Testwiki:ৰচনাশৈলীৰ হাতপুথিৰ উৎস চাওক

{{ৱিকিপিডিয়া অনুবাদ}}
{{style-guideline|WP:MOS|WP:STYLE|MOS:}}
{{style}}
The '''Manual of Style''' (often abbreviated '''MoS''' or '''MOS''') is a [[style guide]] for all Wikipedia articles. This is the main page; subpages with greater detail are linked in the menu to the right, and are listed at [[সহায়: List of Manuals of Style]].

The MoS presents Wikipedia's house style, to help editors produce articles with consistent, clear, and precise language, layout, and formatting. The goal is to make the encyclopedia easier and more intuitive to use. Consistency in style and formatting promotes clarity and cohesion; this is especially important within an article.

Writing should be clear and concise. [[Plain English]] works best: avoid [[jargon]], and vague or unnecessarily complex wording.

On points where more than one style is acceptable, editors should not change an article from one of those styles to another without a substantial reason. Revert-warring over optional styles is unacceptable.<ref>These matters have been addressed in rulings of the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Arbitration Committee|Arbitration Committee]]: see [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Requests for arbitration/Jguk#Principles]] and [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Requests for arbitration/Sortan#Principles]].</ref> If discussion cannot determine which style to use in an article, defer to the style used by the first major contributor.

Any issues relating to style guidance can be discussed on the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া বাৰ্তা:Manual of Style|MoS talk page]]. Some of the past discussions which led to decisions on aspects of style guidance are recorded at the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register|MoS register]].

== Article titles, headings, and sections ==

=== Article titles ===
{{dablink|Main page: [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles]]. For results of past discussions, see the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register#Article titles|Register]].}}
The title of a Wikipedia article should be chosen based on Wikipedia's [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles|Article titles]] policy. The principal criteria for an ideal title are that it should be recognizable (as a name or description of the article's topic), natural, precise (but only as precise as necessary), concise, and consistent with the titles of similar articles. Sometimes these criteria conflict and need to be balanced against one other.

For guidance as to the format of titles, see the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles#Article title format|''Article title format'']] section of that policy. Note in particular that:
* The initial letter of a title is capitalized (except in rare cases, such as {{xt|eBay}}). Otherwise, capital letters are used only where they would be used in a normal sentence ({{xt|Funding of UNESCO projects}}, not {{!xt|Funding of UNESCO Projects}}).
* To italicize a title, add the template {{tl|italic title}} near the top of the article. Use of italics should conform to [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:ITALICS]].
* Do not use {{!xt|a}}, {{!xt|an}}, or {{!xt|the}} as the first word ({{xt|Economy of the Second Empire}}, not {{!xt|The economy of the Second Empire}}), unless by convention it is an inseparable part of a name ({{xt|The Hague}}).
* Titles should normally be [[noun]]s or [[noun phrase]]s: {{xt|Early life}}, not {{!xt|In early life}}.
* The final visible character of a title should not be a punctuation mark, unless the punctuation is part of a name ({{xt|[[Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!]]}}), an abbreviation is used ({{xt|[[Inverness City F.C.]]}}), or a closing round bracket or quotation mark is required ({{xt|[[John Palmer (schooner)]]}}).

The provisions of the Manual of Style apply to all parts of an article, including the title. See especially [[#Punctuation|punctuation]], below. (The policy page [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles]] does not determine punctuation.)

=== Lead section ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (lead section)}}
The text of an article begins with what is called the ''lead section'' or ''lede''—the part of the article that appears before the table of contents and first section heading. It serves to introduce the topic and provide a summary of its most important aspects.

=== Section headings ===
{{see also|Help:Section}}
{{shortcut|MOS:HEAD|WP:MOSHEAD|WP:HEADINGS}}
The remainder of the article after the lead is divided into sections, each of which has a section heading. Sections can be nested. Provided there are more than three section headings in the article, a numbered [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:TOC|table of contents]] is generated automatically, and displayed just above the first heading. This provides an overview of the article and allows readers to navigate through the text more easily.

Headings are produced by typing multiple equal signs. A primary section heading is written <code><nowiki>==Title==</nowiki></code>, a subsection below it is written <code><nowiki>===Title===</nowiki></code>, and so on (a maximum of five levels is possible). The heading must be typed on a separate line. Spaces between the equal signs and the heading text are optional; they will not affect the way the heading is displayed. Include one blank line above the heading, and optionally one blank line below it, for readability in the edit window. (Only two or more consecutive blank lines will add more white space in the public appearance of the page.)

The provisions in [[#Article titles|Article titles]] (above) generally apply to section headings as well. The following points apply specifically to section headings:
* Headings should not refer redundantly to the subject of the article, or to higher-level headings, unless doing so is shorter or clearer. ({{xt|Early life}} is preferable to {{!xt|His early life}} when ''his'' refers to the subject of the article; headings can be assumed to be about the subject unless otherwise indicated.)
* Unlike article titles, section titles are italicized with double apostrophes, just like other text. [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:ITALICS]] still applies.
* Headings should not normally contain links, especially where only part of a heading is linked.
* Section and subsection headings should preferably be unique within a page; otherwise section links may lead to the wrong place, and automatic edit summaries can be ambiguous.

Before changing a section heading, consider whether you might be breaking existing links to that section. If there are many links to the old section title, create an [[সহায়:Anchor|anchor]] with that title to ensure that the links still work. Similarly, when linking to a section of an article, leave a invisible [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:COMMENT|comment]] at that section, specifying the names of the linking articles so that if the title is altered, others can fix the links. For example:
{{xt2|<code><nowiki> ==Evolutionary implications<!--This section is linked from [[Richard Dawkins]] and [[Daniel Dennett]]-->== </nowiki></code>}}

=== Section organization ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (layout)}}
If the topic of a section is also covered in more detail in a dedicated article, show this by inserting {{tlx|main|Article name}} directly under the section heading. See also [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Summary style]].

As explained in more detail in the ''[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (layout)#Standard appendices and footers|Standard appendices and footers]]'' section of the MoS layout page, optional appendix sections containing the following lists may appear after the body of the article in the following order: (a) books or other works created by the subject of the article; (b) internal links to related English Wikipedia articles; (c) notes and references; (d) recommended relevant books, articles, or other publications that have not been used as sources; and (e) recommended relevant websites that have not been used as sources and do not appear in the earlier appendices.

Certain article elements usually come outside the section structure; these include [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Hatnote|disambiguation hatnotes]] (normally placed at the very top of the article), [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Infobox|infoboxes]] (usually placed before the lead section), [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Navbox|navigational boxes]] (placed at the bottom of the page, or sometimes at the top in the form of sidebars), [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Category|categories]] and [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Interlanguage link|interlanguage links]].

== National varieties of English ==
{{shortcut|MOS:ENGVAR|WP:ENGVAR}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (spelling)|#Plurals}}
Subject to the guidelines below, the English Wikipedia does not prefer any major national variety of the language. No variant is inherently more correct than another. Cultural clashes over vocabulary, spelling, and grammar can be avoided by using the following four guidelines. (The accepted style of punctuation is covered in the [[#Punctuation|punctuation section]], below.) New users can be advised of this guideline using {{tl|uw-lang}}.

=== Consistency within articles ===
Each article should consistently use the same conventions of spelling, grammar, and punctuation. For example, these should not be used in the same article: ''center'' and ''centre''; ''organise'' and ''organize''; ''color'' and ''colour''; em dash and spaced en dash (see [[#Dashes|below]]). The exceptions are as follows:
* '''quotations''' (retain the original variety of the quotation even if it differs from that of the main text; but see also [[#Allowable typographical changes|Allowable typographical changes]], below);
* '''proper names''' (use the original spelling, for example ''[[United States Department of Defense]]'' and ''[[Australian Defence Force]]'');
* '''titles of works such as books, films, or songs''' (again, use the original spelling; if there are multiple editions that spell a given title differently, use the one consulted); and
* '''explicit comparisons of varieties of English'''.

=== Strong national ties to a topic ===
{{Shortcut|MOS:TIES|WP:TIES}}
An article on a topic that has strong ties to a particular English-speaking nation should use the English of that nation. For example:
* [[Great Fire of London]] ([[British English]]) or Tolkien's ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (which uses another variant of British English)
* [[American Civil War]] ([[American English]])
* [[Institutions of the European Union]] (British or [[Hiberno-English|Irish English]])
* [[Australian Defence Force]] ([[Australian English]])
* [[Vancouver]], B.C. ([[Canadian English]])
* [[Usain Bolt]] ([[Jamaican English|Jamaican Standard English]])

In a biographical or critical article, it may be best to use the subject's own variety of English (where there is a definite preference), especially if the author's writings are quoted in the article. For example, avoid American English commentary on quotations from Tolkien's very British prose.

This guideline should not be used to claim national ownership of certain articles; see [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:OWN]].

=== Retaining the existing variety ===
{{shortcut|MOS:RETAIN|WP:RETAIN}}
When a variety of English has become established in an article, it should be maintained unless [[#Strong national ties to a topic|Strong national ties to a topic]] (see above) requires otherwise. When no variety is yet established and discussion cannot resolve the issue, adopt the variety used by the first major contributor; or equivalently, the first contributor to a non-[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Stub|stub]] article to edit in a way that determines the variety. That editor can document the decision by placing the appropriate [[:category:Varieties of English templates|''Varieties of English'' template]] on the article's talk page.

=== Opportunities for commonality ===
{{shortcut|MOS:COMMONALITY|WP:COMMONALITY|WP:VNE}}
Wikipedia tries to find words that are common to all varieties of English.
* Universally used terms are often preferable to less widely distributed terms, especially in article titles. For example, {{xt|[[fixed-wing aircraft]]}} is preferred to the national varieties {{xt|aeroplane}} ([[British English]]) and {{xt|airplane}} ([[American English]]).
* If one variant spelling appears in an article title, [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Redirect|redirect]] pages are made to accommodate the other variants, as with [[Artefact]] and [[Artifact]], so that all variants can be used in searches and in linking.
* Terms that are uncommon in some varieties of English, or that have divergent meanings, may be glossed to prevent confusion. Insisting on a single term or a single usage as the only correct option does not serve the purposes of an international encyclopedia.
* Use a commonly understood word or phrase in preference to one that has a different meaning because of national differences. For example, rather than {{!xt|alternate}}, use {{xt|alternative}} or {{xt|alternating}} depending on which sense is meant.

Articles such as [[English plural]] and [[American and British English differences]] provide information on the differences between these major varieties of the language.

== Capital letters ==
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (capital letters)}}
There are differences between the major varieties of English in the use of capitals (uppercase letters). Where this is an issue, follow the guidance under ''[[#National varieties of English|National varieties of English]]'' above.

Do not use capital letters for emphasis; where wording alone cannot provide the emphasis, use italics.

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'': ||{{!xt|Contrary to popular belief, aardvarks are NOT the same as anteaters.}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Contrary to popular belief, aardvarks are ''not'' the same as anteaters.}}
|}

=== Capitalization of "The" ===
{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (music)#Names (definite article)}}
Generally do not capitalize the definite article in the middle of a sentence. However, some idiomatic exceptions, including most titles of artistic works, should be quoted exactly according to common usage.

