sales List (RCSL)

Upper case.

voluntary-aided schools, voluntary-controlled schools

Hyphenated. Lower case.

VPN

Upper case. No need to explain the acronym. When describing a VPN that is always on, write it like this: 鈥榓lways-on鈥� VPN. Note the single quotes and hyphen.

walkaround

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

webchat

One word. Not 鈥榳eb chat鈥�.

webpage

One word.

web server

Not 鈥渨ebserver鈥�.

Welsh Government

Title case because it鈥檚 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.

WhatsApp

Use 鈥榃hatsApp鈥� with an upper case A. Do not use 鈥榃hatsapp鈥�.

white paper

Lower case.

Widowed Parent鈥檚 Allowance

Upper case.

wifi

Lower case, no hyphen.

Withdrawal Agreement

Use 鈥榃ithdrawal Agreement鈥� if you鈥檙e 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鈥檚 a brand name.

Words to avoid

Plain English is mandatory for all of 51茶馆 so avoid using these words:

• agenda (unless it鈥檚 for a meeting), use 鈥榩lan鈥� instead
• advance, use 鈥榠mprove鈥� or something more specific
• collaborate, use 鈥榳ork with鈥�
• combat (unless military), use 鈥榮olve鈥�, 鈥榝ix鈥� or something more specific
• commit/pledge, use 鈥榩lan to x鈥�, or 鈥榳e鈥檙e going to x鈥� where 鈥榵鈥� is a specific verb
• counter, use 鈥榩revent鈥� or try to rephrase a solution to a problem
• deliver, use 鈥榤ake鈥�, 鈥榗reate鈥�, 鈥榩rovide鈥� or a more specific term (pizzas, post and services are delivered - not abstract concepts like improvements)
• deploy (unless it鈥檚 military or software), use 鈥榰se鈥� or if putting something somewhere use 鈥榖uild鈥�, 鈥榗reate鈥� or 鈥榩ut into place鈥�
• dialogue, use 鈥榮poke to鈥� or 鈥榙iscussion鈥�
• disincentivise, use 鈥榙iscourage鈥� or 鈥榙eter鈥�
• empower, use 鈥榓llow鈥� or 鈥榞ive permission鈥�
• facilitate, say something specific about how you鈥檙e helping - for example, use 鈥榬un鈥� if talking about a workshop
• focus, use 鈥榳ork on鈥� or 鈥榗oncentrate on鈥�
• foster (unless it鈥檚 children), use 鈥榚ncourage鈥� or 鈥榟elp鈥�
• impact (unless talking about a collision), use 鈥榟ave an effect on鈥� or 鈥榠nfluence鈥�
• incentivise, use 鈥榚ncourage鈥� or 鈥榤otivate鈥�
• initiate, use 鈥榮tart鈥� or 鈥榖egin鈥�
• key (unless it unlocks something), usually not needed but can use 鈥榠mportant鈥� or 鈥榮ignificant鈥�
• land (unless you鈥檙e talking about aircraft), depending on context, use 鈥榞et鈥� or 鈥榓chieve鈥�
• leverage (unless in the financial sense), use 鈥榠nfluence鈥� or 鈥榰se鈥�
• liaise, use 鈥榳ork with鈥� or 鈥榳ork alongside鈥�
• overarching, usually superfluous but can use 鈥榚ncompassing鈥�
• progress, use 鈥榳ork on鈥� or 鈥榙evelop鈥� or 鈥榤ake progress鈥�
• promote (unless talking about an ad campaign or career advancement), use 鈥榬ecommend鈥� or 鈥榮upport鈥�
• robust (unless talking about a sturdy object), depending on context, use 鈥榳ell thought out鈥� or 鈥榗omprehensive鈥�
• slim down (unless talking about one鈥檚 waistline), use 鈥榤ake smaller鈥� or 鈥榬educe the size鈥�
• streamline, use 鈥榮implify鈥� or 鈥榬emove unnecessary administration鈥�
• strengthening (unless it鈥檚 strengthening bridges or other structures), depending on context, use 鈥榠ncreasing funding鈥� or 鈥榗oncentrating on鈥� or 鈥榓dding more staff鈥�
• tackle (unless talking about fishing tackle or a physical tackle, like in rugby), use 鈥榮top鈥�, 鈥榮olve鈥� or 鈥榙eal with鈥�
• transform, describe what you鈥檙e doing to change the thing
• utilise, use 鈥榰se鈥�

Avoid using metaphors - they do not say what you actually mean and lead to slower comprehension of your content. For example:

• drive, use 鈥榗reate鈥�, 鈥榗ause鈥� or 鈥榚ncourage鈥� instead (you can only drive vehicles, not schemes or people)
• drive out (unless it鈥檚 cattle), use 鈥榮top鈥�, 鈥榓void鈥� or 鈥榩revent鈥�
• going/moving forward, use 鈥榝rom now on鈥� or 鈥榠n the future鈥� (it鈥檚 unlikely we are giving travel directions)
• in order to, usually not needed - do not use it
• one-stop shop, use 鈥榳ebsite鈥� (we are government, not a retail outlet)
• ring fencing, use 鈥榮eparate鈥� or when talking about budgets use 鈥榤oney that will be spent on x鈥�

With all of these words you can generally replace them by breaking the term into what you鈥檙e 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.

year 1, year 2

Lower case.

zero-hours contract

Not 鈥渮ero-hour contract鈥� or 鈥渮ero hours contract鈥�.