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-
| ''Incorrect'' || ''(generic)'': || {{!xt|There was an article about The United Kingdom in yesterday's newspaper.}}
|-
| ''Correct'' || ''(generic)'': || {{xt|There was an article about the United Kingdom in yesterday's newspaper.}}
|-
| ''Incorrect'' || ''(title)'': || {{!xt|J.R.R. Tolkien wrote ''the Lord of the Rings''.}}
|-
| ''Correct'' || ''(title)'': || {{xt|J.R.R. Tolkien wrote ''The Lord of the Rings''.}}
|-
| ''Correct'' || ''(title)'': || {{xt|Homer wrote the ''Odyssey''.}}
|-
| ''Incorrect''|| ''(exception)'': || {{!xt|There are two seaside resorts in the Hague.}}
|-
| ''Correct'' || ''(exception)'': || {{xt|There are two seaside resorts in The Hague.}}
|}

=== Titles of people <span id="Titles"></span>===<!-- The preceding Span tag is the target for any existing links to this section that may use the misleading old section title (which suggests titles of *article pages*) -->
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (capital letters)#Titles of people}}
* '''In generic use''', apply lower case for words such as ''president'', ''king'', and ''emperor'' ({{xt|De Gaulle was a French president}}; {{xt|Louis XVI was a French king}}; {{xt|Three prime ministers attended the conference}}).
* '''In parts of a person's title''', begin such words with a capital letter ({{xt|President Obama}}, not {{!xt|president Obama}}). Standard or commonly used names of an office are treated as proper nouns ({{xt|The British Prime Minister is David Cameron}}; {{xt|Hirohito was Emperor of Japan}}; {{xt|Louis XVI was King of France}}). Royal styles are capitalized ({{xt|Her Majesty}}; {{xt|His Highness}}); exceptions may apply for particular offices.
* For the use of titles and honorifics in biographical articles, see [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (biographies)#Honorific prefixes|Honorific prefixes]].

=== Religions, deities, philosophies, doctrines, and their adherents ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (capital letters)#Religions, deities, philosophies, doctrines and their adherents}}
* '''Religions, sects, and churches''' and their followers (in noun or adjective form) start with a capital letter. Generally, "the" is not capitalized before such names ({{xt|the Shī‘a}}, not {{!xt|The Shī‘a}}). (However, see the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (Latter Day Saints)|style guide]] and [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Naming conventions (Latter Day Saints)|naming convention]] for the Latter Day Saint movement.)
* '''[[Religious text]]s''' (scriptures) are capitalized, but often not italicized ({{xt|the Bhagavad Gita}}, {{xt|the Qur’an}}, {{xt|the Talmud}}, {{xt|the Granth Sahib}}, {{xt|the Bible}}). When "the" is used, it is not capitalized. Some derived adjectives are capitalized by convention, some are not ({{xt|biblical}}, but {{xt|Koranic}}); if unsure, check a dictionary appropriate to the topic, and be consistent within an article.
* '''[[Honorific]]s for deities''', including proper nouns and titles, start with a capital letter ({{xt|God}}, {{xt|Allah}}, {{xt|the Lord}}, {{xt|the Supreme Being}}, {{xt|the Great Spirit}}, {{xt|the Horned One}}, {{xt|Bhagavan}}). Do not capitalize "the" unless it is formally a part of the [[Names of God|name of the deity]]. The same is true when referring to major religious figures and figures from mythology by titles or terms of respect ({{xt|the Prophet}}, {{xt|the Messiah}}, {{xt|the Virgin}}). Common nouns denoting deities or religious figures are not capitalized ({{xt|the Romans worshipped many gods}}; {{xt|many Anglo-Saxons worshipped the god Woden}}; {{xt|Jesus and Muhammad are both considered prophets in Islam}}; {{xt|biblical scholars dispute whether Mary was a virgin for her entire life}}; {{xt|his wife was his muse}}, but {{xt|the nine Muses}}).
* '''Pronouns and their possessive forms referring to figures of veneration''' are not capitalized, even when they traditionally are in a religion's scriptures; they are left capitalized when directly quoting scriptures or any other texts that capitalize them.
* '''Broad categories of mythical or legendary creatures''' do not start with uppercase capital letters ({{xt|elf}}, {{xt|fairy}}, {{xt|nymph}}, {{xt|unicorn}}, {{xt|angel}}), although in derived works of fantasy, such as the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien and real-time strategy video games, initial capitals are sometimes used to indicate that the beings are regarded as forming a culture or a race in their [[fictional universe]]s. Capitalize the names or titles of individual creatures ({{xt|the Minotaur}}, {{xt|Pegasus}}) and of groups whose name and membership are fixed ({{xt|the Magi or the Three Wise Men}}, {{xt|the Cherubim}}). As with terms for deities, generalized references are not capitalized ({{xt|the priests of this sect were called magi by some}}; {{xt|several wise men were consulted}}; {{xt|cherub-like}}).
* '''Spiritual or religious events''' are likewise capitalized only when they are terms referring to specific incidents or periods ({{xt|the Great Flood}} and {{xt|the Exodus}}; but {{xt|annual flooding}} and {{xt|an exodus of refugees}}).
* '''Philosophies, theories, movements, and doctrines''' do not begin with a capital letter unless the name derives from a proper noun ({{xt|capitalism versus Marxism}}) or has become a proper noun (lowercase {{xt|republican}} refers to a system of political thought; uppercase {{xt|Republican}} refers to a political party or ideology). Use lower case for doctrinal topics or canonical religious ideas (as distinguished from specific events), even if they are capitalized by some religious adherents ({{xt|virgin birth}}, {{xt|original sin}}, {{xt|transubstantiation}}).
* '''[[Platonic idealism|Platonic]] or transcendent ideals''' are capitalized ({{xt|Truth}}, {{xt|the Good}}), but only within the context of philosophical doctrine; used more broadly, they are in lower case ({{xt|Superman represents American ideals of truth and justice}}). Use capitals for personifications represented in art ({{xt|the guidebook mentioned statues of Justice and Liberty}}).

=== Calendar items ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (capital letters)#Calendar items}}
* '''Months, days of the week, and holidays''' start with a capital letter ({{xt|June}}, {{xt|Monday}}; {{xt|the Fourth of July}} refers only to the US Independence Day—otherwise {{xt|July 4}} or {{xt|4 July}}).
* '''Seasons''' are in lower case ({{xt|her last summer}}; {{xt|the winter solstice}}; {{xt|spring fever}}), except in personifications or in proper names for periods or events ({{xt|Old Man Winter}}; {{xt|the team had great success on the Spring Circuit}}).

=== Animals, plants, and other organisms ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (capital letters)#Animals, plants, and other organisms}}
{{seealso|Wikipedia:WikiProject Tree of Life#Article titles|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (fauna)}}
When using scientific names, capitalize the genus but not the species (and italicize both); proper names incorporated into Latin species names are not capitalised. Common names should not normally be capitalized ({{xt|maple tree}}, {{xt|zebra}}); as an exception to this general rule, the official common names of birds are capitalized ({{xt|Bald Eagle}}). For new pages, ensure a [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Redirect|redirect]] from the alternative capitalization to prevent article duplication.

=== Celestial bodies ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (capital letters)#Celestial bodies}}
* When used generally, the words ''sun'', ''earth'', and ''moon'' do not take capitals ({{xt|The sun was peeking over the mountain top}}; {{xt|The tribal people of the Americas thought of the whole earth  as their home}}), except when the entity is personified ({{xt|Sol Invictus ("Unconquered Sun") was the Roman sun god}}) or when the term names a specific astronomical body ({{xt|The Moon orbits the Earth}}; but {{xt|Io is a moon of Jupiter}}).
* '''Names of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, stars, constellations, and galaxies''' are proper nouns, and therefore capitalized ({{xt|The planet Mars can be seen tonight in the constellation Gemini, near the star Pollux}}; {{xt|Halley's Comet is the most famous of the periodic comets}}; {{xt|The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy}}). The first letter of every word in such a name is capitalized ({{xt|Alpha Centauri}} and not {{!xt|Alpha centauri}}; {{xt|Milky Way}}, not {{!xt|Milky way}}).

=== Directions and regions ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (capital letters)#Directions and regions}}

* Do not capitalize '''directions''' such as ''north'', except where they are parts of names, nor their related forms ({{xt|We took the northern road}}; but {{xt|It was referred to by locals as the Great North Road}}).
** Composite directions may or may not be hyphenated, depending on the general style adopted in the article ({{xt|Southeast Asia}} and {{xt|northwest}} are more common in American English; but {{xt|South-East Asia}} and {{xt|north-west}} in British English).
** In cases such as {{xt|north–south dialogue}} and {{xt|east–west orientation}} an en dash is used (see [[#En dashes: other uses|en dashes]], below), and normally lower case.
* Do capitalize '''names of regions''', including informal conventional names ({{xt|Southern California}}; {{xt|the Western Desert}}; {{xt|Old Cow Hill}}), and terms for persons referred to by place of origin or residence ({{xt|a Southerner among many Northerners}}; {{xt|a Torres Strait Islander among Mainlanders}}).

=== Institutions ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (capital letters)# Institutions}}
* '''Names of institutions''' ({{xt|George Brown College}}) are proper nouns and require capitals. The word ''the'' at the start of a title is usually uncapitalized, but follow the institution's own usage ({{xt|a degree from the University of Sydney}}; but {{xt|researchers at The Ohio State University}}).
* '''Generic words''' for institutions (''university'', ''college'', ''hospital'', ''high school'') do not take capitals:
::{|style="background:transparent"
|-
| ''Incorrect'' || ''(generic)'': || {{!xt|The University offers programs in arts and sciences.}}
|-
| ''Correct'' || ''(generic)'': || {{xt|The university offers programs in arts and sciences.}}
|-
| ''Correct'' || ''(title)'': || {{xt|The University of Delhi offers programs in arts and sciences.}}
|}
* '''Political or geographical units''' such as cities, towns, and countries follow the same rules: as proper nouns they require capitals; but as generic words (sometimes best omitted for simplicity) they do not.

::{|style="background:transparent"
|-
|''Incorrect'' || ''(generic)'': || {{!xt|The City has a population of 55,000.}}
|-
|''Correct'' || ''(generic)'': || {{xt|The city has a population of 55,000.}}
|-
|''Correct'' || ''(title)'': || {{xt|The City of Smithville has a population of 55,000.}}
|-
|''Correct'' || ''("city" omitted)'': || {{xt|Smithville has a population of 55,000.}}
|}

== {{Anchor|Acronyms and abbreviations|Acronyms|Initialisms|Shortenings}} Abbreviations ==
{{Main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (abbreviations)}}
;Write out both the full version and the abbreviation at first occurrence
* When an abbreviation is to be used in an article, give the expression in full at first, followed immediately by the abbreviation in parentheses (round brackets). In the rest of the article the abbreviation can then be used by itself:
::{{xt|the New Democratic Party (NDP) won the 1990 Ontario election with a significant majority}}, at the first mention of the New Democratic Party; and
::{{xt|the NDP quickly became unpopular with the voters}}, at a subsequent mention.

:Make an exception for very common abbreviations; in most articles they require no expansion ({{xt|PhD}}, {{xt|DNA}}, {{xt|USSR}}).

* Do not apply initial capitals in a full version simply because capitals are used in the abbreviation.
::{|style="background:transparent"
|-
|''Incorrect'' || (not a proper noun)'': || {{!xt|We used Digital Scanning (DS) technology}}
|-
|''Correct'': || || {{xt|We used digital scanning (DS) technology}}
|-
|''Correct'' || (a proper noun)'': || {{xt|The film was produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)}}
|}

* If the full version is already in round brackets, use a comma and ''or'' to indicate the abbreviation.
::{{xt|They first debated the issue in 1992 (at a convention of the New Democratic Party, or NDP)}}

;Plural and possessive forms
:[[Acronyms and initialisms]], like other nouns, become plurals by adding {{xt|-s}} or {{xt|-es}} ({{xt|they produced three CD-ROMs in the first year}}; {{xt|the laptops were produced with three different BIOSes in 2006}}). As with other nouns, no apostrophe is used unless the form is a possessive.
;Periods (full stops) and spaces
* The letters in an acronym or an initialism are generally not separated by periods (full stops) or blank spaces ({{xt|GNP}}, {{xt|NORAD}}, {{xt|OBE}}, {{xt|GmbH}}). Periods and spaces that were traditionally required have now dropped out of usage ({{xt|PhD}} is now preferred over {{!xt|Ph.D.}} and {{!xt|Ph.&nbsp;D.}}). Periods are not used in units of measurement; see [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)]]. There are some traditional exceptions ({{xt|i.e.}}, {{xt|e.g.}}; not {{!xt|ie}}, {{!xt|eg}}, {{!xt|i.&nbsp;e.}}, {{!xt|e.&nbsp;g.}}); and see below for {{xt|US}} and {{xt|U.S.}}

* Abbreviations formed by truncation ({{xt|Hon.}} for {{xt|Honorable}}), compression ({{xt|cmte.}} for {{xt|committee}}), or contraction ({{xt|Dr.}} for {{xt|Doctor}}) may or may not be closed with a period; a consistent style should be maintained within an article. A period is more usual in North American usage ({{xt|Dr. Smith of 42&nbsp;Drummond St.}}); ''no period'' is commonly preferred in British and other usage ({{xt|Dr Smith of 42&nbsp;Drummond St}}). British and some other authorities prefer to drop the period from truncated and compressed abbreviations generally ({{xt|XYZ Corp}}; {{xt|ABC Ltd}}), a practice favored in science writing. Regardless of punctuation, words that are abbreviated to more than one letter are spaced ({{xt|op.&nbsp;cit.}} or {{xt|op&nbsp;cit}}; not {{!xt|op.cit.}} or {{!xt|opcit}}). There are some exceptions: {{xt|PhD}} (see above) for "Philosophiae Doctor"; {{xt|BVetMed}} for "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine".

;US and U.S.
:In [[American English]], {{xt|U.S.}} (with periods) is more common as the standard abbreviation for {{xt|United States}}, although ''The Chicago Manual of Style'' now deprecates the use of the periods (16th ed.). {{xt|US}} (without periods) is generally accepted in most other national forms of English. In longer abbreviations incorporating the country's initials ({{xt|USN}}, {{xt|USAF}}), periods are not used. When the United States is mentioned with one or more other countries in the same sentence, {{xt|U.S.}} or {{xt|US}} may be too informal, especially at the first mention ({{xt|France and the United States}}, not {{!xt|France and the U.S.}}). For consistency in an article, if the abbreviated form for the United States appears alongside other abbreviated country names, avoid periods throughout; never add full stops to the other abbreviations ({{xt|the US, the UK, and the PRC}}, not {{!xt|the U.S., the U.K., and the P.R.C.}}). Do not use the spaced {{!xt|U.&nbsp;S.}}, nor the archaic {{!xt|U.S.&nbsp;of&nbsp;A.}}, except when quoting. Do not use {{!xt|U.S.A.}} or {{!xt|USA}}, except in a quotation or as part of a proper name ({{xt|Team USA}}).
;Do not use unwarranted abbreviations
:Avoid abbreviations when they might confuse the reader, interrupt the flow, or appear informal. For example, do not use {{!xt|approx.}} for {{xt|approximate}} or {{xt|approximately}}, except to reduce the width of an infobox or a table of data, or in a technical passage in which the term occurs many times.
::''See also [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)]] for when to abbreviate units of measurement.''
;Do not invent abbreviations or acronyms
:Generally avoid making up new abbreviations, especially acronyms ({{xt|World Union of Billiards}} is good as a ''translation'' of {{xt|Union Mondiale de Billard}}, but neither it nor the reduction {{!xt|WUB}} is used by the organization; so use the original name and its official abbreviation, {{xt|UMB}}). If it is necessary to abbreviate a heading in a wide table of data, use widely recognized initialisms (for {{xt|United States gross national product}} use {{xt|US}} and {{xt|GNP}}, with a link if the term has not already been written out: {{xt|US&nbsp;[[Measures of national income and output|GNP]]}}; do not use the made-up initialism {{!xt|USGNP}}).
;HTML elements
:[[MediaWiki|The software]] that Wikipedia runs on does not support the [[HTML element #Phrase elements|HTML phrase element]] <code>&lt;acronym&gt;</code> (see [[Mediazilla:671]]). The <code>&lt;abbr&gt;</code> element can be used instead: <code><nowiki><abbr title="HyperText Markup Language">HTML</abbr></nowiki></code> generates <abbr title="HyperText Markup Language">HTML</abbr>.

=== Ampersand ===
{{shortcut|MOS:&|WP:&}}
The [[ampersand]] (&) substitutes for the word ''and'' (it was a form of Latin ''et''). In normal text, ''and'' should be used instead: {{xt|January 1&nbsp;and&nbsp;2}}, not {{!xt|January 1&nbsp;&&nbsp;2}}. Retain ampersands in titles of works or organizations, such as ''[[The Tom and Jerry Show (1975 TV series)|The Tom&nbsp;& Jerry Show]]'' or [[AT&T]]. Ampersands may be used with consistency and discretion in tables, infoboxes, and similar contexts where space is limited. Modern editions of old texts routinely replace ampersands with ''and'' (just as they replace other disused glyphs, [[Typographic ligature|ligatures]], and abbreviations); so an article's quotations may be cautiously modified, especially for consistency where different editions are quoted. (For similar allowable modifications see [[#Quotations|Quotations]], below.)

== Italics ==
{{further|[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (text formatting)]]}}
; Emphasis
: Italics may be used ''sparingly'' to emphasize words in sentences (whereas boldface is normally not used for this purpose). Generally, the more highlighting in an article, the less its effectiveness.
:Use italics when introducing terms, or distinguishing among them ({{xt|The ''enamel organ'' is composed of the ''outer'' enamel epithelium, ''inner'' enamel epithelium, stellate reticulum, and stratum intermedium}}).
; Titles
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (titles)}}
: Use italics for the titles of works of literature and art, such as books, pamphlets, films (including short films), television series, music albums, and paintings. The titles of articles, chapters, songs, television episodes, and other short works are not italicized; they are enclosed in double quotation marks.
:Italics are not used for major revered religious works ({{xt|the Bible}}, {{xt|the Qur'an}}, {{xt|the Talmud}}).
; <span id="Words as words" ></span><!--This span creates a #-link target that is used elsewhere-->Words as words
: Use italics when ''mentioning'' a word or letter (see [[Use–mention distinction]]) or a string of words up to one full sentence ({{xt|the term ''panning'' is derived from ''panorama'', a word coined in 1787}}; {{xt|the most commonly used letter in English is ''e''}}). When a whole sentence is mentioned, quotation marks may be used instead, with consistency ({{xt|The preposition in ''She sat on the chair'' is ''on''}}; or {{xt|The preposition in "She sat on the chair" is "on"}}). ''Mentioning'' (to discuss such features as grammar, wording, and punctuation) is different from ''quoting'' (in which something is usually expressed on behalf of a quoted source).
; Foreign words
: Use italics for phrases in other languages and for isolated [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (text formatting)#Foreign terms|foreign words]] that are not common in everyday English. Proper names (such as place names) in other languages, however, are not usually italicized.
; <span id="Italics and quotations" ></span><!--This span creates a #-link target that is used elsewhere in this page.-->Quotations in italics
: For quotations, use only quotation marks (for short quotations) or block quoting (for long ones), not italics. (See [[#Quotations|Quotations]] below.) This means that (1) a quotation is not italicized inside quotation marks or a block quote just because it is a quotation, and (2) italics are no substitute for proper quotation formatting. One way to distinguish long block quotes from ordinary text is to use {{tl|quotation}}, which will box the text. Citation links may not work within such templates; if so, it may be necessary to use <nowiki><blockquote> and </blockquote></nowiki>.
; Italics within quotations
: Use italics within quotations if they are already in the source material. When adding italics on Wikipedia, add an editorial note {{xt|[emphasis added]}} after the quotation.
: {{xt2|"Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince: And ''flights of angels'' sing thee to thy rest" [emphasis added].}}

: If the source has used italics (or some other styling) for emphasis and this is not otherwise evident, the editorial note {{xt|[emphasis in original]}} should appear after the quotation.
; Effect on nearby punctuation
: Italicize only the elements of the sentence affected by the emphasis. Do not italicize surrounding punctuation.
::{|style="background:transparent"
|-
|valign=top|''Incorrect'':&nbsp; &nbsp;
|colspan=2|{{!xt|What are we to make of ''that?''}}
|-
|valign=top rowspan=2|''Correct'':
|colspan=2|{{xt|What are we to make of ''that''?}}
|-
|&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
|(Note the difference between {{!xt|''?''}} and {{xt|?}}. The question mark applies to the whole sentence, not just to the emphasized {{xt|that}}.)
|-
|valign=top rowspan=2|''Correct'':
|colspan=2|{{xt|Four of Patrick White's most famous novels are ''A Fringe of Leaves'', ''The Aunt's Story'', ''Voss'', and ''The Tree of Man''.}}
|-
|
|(The commas, period, and the word ''and'' are not italicized.)
|}
; Italicized links
: The italics markup must be outside the link markup, or the link will not work; however, internal italicization can be used in [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Piped link|piped links]].
::{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{!xt|<code><nowiki>The opera [[''Turandot'']] is his best.</nowiki></code>}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|<code><nowiki>The opera ''[[Turandot]]'' is his best.</nowiki></code>}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|<code><nowiki>The [[USS Adder (SS-3)|USS ''Adder'' (SS-3)]] was a submarine.</nowiki></code>}}
|}

== Non-breaking spaces ==
{{Shortcut|MOS:NBSP|WP:NBSP}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Line break handling}}
A [[non-breaking space]] (also known as a ''hard space'') is recommended to prevent the end-of-line displacement of elements that could be awkward at the beginning of a new line. Unlike normal spaces, multiple hard spaces are not compressed by browsers into a single space.
* A hard space can be produced with the [[HTML]] code <code>&amp;nbsp;</code> instead of the space bar: <code><nowiki>19&amp;nbsp;kg</nowiki></code> yields a non-breaking {{xt|19&nbsp;kg}}.
* A literal hard space, such as one of the [[Unicode]] non-breaking space characters, should not be used, since some [[web browser]]s will not load them properly when editing.
* Hard spaces can also be produced by using the {{tl|nowrap}} template: {{tlc|nowrap|8 sq ft}} produces a non-breaking {{xt|{{nowrap|8 sq ft}}}}. This is especially useful for short constructions requiring two or more hard spaces, as in the preceding example. Template {{tlf|nowrap}} has the disadvantage that if the enclosed text starts or ends with a space, these spaces are forced outside in the resulting HTML, and unpredicted breaks may occur. If <code>&amp;nbsp;</code> occurs right before {{tlf|nowrap}}, or at the start of text within {{tlf|nowrap}}, some browsers allow a break at that point.
* A non-breaking space should be used before a spaced [[#En dashes|en dash]].
* In some older browsers, quotation marks separated by a hard space are broken at the end of a line: <code>"She said 'Yes!'&amp;nbsp;"</code> ({{!xt|"She said 'Yes!'&nbsp;"}}). Use <code>"She said 'Yes!{{tl|'"}}</code> ({{xt|"She said 'Yes!{{'"}}}}) instead.
* It is advisable to use a [[non-breaking space]] (also known as a ''hard space'') to prevent the end-of-line displacement of elements that would be awkward at the beginning of a new line:
** in expressions in which figures and abbreviations (or symbols) are separated by a space (e.g. {{xt|17&nbsp;kg}}, {{xt|AD&nbsp;565}}, {{xt|2:50&nbsp;pm}});
** in other places where breaking across lines might be disruptive to the reader, especially in [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:WikiProject Infoboxes|infoboxes]], such as {{xt|£11&nbsp;billion}}, {{xt|{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}}&nbsp;{{CURRENTYEAR}}}}, {{xt|5°&nbsp;24′&nbsp;21.12″&nbsp;N}}, {{xt|Boeing&nbsp;747}}, after the number in a numbered address (e.g. {{xt|123&nbsp;Fake Street}}) and before [[Roman numerals]] at the end of phrases (e.g. {{xt|World War&nbsp;II}} and {{xt|Pope Benedict&nbsp;XVI}}); and
** within wikilinks like [[World War&nbsp;II]] (encoded as <code><nowiki>[[World War&amp;nbsp;II]]</nowiki></code>).<ref>[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া বাৰ্তা:Manual of Style/Archive 115#nbsp in a link]]</ref>
* Unlike normal spaces, multiple hard spaces are not compressed by browsers into a single space.

== Quotations ==
{{shortcut|MOS:QUOTE|WP:MOSQUOTE}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Quotations|#Italics and quotations|#Quotation marks}}
==== Minimal change ====
:Preserve the original text, spelling, and punctuation. Where there is a good reason to make a change, insert an explanation within square brackets (for example, {{xt|[her father]}} replacing ''him'', where the context explaining ''him'' is omitted in the quotation). If there is a significant error in the original statement, use {{xt|[''[[sic]]'']}}, or the template {{tl|sic}} (which produces {{xt|{{sic}}}}), to show that the error was not made in transcription. Trivial spelling or typographical errors should be silently corrected (for example, correct {{!xt|ommission}} to {{xt|omission}}, {{!xt|harasssment}} to {{xt|harassment}})—unless the slip is textually important.

:Use [[#Ellipses|ellipses]] to indicate omissions from quoted text. Legitimate omissions include extraneous, irrelevant, or parenthetical words, and unintelligible or guttural speech ({{!xt|umm}}, and {{!xt|hmm}}). Do not omit text where doing so would remove essential context or alter the meaning of the text. When quoting a vulgarity or obscenity, it should appear exactly as it does in the cited source; words should never be [[bowdlerized]] by replacing letters with dashes, asterisks, or other symbols. In carrying over such an alteration from a quoted source, {{xt|[''[[sic]]'']}} may be used to indicate that the transcription is exact.

==== Allowable typographical changes ====
:Although the requirement of minimal change is strict, a few purely typographical elements of quoted text should be conformed to English Wikipedia's conventions without comment. This practice of conforming typographical styling to a publication's own "house style" is universal. Allowable typographical alterations include these:
:* Styling of dashes and hyphens: see [[#Dashes|Dashes]], below. Use the style chosen for the article: unspaced em dash or spaced en dash.
:* Styling of apostrophes and quotation marks: they should all be straight, not curly. See [[#Quotation marks|Quotation marks]], below. In quoting text from non-English sources, replace non-English typographical elements such as [[guillemets]] ({{!xt|«&nbsp;»}}) with their English-language equivalents; replace guillemets with straight quotation marks, and so on.
:* Spaces before punctuation such as periods and colons: these should be removed as alien to modern English-language publishing.
:* Some text styling should be altered. Of course the typeface will be automatically standardized; but generally preserve bold and italics (see [[#Italics|Italics]], above). Where the source is an old typewritten document such as an academic dissertation, [[underlining]] is almost certainly used to represent italics, and should be changed to italics as it would be by any book publisher.
:* When quoting from early modern sources, disused glyphs and ligatures should be normalized to modern usage when doing so will not change or obscure the meaning of the text. Examples of such changes include the following: æ→ae, œ→oe,ſ→s, and y<sup>e</sup>→the. Also see [[#Ampersand|Ampersand]], below.
:* If an entire sentence is quoted in such a way that it becomes a grammatical part of the larger sentence, the first letter loses its capitalization ({{xt|It turned out to be true that "a penny saved is a penny earned"}}).

==== Quotations within quotations ====
: When a quotation includes another quotation (and so on), start with double quote marks outermost, and, working inward, alternate single with double quote marks ({{xt|"She disputed his statement that 'Voltaire never said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.{{" ' "}}}}, with three levels of quotation). Adjacent quote marks, as at the end of that last example, can be difficult to read ({{!xt|"'"}}) unless [[Kerning#Digital typography|kerned]] apart slightly with [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]]; the {{tl|" '}}, {{tl|' "}} and {{tl|" ' "}} templates will accomplish this; the example above is achieved by typing this: <code><nowiki>... your right to say it.{{"&nbsp;'&nbsp;"}}</nowiki></code>.
==== Attribution ====
: The author of a quote of a full sentence or more should be named; this is done in the main text and not in a footnote. However, attribution is unnecessary with quotations that are clearly from the person discussed in the article or section. When preceding a quotation with its attribution, [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Words to avoid#Synonyms for said|avoid characterizing it in a biased manner]].

==== Linking ====

: As much as possible, avoid linking from within quotes, which may clutter the quotation, violate the principle of leaving quotations unchanged, and mislead or confuse the reader.

==== Block quotations{{anchor|nocquote}} ====
: Format a long quote (more than four lines, or consisting of more than one paragraph, regardless of number of lines) as a [[block quotation]], which Wikimedia's software will indent from both margins. Do not enclose block quotations in quotation marks (and especially avoid decorative quotation marks in normal use, such as those provided by the {{tl|cquote}} template, which are reserved for [[pull quote]]s). Block quotations can be enclosed between a pair of <code>&lt;blockquote&gt;...&lt;/blockquote&gt;</code> HTML tags; or use {{tl|quotation}} or {{tl|quote}}.
Wikipedia's [[MediaWiki]] software does not render multiple paragraphs inside a <code>&lt;blockquote&gt;</code> simply by spacing the paragraphs apart with blank lines. A [[workaround]] is to enclose each block-quoted paragraph in its own <code>&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;</code> element:
<syntaxhighlight lang="html4strict">
<blockquote>
<p>And bring us a lot of horilka, but not of that fancy kind with raisins,
or with any other such things—bring us horilka of the purest kind, give us that
demon drink that makes us merry, playful and wild!</p>

<p>—[[Nikolai Gogol]], ''[[Taras Bulba]]''</p>
</blockquote>
</syntaxhighlight>
This will result in the following, indented on both sides (it may also be in a smaller font, depending on browser software):
{{xt2|<blockquote>
<p>And bring us a lot of horilka, but not of that fancy kind with raisins,
or with any other such things—bring us horilka of the purest kind, give us that
demon drink that makes us merry, playful and wild!</p>

<p>—[[Nikolai Gogol]], ''[[Taras Bulba]]''</p>
</blockquote>}}

The {{tl|quote}} template provides the same semantic HTML formatting, as well as a workaround for the paragraph spacing bug and a pre-formatted attribution line:
<syntaxhighlight lang="html4strict">
{{quote|And bring us a lot of horilka, but not of that fancy kind with raisins,
or with any other such things—bring us horilka of the purest kind, give us that
demon drink that makes us merry, playful and wild!|[[Nikolai Gogol]]|''[[Taras Bulba]]''}}
</syntaxhighlight>
This will result in:
{{xt2|{{quote|And bring us a lot of horilka, but not of that fancy kind with raisins,
or with any other such things—bring us horilka of the purest kind, give us that
demon drink that makes us merry, playful and wild!|[[Nikolai Gogol]]|''[[Taras Bulba]]''}}}}

=== Foreign-language quotations ===

Quotations from foreign-language sources should be translated. Quotations which have been translated should be distinguished from those that have not. If they are available, the article should indicate the original source of the translation (if it was first published outside Wikipedia) and the original language (if it is not clear from the context).

If the original, untranslated text is available, editors are encouraged to provide a reference or to include it.

== Punctuation ==
{{shortcut|MOS:PUNCT|WP:PUNCT}}

=== Apostrophes ===
* Consistent use of the straight (or ''typewriter'') apostrophe ({{xt|&nbsp;<big>'</big>&nbsp;}}) is recommended, as opposed to the curly (or ''typographic'') apostrophe ({{!xt|&nbsp;<big>’</big>&nbsp;}}). For details and reasons, see [[#Quotation marks|Quotation marks]], below.
* To prevent apostrophes from being misinterpreted as Wiki markup, use the templates {{tl|'}}, {{tl|`}}, and {{tl|'s}}, or use <code>&lt;nowiki&gt;</code> tags.
* Foreign characters that resemble apostrophes, such as transliterated Arabic [[ayin]] ({{xt|&nbsp;<big>ʿ</big>&nbsp;}}) and [[aleph|alif]] ({{xt|&nbsp;<big>ʾ</big>&nbsp;}}), are represented by their correct Unicode characters (that is, U+02BF <small>MODIFIER LETTER LEFT HALF RING</small> and U+02BE <small>MODIFIER LETTER RIGHT HALF RING</small> respectively), despite possible display problems. If this is not feasible, use a straight apostrophe instead.
* For usage of the possessive apostrophe, see the summary of usage issues at [[#Possessives|Possessives]], below.
* For a thorough treatment of all uses of the apostrophe (possessive, elision, formation of certain plurals, specific foreign-language issues) see the article [[Apostrophe]].

=== Quotation marks ===
{{dablink|See also [[#Quotations|Quotations]] above. For results of past discussions, see the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register#Quotation marks|Register]].}}
The term ''quotation'' in the material below also includes other uses of quotation marks such as those for titles of songs, chapters, episodes, unattributable aphorisms, [[String (computer science)|literal strings]], "[[scare quotes|scare-quoted]]" passages, and constructed examples.

; {{anchor|Double or single}}Double or single
Enclose quotations with double quotation marks ({{xt|Bob said, "Jim ate the apple."}}). Enclose quotations within quotations with single quotation marks ({{xt|Bob said, "Did Jim say 'I ate the apple' after he left?"}}).

Wikipedia prefers double quotation marks because some search engines cannot find quotations within single quotation marks, like {{!xt|'I ate the apple'}}. ([[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Searching|Wikipedia's search facility]] will only find such an expression if the search string is also within single quotation marks.) In addition, double quotation marks are harder to confuse with apostrophes.

; Article openings
: When the title of an article appearing in the lead paragraph requires quotation marks (for example, the title of a song or poem), the quotation marks should not be in boldface, as they are not part of the title:
::{|style="background:transparent"
|''Correct'': || {{xt|"'''Jabberwocky'''" is a nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll.}}
|}
; Block quotes
: As already noted [[#Quotations|above]], we use quotation marks or block quotes (not both) to distinguish long quotations from other text. Multiparagraph quotations are always block-quoted. The quotations must be precise and exactly as in the source (except for certain ''allowable typographical changes'', also noted above). The source should be cited clearly and precisely to enable readers to locate the text in question, and to quote it accurately themselves from Wikipedia.
; Quotation characters
: Do not use [[grave accent|grave]] and [[acute accent]]s or backticks ({{!xt|<big>'''`'''</big>text<big>'''´'''</big>}}) as quotation marks (or as apostrophes).
: There are two possible methods for rendering quotation marks at Wikipedia (that is, the [[Quotation mark glyphs|glyphs]], displayed with emphasis here, for clarity):
:* [[Quotation mark glyphs#Typewriter quotation marks|Typewriter]] or straight style: {{xt|<big>'''"'''</big>text<big>'''"'''</big>, <big>'''''''</big>text<big>'''''''</big>.}} '''Recommended at Wikipedia.'''
:* [[Quotation mark glyphs#Quotation marks in English|Typographic]] or curly style: {{!xt|<big>'''“'''</big>text<big>'''”'''</big>, <big>'''‘'''</big>text<big>'''’'''</big>.}} '''Not recommended at Wikipedia.'''
: The exclusive use of straight quotation marks and apostrophes (see [[#Apostrophes|preceding section]]) is recommended. They are easier to type in reliably, and to edit. Mixed use interferes with some searches, such as those using the browser's search facility (a search for {{xt|Alzheimer's disease}} could fail to find {{!xt|Alzheimer’s disease}} and vice versa).
: Whenever quotation marks or apostrophes appear in article titles, make a redirect from the same title but using the alternative glyphs.

==== {{Anchor|LP|LQ|TQ}} Punctuation inside or outside ====
{{shortcut|MOS:LQ|WP:LQ}}
<!--EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: Discussions on this guideline may escalate into heated debate. Please consider raising any proposed changes for discussion on the talk page before editing.-->

On Wikipedia, place all [[punctuation mark]]s inside the quotation marks if they are part of the quoted material and outside if they are not. This practice is sometimes referred to as [[Quotation mark#Punctuation|logical punctuation]]. It is used here because it is deemed by Wikipedia consensus to be more in keeping with the principle of minimal change. This punctuation system does not require placing final periods and commas outside the quotation marks all the time but rather maintaining their original positions in (or absence from) the quoted material.

::{|style="background:transparent"
|rowspan=2 valign=top|''Correct'': || {{xt|Arthur said, "The situation is deplorable and unacceptable."}}
|-
|
:(The period is known to be in the source.)
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|''Correct'': || {{xt|Arthur said that the situation was "deplorable".}}
|-
|
:(The period is either known not to be in the source, its presence in the source is uncertain, or its coverage within the quotation is considered unnecessary.)
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|''Correct'': || {{xt|Martha asked, "Are you coming?"}}
|-
|
:(The question mark belongs inside because the quoted text itself was a question.)
|-
|rowspan=2 valign=top|''Correct'': || {{xt|Did Martha say, "Come with me"?}}
|-
|
:(The very quote is being questioned, so the question mark belongs outside; any punctuation at the end of the original quote is omitted.)
|}
: When quoting a sentence fragment that ends in a period, some judgment is required: if the fragment communicates a complete sentence, the period can be placed inside. The period should be omitted if the quotation is in the middle of a sentence.
::{|style="background:transparent"
|''Correct'': || {{xt|Martha said, "Come with me", and they did.}}
|}
: If the sequence of juxtaposed punctuation marks seems distracting or untidy, try an acceptable alternative.
::{|style="background:transparent"
|''Correct'': || {{xt|Martha said, "Come with me" (and they did).}}
|}

=== Brackets and parentheses ===
These rules apply to both round brackets (&nbsp;{{xt|(&nbsp;)}}&nbsp;), often called [[Bracket|parentheses]], and square brackets (&nbsp;{{xt|[&nbsp;]}}&nbsp;).

If a sentence contains a bracketed phrase, place the sentence punctuation outside the brackets {{xt|(as shown here).}} However, where one or more sentences are wholly inside brackets, place their punctuation inside the brackets. (For examples, see [[#Sentences and brackets|Sentences and brackets]], below.) There should be no space next to the inner side of a bracket. An opening bracket should be preceded by a space, except in unusual cases; for example, when it is preceded by an opening quotation mark, another opening bracket, or a portion of a word:
:{{xt2|He rose to address the meeting: "(Ahem)&nbsp;... Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!"}}
:{{xt2|Only the royal characters in the play ([Prince] Hamlet and his family) habitually speak in blank verse.}}
:{{xt2|We journeyed on the Inter[continental].}}
There should be a space after a closing bracket, except where a punctuation mark follows (though a spaced dash would still be spaced after a closing bracket), and in unusual cases similar to those listed for opening brackets.

If sets of brackets are nested, use different types for adjacent levels of nesting; for two levels, it is customary to have square brackets appear within round brackets. This is often a sign of excessively convoluted expression; it is often better to recast, linking the thoughts with commas, semicolons, colons, or dashes.

Avoid adjacent sets of brackets. Either put the parenthetic phrases in one set separated by commas, or rewrite the sentence:
:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{!xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919) (also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919), also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv, was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader. He was also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv.}}
|}
Square brackets are used to indicate editorial replacements and insertions within quotations, though this should never alter the intended meaning. They serve three main purposes:
* To clarify. ({{xt|She attended [secondary] school}}, where this was the intended meaning, but the type of school was unstated in the original sentence.)
* To reduce the size of a quotation. ({{xt|X contains Y, and under certain circumstances, X may contain Z as well}} may be reduced to {{xt|X contains Y [and sometimes Z]}}.) When an ellipsis (...) is used to indicate that material is removed from a direct quotation, it should not normally be bracketed (see [[#Ellipses|Ellipses]], below).
* To make the grammar work. (Referring to someone's statement {{xt|"I hate to do laundry"}}, one could properly write: {{xt|She "hate[s] to do laundry"}}.)

==== Sentences and brackets ====
* If any sentence includes material that is enclosed in square or round brackets, it still must end—with a period, or a question or exclamation mark—''after'' those brackets. This principle applies no matter what punctuation is used within the brackets:
::{{xt|She refused all requests (except for basics such as food, medicine, etc.).}}
* However, if the entire sentence is within brackets, the closing punctuation falls within the brackets. (This sentence is an example.) This does not apply to matter that is added (or modified editorially) at the beginning of a sentence for clarity, which is usually in square brackets:
::{{xt|"[Principal Skinner] already told me that", he objected.}}
:That is preferable to this, which is potentially ambiguous:
::{{!xt|"He already told me that", he objected.}}
:But even here consider an addition rather than a replacement of text:
::{{xt|"He [Principal Skinner] already told me that", he objected.}}
* A sentence that occurs within brackets in the course of another sentence does not generally have its first word capitalized just because it starts a sentence. The enclosed sentence may have a question mark or exclamation mark added, but not a period. See the indented example above, and also:
::{{xt|Alexander then conquered (who would have believed it?) most of the known world.}}
::{{xt|Clare demanded that he drive (she knew he hated driving) to the supermarket.}}
:It is often clearer to separate the thoughts into separate sentences or clauses:
::{{xt|Alexander then conquered  most of the known world. Who would have believed it?}}
::{{xt|Clare demanded that he drive to the supermarket; she knew he hated driving.}}

==== Brackets and linking ====
If the text of a link needs to contain one or more square brackets, "escape" these using {{tag|nowiki}} tags or the appropriate [[numerical character reference]].
{| class="wikitable"
| style="width:50%;" | <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">He said "I spoke to [[John Doe|John &amp;#91;Doe&amp;#93;]] that morning."</pre> ||
He said "I spoke to [[John Doe|John &#91;Doe&#93;]] that morning."
|-
| <pre style="margin:0px; white-space:normal;">*Branwen, Gwern (2009). [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2009-November/105182.html &lt;nowiki&gt;[WikiEN-l]&lt;/nowiki&gt; Chinese start caring about copyright].</pre> ||
* Branwen, Gwern (2009). [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2009-November/105182.html <nowiki>[WikiEN-l]</nowiki> Chinese start caring about copyright].
|}
If a URL itself contains square brackets, the wiki-text should use the url-encoded form: {{xt|1=<code>something.php?query=%5Bxxx%5Dxxx&whatever=else</code>}} rather than {{!xt|1=<code>query=[xxx]bar</code>}} to avoid truncating the link text after "xxx". Of course, this issue only arises for external links as MediaWiki software forbids square brackets in page titles.

=== Ellipses ===
{{shortcut|MOS:ELLIPSIS|WP:ELLIPSES|WP:ELLIPSIS}}
An [[ellipsis]] (plural ''ellipses'') is an omission of material from quoted text; or some other omission, perhaps of the end of a sentence, often used in a printed record of conversation. The ellipsis is represented by '''ellipsis points''': a set of three dots.
; Style
: Ellipsis points, or ''ellipses'', have traditionally been implemented in three ways:
:* ''Three unspaced periods'' ({{xt|...}}). This is the easiest way, and gives a predictable appearance in HTML. '''Recommended.'''
:* ''Pre-composed ellipsis character'' ({{!xt|…}}); generated with the <code>&amp;hellip;</code> character entity, or as a literal "…". This is harder to input and edit, and too small in some fonts. '''Not recommended.'''
:* ''Three spaced periods'' ({{!xt|.&nbsp;.&nbsp;.}}). This is an older style that is unnecessarily wide and requires non-breaking spaces to keep it from breaking at the end of a line. '''Not recommended.'''
; Function and implementation
: Use an ellipsis if material is omitted in the course of a quotation, unless square brackets are used to gloss the quotation (see [[#Brackets and parentheses|above]], and points below).
:* Put a space on each side of an ellipsis, except that there should be no space between an ellipsis and:
:** a quotation mark directly following the ellipsis
:** any (round, square, curly, etc.) bracket, where the ellipsis is on the inside
:** sentence-final punctuation, or a colon, semicolon, or comma (all rare), directly following the ellipsis
:* Only place [[#Terminal punctuation|terminal punctuation]] after an ellipsis if it is textually important (as is often the case with exclamation marks and question marks, and rarely with periods).
:* Use non-breaking spaces (<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>) only as needed to prevent improper line breaks, for example:
:** To keep a quotation mark from being separated from the start of the quotation ({{xt|"...<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>we are still worried"}}).
:** To keep the ellipsis from wrapping to the next line ({{xt|"France, Germany,<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>... and Belgium but not the USSR"}}).
; Pause or suspension of speech
: Three periods (loosely also called ''ellipsis points'') are occasionally used to represent a pause in or suspense of speech, in which case the punctuation is retained in its original form ({{xt|Virginia's startled reply was: "Could he&nbsp;...? No, I cannot believe it!"}}). Avoid this usage on Wikipedia, except in direct quotations.
; With square brackets
: An ellipsis does not normally need square brackets around it, because its function is usually obvious—especially if the guidelines above are followed. Square brackets, however, may optionally be used for precision, to make it clear that the ellipsis is not itself quoted; this is usually only necessary if the quoted passage also uses three periods in it to indicate a pause or suspension. The ellipsis should follow exactly the principles given above, but with square brackets inserted immediately before and after it ({{xt|Her long rant continued: "How do I feel? How do you ''think'' I&nbsp;... look, this has gone far enough!&nbsp;[...] I want to go home!"}}).

=== Commas ===
{{shortcut|MOS:COMMA|WP:COMMA}}
[[Comma]]s are the most frequently used marks in punctuation. They can also be the most difficult to use well. Some important points are made in the [[#Semicolons|Semicolons]] section below. Other points:

* Pairs of commas are often used to delimit parenthetic material, forming a parenthetical remark. This interrupts the sentence less than a parenthetical remark in (round) brackets or dashes. Do not be fooled by other punctuation, which can mask the need for a comma, especially when it collides with a bracket or parenthesis, as in this example:
:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'': ||{{!xt|Burke and Wills, fed by local Aborigines (on beans, fish, and "ngardu") survived for a few months.}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{xt|Burke and Wills, fed by local Aborigines (on beans, fish, and "ngardu"), survived for a few months.}}
|}

* On Wikipedia, place quotation marks in accordance with the UK-based [[logical punctuation]] system:
:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'': ||{{!xt|She said, "punctuation styles on Wikipedia change too often," as well as making other complaints.}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{xt|She said, "punctuation styles on Wikipedia change too often", as well as making other complaints.}}
|}

* Modern practice is against excessive use of commas; there are usually ways to simplify a sentence so that fewer are needed.
:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Awkward'': ||{{!xt|Mozart was, along with the Haydns, both Joseph and Michael, and also Beethoven, one of Schubert's heroes.}}
|-valign=top
|''Much better'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{xt|Schubert's heroes included Mozart, Beethoven, and Joseph and Michael Haydn.}}
|}

==== Serial commas ====
{{shortcut|MOS:SERIAL}}
A [[serial comma]] (also known as an ''Oxford comma'' or a ''Harvard comma'') is a comma used immediately before a conjunction in a list of three or more items: the phrase {{xt|ham, chips, and eggs}} includes a serial comma, while the variant {{xt|ham, chips and eggs}} omits it. Editors may use either convention on Wikipedia so long as each article is consistent within itself. However, there are some times when the serial comma can create or remove confusion:

Sometimes omitting the comma can lead to an ambiguous sentence, as in this example:
{{!xt|The author thanked her parents, Sinéad O'Connor and President Obama}}, which may list either four people (the two parents and the two people named) or two people (O'Connor and Obama, who are the parents).

Including the comma can also cause ambiguity, as in this example:
{{!xt|The author thanked her mother, Sinéad O'Connor, and President Obama}}, which may list either two people (O'Connor, who is the mother, and Obama) or three people (the first being the mother, the second O'Connor, and the third Obama).

In such cases of ambiguity, there are three ways to clarify:
* Use or omit the serial comma to avoid ambiguity.
* Recast the sentence.
* Format the list, such as with paragraph breaks and numbered paragraphs.

Recasting example one:
* To list four people: {{xt|The author thanked President Obama, Sinéad O'Connor, and her parents.}}
* To list two people (the commas here set off non-restrictive [[apposition|appositives]]): {{xt|The author thanked her father, President Obama, and her mother, Sinéad O'Connor.}}
** Clearer (but more wordy): {{xt|The author thanked her father and her mother, who are President Obama and Sinéad O'Connor respectively.}}

Recasting example two:
* To list two people: {{xt|The author thanked President Obama and her mother, Sinéad O'Connor.}}
* To list three people: {{xt|The author thanked her mother, President Obama, and Sinéad O'Connor.}}
*: The clarity of the last example depends on the reader's knowing that Obama is male and cannot be a mother. If we change the example slightly, we are back to an ambiguous statement: {{!xt|The author thanked her mother, Irish President Mary McAleese, and Sinéad O'Connor.}}
** Clearer: {{xt|The author thanked President Obama, Sinéad O'Connor, and her mother}}; or {{xt|The author thanked President Mary McAleese, Sinéad O'Connor, and her mother}}.

=== Colons ===
A [[Colon (punctuation)|colon]] ({{xt|:}}) informs the reader that what comes after it demonstrates, explains, or modifies what has come before, or is a list of items that has just been introduced. The items in such a list may be separated by commas; or, if they are more complex and perhaps themselves contain commas, the items should be separated by semicolons:

: {{xt|We visited several tourist attractions: the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which I thought could fall at any moment; the Bridge of Sighs; the supposed birthplace of Petrarch, or at least the first known house in which he lived; and so many more.}}

A colon may also be used to introduce [[Quote mark#Quotations and speech|direct speech]] enclosed within quotation marks (see [[#Quotation marks|above]]).

In most cases a colon works best with a complete grammatical sentence before it. There are exceptions, such as when the colon introduces items set off in new lines like the very next colon here. Examples:
:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|He attempted it in two years: 1941 and 1943.}}
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{!xt|The years he attempted it included: 1941 and 1943.}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct (special case)'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{xt|Spanish, Portuguese, French: these, with a few others, are the West Romance languages.}}
|}

Sometimes, more in American than British usage, the word following a colon is capitalized, if that word effectively begins a new grammatical sentence, and especially if the colon serves to introduce more than one sentence:

: {{xt|The argument is easily stated: We have been given only three tickets. There are four of us here: you, the twins, and me. The twins are inseparable. Therefore, you or I will have to stay home.}}

No sentence should contain more than one colon. There should never be a hyphen or a dash immediately following a colon. Only a single space follows a colon.

=== Semicolons ===
A [[semicolon]] ({{xt|;}}) is sometimes an alternative to a full stop (period), enabling related material to be kept in the same sentence; it marks a more decisive division in a sentence than a comma. If the semicolon separates clauses, normally each clause must be independent (meaning that it could stand on its own as a sentence); often, only a comma or only a semicolon will be correct in a given sentence.

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Though he had been here before, I did not recognize him.}}
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{!xt|Though he had been here before; I did not recognize him.}}
|}

Above, "Though he had been here before" cannot stand on its own as a sentence, and therefore is not an independent clause.

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Oranges are an acid fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline.}}
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{!xt|Oranges are an acid fruit, bananas are classified as alkaline.}}
|}

This incorrect use of a comma between two independent clauses is known as a [[comma splice]]; however, in very rare cases, a comma may be used where a semicolon would seem to be called for:

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Accepted'': ||{{xt|"Life is short, art is long."}} (citing a brief [[aphorism]]; see [[Ars longa, vita brevis]])
|-valign=top
|''Accepted'': ||{{xt|"I have studied it, you have not."}} (reporting brisk conversation, like this reply of [[Isaac Newton|Newton]]'s)
|}

A semicolon does not force a capital letter in the word that follows it.

A sentence may contain several semicolons, especially when the clauses are parallel; multiple unrelated semicolons are often signs that the sentence should be divided into shorter sentences, or otherwise refashioned.

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Unwieldy'': ||{{!xt|Oranges are an acid fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline; pears are close to neutral; these distinctions are rarely discussed.}}
|-valign=top
|''One better way'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{xt|Oranges are an acid fruit, bananas are alkaline, and pears are close to neutral; these distinctions are rarely discussed.}}
|}

==== Semicolon before "however" ====
{{shortcut|MOS:HOWEVERPUNC|WP:HOWEVERPUNC}}
The meaning of a sentence containing a trailing clause that starts with the word "however" depends on the punctuation preceding that word. A common error is to use the wrong punctuation, thereby changing the meaning to one not intended.

If used with the same meaning as "nevertheless", the word "however" should be preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma. Example:

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
| ||{{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people; however, they tried.}}
|-valign=top
|''Meaning'': ||{{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people. Nevertheless, they tried.}}
|}

If the word "however" in the sentence means "in whatever manner", or "regardless of how", it may be preceded by a comma but not by a semicolon, and should not be followed by punctuation. Example:

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
| ||{{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people, however they tried.}}
|-valign=top
|''Meaning'': ||{{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people, regardless of how they tried.}}
|}

In the first case, the clause that starts with "however" cannot be swapped with the first clause; in the second case this can be done without change of meaning:

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
| ||{{xt|However they tried, it was obvious they could not convert these people.}}
|-valign=top
|''Meaning'': ||{{xt|Regardless of how hard they tried, it was obvious they could not convert these people.}}
|}

If the two clauses cannot be swapped, a semicolon is required.

A sentence or clause can also contain the word "however" in the middle if it was moved there from the front. In that case it can be changed to "though", and it is not the start of a clause; in this use the word may be enclosed between commas. Example:

:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
| ||{{xt|He did not know, however, that the venue had been changed at the last minute.}}
|-valign=top
|''Meaning'': ||{{xt|However, he did not know that the venue had been changed at the last minute.}}
|}

=== Hyphens ===
{{dablink|For results of past discussions, see the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register#Hyphens|Register]].}}
Hyphens ({{xt|-}}) indicate conjunction. There are three main uses.
# To distinguish between '''homographs''' ({{xt|re-dress}} means ''dress again'', but {{xt|redress}} means ''remedy'' or ''set right'').
# To link certain '''prefixes''' with their main word ({{xt|non-linear}}, {{xt|sub-section}}, {{xt|super-achiever}}).
#* There is a clear trend to join both elements in all varieties of English ({{xt|subsection}}, {{xt|nonlinear}}), particularly in American English. British English tends to hyphenate when the letters brought into contact are the same ({{xt|non-negotiable}}, {{xt|sub-basement}}) or are vowels ({{xt|pre-industrial}}), or where a word is uncommon ({{xt|co-proposed}}, {{xt|re-target}}) or may be misread ({{xt|sub-era}}, not {{!xt|subera}}). American English reflects the same factors, but tends to close up without a hyphen when possible. Consult a good dictionary, and see ''[[#National varieties of English|National varieties of English]]'' above.
# To link related terms in '''compound modifiers''':<ref>Specifically, compound [[attributive]]s, which are modifiers of a noun that occur within the [[noun phrase]].</ref>
#* A hyphen can help with ease of reading ({{xt|face-to-face discussion}}, {{xt|hard-boiled egg}}); a hyphen is particularly useful in long [[noun phrase]]s where non-experts are part of the readership, such as in Wikipedia's scientific articles: {{xt|gas-phase reaction dynamics}}.
#* A hyphen can help to disambiguate ({{xt|little-celebrated paintings}} is not a reference to little paintings; {{xt|a government-monitoring program}} is a program that monitors the government, whereas {{xt|a government monitoring program}} is a government program that monitors something else).
#* Many compounds that are hyphenated when used attributively (before the noun they qualify: {{xt|a light-blue handbag}}), are not hyphenated when used predicatively (separated from the noun: {{xt|the handbag was light blue}}). Hyphenation also occurs in proper names, such as {{xt|Great Black-backed Gull}}. Where there would be a loss of clarity, the hyphen may be used in the predicative case as well ({{xt|hand-fed turkeys}}, {{xt|the turkeys were hand-fed}}).
#* A hyphen is not used after a standard ''-ly'' adverb ({{xt|a newly available home}}, {{xt|a wholly owned subsidiary}}) unless part of a larger compound ({{xt|a slowly-but-surely strategy}}). A few words ending in {{xt|-ly}} function as both adjectives and adverbs ({{xt|a kindly-looking teacher}}; {{xt|a kindly provided facility}}). Some such dual-purpose words (like {{xt|early}}, {{xt|only}}, {{xt|northerly}}) are not standard {{xt|-ly}} adverbs, since they are not formed by addition of {{xt|-ly}} to an independent current-English adjective. These need careful treatment: {{xt|Early flowering plants evolved along with sexual reproduction}}, but {{xt|Early-flowering plants risk damage from winter frosts}}; {{xt|northerly-situated islands}}.
#* A hyphen is normally used when the adverb ''well'' precedes a participle used attributively ({{xt|a well-meaning gesture}}; but normally {{xt|a very well managed firm}}, since ''well'' itself is modified); and even predicatively, if {{xt|well}} is necessary to, or alters, the sense of the adjective rather than simply intensifying it ({{xt|the gesture was well-meaning}}, {{xt|the child was well-behaved}}, but {{xt|the floor was well polished}}).
#* In some cases, like {{xt|diode–transistor logic}}, the independent status of the linked elements requires an en dash instead of a hyphen. See [[#En dashes|En dashes]] below.
#* A ''hanging hyphen'' is used when two compound modifiers are separated ({{xt|two- and three-digit numbers}}, {{xt|a ten-car or -truck convoy}}, {{xt|sloping right- or leftward}}, but better is {{xt|sloping rightward or leftward}}).
#* Values and units used as compound modifiers are hyphenated only where the unit is given as a whole word; when the unit symbol is used, it is separated from the number by a non-breaking space (<code>&amp;nbsp;</code>).
:::{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'': ||{{!xt|9-mm gap}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|9&nbsp;mm gap}} (entered as <code>9&amp;nbsp;mm gap</code>)
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{!xt|9&nbsp;millimetre gap}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|9-millimetre gap}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|12-hour shift}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'': ||{{xt|12&nbsp;h shift}}
|}

'''Multi-hyphenated items:''' It is often possible to avoid multi-word hyphenated modifiers by rewording ({{xt|a four-CD soundtrack album}} may be easier to read as {{xt|a soundtrack album of four CDs}}). This is particularly important where converted units are involved ({{xt|the 6-hectare-limit (14.8-acre-limit) rule}} might be possible as {{xt|the rule imposing a limit of 6 hectares (14.8 acres)}}, and the ungainly {{!xt|4.9-mile (7.9&nbsp;km) -long tributary}} as simply {{xt|4.9-mile (7.9&nbsp;km) tributary}}).

'''Spacing:''' A hyphen is never followed or preceded by a space, except when hanging (see above) or when used to display parts of words independently, such as the prefix {{xt|sub-}} and the suffix {{xt|-less}}.

'''Image filenames and redirects:''' Image filenames are not part of encyclopedic content; they're tools. They are most useful tools if they can be readily typed, so they always use hyphens instead of dashes. Similarly, article titles with dashes should have a corresponding redirect from the title with hyphens: for example, {{xt|[[Michelson-Morley experiment]]}} redirects to {{xt|[[Michelson–Morley experiment]]}}, as the latter title, while correct, is harder to search for.

Hyphenation involves many subtleties that cannot be covered here; the rules and examples presented above illustrate the broad principles that inform current usage.

=== Dashes ===
{{shortcut|MOS:DASH|WP:DASH}}

Two forms of dash are used on Wikipedia: '''[[en dash]]''' (–) and '''[[em dash]]''' (—). Type them in as <code>&amp;ndash;</code> (–) and <code>&amp;mdash;</code> (—) or click on them to the right of the "Insert" tab under the edit window; or see [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:How to make dashes|How to make dashes]].
* When [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles|naming an article]], do not use a hyphen as a substitute for an en dash that properly belongs in the title, for example in [[Eye–hand span]]. To aid searching and linking, provide a redirect from the corresponding article title with hyphens in place of en dashes, as in [[Eye-hand span]].

Sources use dashes in varying ways, but for consistency and clarity Wikipedia adopts the following principles.

==== Punctuating a sentence (em or en dashes) ====
{{shortcut|MOS:EMDASH|WP:EMDASH|WP:MDASH|}}

Dashes are often used to mark divisions within a sentence: in pairs (''parenthetical dashes'', instead of parentheses or pairs of commas); or singly (perhaps instead of a colon). They may also indicate an abrupt stop or interruption, in reporting direct speech.

There are two options. Use one or the other consistently in an article.

;1. Unspaced em dash
* {{xt|Another "planet" was detected—but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}

Or:

;2. Spaced en dash
* {{xt|Another "planet" was detected&nbsp;– but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}

Do not use spaced em dashes.
* {{!xt|Another "planet" was detected&nbsp;— but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}

Dashes can clarify the sentence structure when there are already commas or parentheses, or both.
* {{xt|We read them in chronological order: Descartes, Locke, Hume—but not his ''Treatise'' (it is too complex)—and Kant.}}

Use dashes sparingly. More than two in a single sentence makes the structure unclear; it takes time for the reader to see which dashes, if any, form a pair.
* {{xt|The birds—at least the ones Darwin collected—had red and blue feathers.}}
* {{xt|"Where is the—", she said, but then realized she held it in her hand.}}
* Avoid: {{!xt|First in the procession—and most spectacularly—came the bishops—then the other clergy.}}

{{anchor|En dashes}}

==== En dashes: other uses ====
{{shortcut|MOS:ENDASH|MOS:NDASH|WP:ENDASH|WP:NDASH}}

The [[en dash]] (–) has other roles, beyond its use as a sentence-punctuating dash (see immediately above). It is often analogous to the hyphen (see the section [[#Hyphens|above]]), which ''joins components'' more strongly than the en dash; or the slash (see the section [[#Slashes|below]]), which ''separates alternatives'' more definitely. Consider the exact meaning when choosing which to use.

;1. In ranges that might otherwise be expressed with ''to'' or ''through''
* {{xt|pp.&nbsp;211–19}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|64–75%}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the 1939–45 war}}
Do not mix en dashes with prepositions like ''between'' and ''from''.
* {{xt|450–500 people}}
* {{xt|between 450 and 500 people}}, not {{!xt|between 450–500 people}}
* {{xt|from 450 to 500 people}}, not {{!xt|from 450–500 people}}
If negative values are involved, an en dash might be confusing. Use words instead.
* {{xt|−10 to 10}}, not {{!xt|−10–10}}
* {{xt|the drop in temperature was from 5° to −13°}}, not {{!xt|the drop in temperature was 5°–−13°}}

The en dash in a range is always unspaced, except when the endpoints of the range already include at least one space.
* {{xt|23&nbsp;July 1790&nbsp;– 1&nbsp;December 1791}}, not {{!xt|23&nbsp;July 1790–1&nbsp;December 1791}}
* {{xt|14&nbsp;May&nbsp;– 2&nbsp;August 2011}}, not {{!xt|14&nbsp;May–2&nbsp;August 2011}}
* {{xt|10:30&nbsp;pm Tuesday&nbsp;– 1:25&nbsp;am Wednesday}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|Christmas Day&nbsp;– New Year's Eve}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|Christmas 2001&nbsp;– Easter 2002}}
* {{xt|1–17 September}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|February–October 2009}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|1492?&nbsp;– 7&nbsp;April 1556}}
* {{xt|Best absorbed were wavelengths in the range 28&nbsp;mm&nbsp;– 17&nbsp;m.}}

;2. In compounds when the connection might otherwise be expressed with ''to'', ''versus'', ''and'', or ''between''
Here the relationship is thought of as parallel, symmetric, equal, oppositional, or at least involving ''separate or independent elements''. The components may be nouns, adjectives, verbs, or any other independent part of speech. Often if the components are reversed there would be little change of meaning.
* {{xt|boyfriend–girlfriend problems}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Paris–Montpellier route}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a New York–Los Angeles flight}}
* {{xt|iron–cobalt interactions}}; the components are parallel and reversible; iron and cobalt retain their identity
* Wrong: {{!xt|an iron–roof shed}}; ''iron'' modifies ''roof'', so use a hyphen: {{xt|an iron-roof shed}}
* Wrong: {{!xt|the poet's mentor–muse}}; not separate persons, so use a hyphen: {{xt|the poet's mentor-muse}}
* {{xt|red–green colorblind}}; red and green are separate independent colors, not mixed
* Wrong: {{!xt|blue–green algae}}; a blended, intermediate color, so use a hyphen: {{xt|blue-green algae}}
* Wrong: {{!xt|Franco–British rivalry}}; "Franco" is a ''combining form'', not independent; use a hyphen: {{xt|Franco-British rivalry}}
* {{xt|France–Britain rivalry}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|French–British rivalry}}
* {{xt|a 51–30 win}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a six–two majority decision}}
* {{xt|an Italian–Swiss border crossing}}; but {{xt|an Italian-Swiss newspaper}}, for Italian-speaking Swiss
* {{xt|Japanese–American trade}}; but {{xt|a family of Japanese-Americans}} (or {{xt|a family of Japanese Americans}})
* {{xt|the Uganda–Tanzania War}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Roman–Syrian War}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the east–west runway}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Lincoln–Douglas debates}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a carbon–carbon bond}}
* {{xt|diode–transistor logic}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the analog–digital distinction}}&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|push–pull output}}&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|on–off switch}}
* {{xt|a pro-establishment–anti-intellectual alliance}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|Singapore–Sumatra–Java shipping lanes}}
* {{xt|the ballerina's rapid walk–dance transitions}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a male–female height ratio of 1.14}}
A slash or some other alternative may occasionally be better to express a ratio, especially in technical contexts (see [[#Slashes|Slashes]] below).
* {{xt|the protein–fat ratio}},&nbsp; or&nbsp; {{xt|the protein/fat ratio}},&nbsp; or&nbsp; {{xt|the protein-to-fat ratio}}
An en dash is not used for a hyphenated personal name.
* {{xt|Lennard-Jones potential}} with a hyphen: named after John Lennard-Jones
An en dash ''is'' used for the names of two or more people in a compound.
* {{xt|the Seifert–van Kampen theorem}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Seeliger–Donker-Voet scheme}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Alpher–Bethe–Gamow theory}}
* {{xt|Comet Hale–Bopp}} or just {{xt|Hale–Bopp}} (discovered by Hale and Bopp)
By default, follow the dominant convention that a hyphen is used in compounded proper names of single entities, not an en dash.
* {{xt|Guinea-Bissau}}; Bissau is the capital, and this distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea
* {{xt|McGraw-Hill}}, a publishing house

The en dash in all of the compounds above is unspaced.

;3. Instead of a hyphen, when applying a prefix to a compound that includes a space
* {{xt|ex–prime minister Thatcher}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|pre–World War II aircraft}}
Use this punctuation when there are compelling grounds for retaining the construction. For example, from a speech that is simply transcribed and cannot be re-worded; or in a heading where it has been judged most natural as a common name. Otherwise recasting is better.
* Keep: [[Post–September 11 anti-war movement]]; [[Trans–New Guinea languages]] (existing Wikipedia articles)
* Best to recast the examples shown above: {{xt|former prime minister Thatcher}}; {{xt|aircraft before World War II}}
* Very awkward: {{!xt|the mother had post–difficult birth health problems}}; recast as {{xt|the mother had health problems after a difficult birth}}

The en dash in all of the compounds above is unspaced.

;4. To separate items in certain lists
Spaced en dashes are used within parts of certain lists. Here are two examples:
* Pairing performers with instruments.
** {{xt|James Galway&nbsp;– flute; Anne-Sophie Mutter&nbsp;– violin; Maurizio Pollini&nbsp;– piano.}}
* Showing track durations on a CD.
** {{xt|The future&nbsp;– 7:21; Ain't no cure for love&nbsp;– 6:17; Bird on the wire&nbsp;– 6:14.}}

==== Other dashes ====
Do not use substitutes for em or en dashes, such as the combination of two hyphens ({{!xt|--}}). These were [[Typewriter#Typewriter conventions|typewriter approximations]].

=== Slashes ===
{{shortcut|MOS:SLASH|WP:SLASH}}
Generally avoid joining two words by a [[Slash (punctuation)|slash]], also known as a forward slash or ''solidus'' ({{xt|&nbsp;/&nbsp;}}). It suggests that the two are related, but does not specify how. It is often also unclear how the construct would be read aloud. Replace with clearer wording.

An example: {{!xt|The parent/instructor must be present at all times.}} Must both be present? (Then write {{xt|the parent and the instructor}}.) Must at least one be present? (Then write {{xt|the parent or the instructor}}.) Are they the same person? (Use a hyphen: {{xt|the parent-instructor}}.)

In circumstances involving a distinction or disjunction, the en dash (see above) is usually preferable to the slash: {{xt|the digital–analog distinction}}.

An unspaced slash may be used:
* to indicate [[phonemic]] [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (pronunciation)|pronunciations]] ({{xt|''ribald'' is pronounced {{IPA|/ˈrɪbəld/}}}})
* to separate the numerator and denominator in a fraction ({{xt|7/8}} or {{xt|{{frac|7|8}}}})
* to indicate regular defined yearly periods that do not coincide with calendar years ({{xt|the 2009/10 academic year}}, {{xt|the 2010/11 hockey season}}; see [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)#Longer periods]])
* where a slash occurs in a phrase widely used outside Wikipedia, and a different construction would be inaccurate, unfamiliar, or ambiguous

A spaced slash may be used:
* to separate run-in lines when quoting poetry or song ({{xt|To be or not to be: that is the question:&nbsp;/ Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer&nbsp;/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune}}), or rarely when quoting prose, where careful marking of a paragraph break is textually important
* to separate items that include at least one internal space ({{xt|the NY&nbsp;31 east&nbsp;/ NY&nbsp;370 exit}}), where for some reason use of a slash is unavoidable

Spaced slashes should be coded with a leading non-breaking space and a trailing normal space, as in <code>x&amp;nbsp;/ y</code> (which renders as {{xt|x&nbsp;/ y}}), to prevent improper line breaks.

Do not use the [[backslash]] character ({{!xt|&nbsp;\&nbsp;}}) in place of a slash.

Prefer the division operator ({{xt|&nbsp;÷&nbsp;}}) to ({{xt|&nbsp;/&nbsp;}}) when representing elementary arithmetic in general prose: {{xt|{{nowrap|10 ÷ 2 {{=}} 5}}}}. In more advanced mathematical formulas, a [[Vinculum (symbol)|vinculum]] or slash is preferred: <math>\textstyle\frac{x^n}{n!}</math> or {{xt|''x''<sup>''n''</sup>/''n''!}}. (See [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)#Common mathematical symbols]] and [[সহায়:Displaying a formula]].)

==== And/or ====
{{shortcut|MOS:ANDOR|WP:ANDOR}}
Avoid the construct ''[[and/or]]'' on Wikipedia. In general, where it is important to mark an [[inclusive or]], use {{xt|x or y, or both}}, rather than {{!xt|x and/or y}}. For an [[exclusive or]], use {{xt|either x or y}}, and optionally add {{xt|but not both}}, if it is necessary to stress the exclusivity.

Where more than two possibilities are presented, from which a combination is to be selected, it is even less desirable to use {{xt|and/or}}. With two possibilities, at least the intention is clear; but with more than two it may not be<!-- (see ''The Cambridge Guide to English Usage'', 2004, p. 38)-->. Instead of {{!xt|x, y, and/or z}}, use an appropriate alternative, such as {{xt|one or more of x, y, and z}}; {{xt|some or all of x, y, and z}}.

Sometimes ''or'' is ambiguous in another way: {{!xt|Wild dogs, or dingoes, inhabit this stretch of land}}. Are wild dogs and dingoes the same or different? For one case write: {{xt|wild dogs (dingoes) inhabit&nbsp;...}} (meaning dingoes ''are'' wild dogs); for the other case write: {{xt|either wild dogs or dingoes inhabit&nbsp;...}}.

=== Number signs ===
{{shortcut|MOS:NUMBERSIGN|MOS:NUMERO|MOS:HASH}}
* Avoid using the [[octothorpe|#]] symbol (known as the [[number sign]], hash sign, or pound sign) when referring to numbers or rankings. Instead use the word "number", or the abbreviation "No." For example:
:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'':&nbsp; &nbsp;||{{!xt|Her album reached #1 in the UK album charts.}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'':               ||{{xt|Her album reached No. 1 in the UK album charts.}}
|}

*Do not use the symbol [[Numero sign|№]].

=== Terminal punctuation ===
{{Shortcut|MOS:FULLSTOP|MOS:EXCLAMATION}}
* [[Full stop|Periods]] (also called "full stops"), [[question mark]]s, and [[exclamation mark]]s are [[terminal punctuation]], the only punctuation marks used to end sentences in English.
* In some contexts, no terminal punctuation is necessary. In such cases, the sentence often does not start with a capital letter. See [[#Quotations|Quotations]], [[#Quotation marks|Quotation marks]], and [[#Sentences and brackets|Sentences and brackets]], above. Sentence fragments in captions or lists should in most cases not end with a period. See [[#Formatting of captions|Formatting of captions]] and [[#Bulleted and numbered lists|Bulleted and numbered lists]] below.
* For the use of three periods in succession, see [[#Ellipses|Ellipses]], above.
* Clusters of question marks, exclamation marks, or a combination of them (such as the [[interrobang]]), are highly informal and inappropriate in Wikipedia articles.
* Use the exclamation mark with restraint. It is an expression of surprise or emotion that is generally unsuited to a scholarly or encyclopedic [[register (sociolinguistics)|register]].
* Question marks and exclamation marks may sometimes be used in the middle of a sentence:
**{{xt|Why me? she wondered.}}
**{{xt|The Homeric question is not ''Did Homer write the Iliad?'' but ''How did the Iliad come into being?'', as we have now come to realize.}}
**{{xt|The door flew open with a BANG! that made them jump.}} [Not encyclopedic, but acceptable in transcription from audio, or in direct quotation.]

=== Spacing ===
{{shortcut|MOS:PUNCTSPACE}}
In normal prose, never place a space before commas, semicolons, colons, or terminal punctuation, but place a space after them.

==== Spaces following terminal punctuation ====
The number of spaces following the terminal punctuation of a sentence in the wiki markup makes no difference on Wikipedia because the MediaWiki software condenses any number of spaces to just one when rendering the page (see [[Sentence spacing]]). For this reason, editors may use any spacing style they prefer on Wikipedia. Multiple spacing styles may coexist in the same article, and adding or removing a double space is sometimes used as a [[সহায়:dummy edit|dummy edit]].

=== Consecutive punctuation marks ===
{{Shortcut|MOS:CONSECUTIVE}}
Where a proper noun that includes terminal punctuation ends a sentence, do not add a second terminal punctuation mark. Where such a noun occurs mid-sentence, punctuation may be added.
:{|style="background:transparent"
|-valign=top
|''Incorrect'':||{{!xt|Slovak returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985 after growing tired of What Is This?.}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'':||{{xt|Slovak returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985 after growing tired of What Is This?}}
|-valign=top
|''Correct'':||{{xt|Slovak, growing tired of What Is This?, returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1985.}}
|}

=== Punctuation and footnotes ===
{{shortcut|MOS:PAIC|WP:PAIC}}
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (footnotes)#Ref tags, spacing and punctuation}}
Where footnotes (ref tags) are adjacent to punctuation such as a comma or period, place them ''after'' the punctuation, with no intervening space:
{{xt2|The Sun's diameter is about 1,400,000 kilometres,<code>&lt;ref&gt;</code>Miller, E: <nowiki>' 'The Sun' '</nowiki>, page 23. Academic Press, 2005.<code>&lt;/ref&gt;</code> which dwarfs that of the Moon.<code>&lt;ref&gt;</code><nowiki>Brown, R: "Size of the Moon", ' 'Scientific American' ', 51(78):46.</nowiki><code>&lt;/ref&gt;</code>}}

This will yield:

The Sun's diameter is about 1,400,000 kilometres,<sup id="nbFoot01a" class="reference">[[#noteFoot01a|[1]]]</sup> which dwarfs that of the Moon.<sup id="nbFoot02a" class="reference">[[#noteFoot02a|[2]]]</sup>

and in the '''Notes''' section below:
<ol class="references">
<li id="noteFoot01a"
>'''[[#nbFoot01a|^]]''' Miller, E: ''The Sun'', page 23. Academic Press, 2005.</li>
<li id="noteFoot02a"
>'''[[#nbFoot02a|^]]''' Brown, R: "Size of the Moon", ''Scientific American'', 51(78):46.</li>
</ol>

Punctuation marks that are exceptions to this principle include dashes, as well as some phrases within parentheses. For details, see [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (footnotes)#Ref tags, spacing and punctuation|Ref tags, spacing and punctuation]] on the footnotes style page.

=== Punctuation after formulae ===
A sentence that ends with a formula should have terminal punctuation (period, exclamation mark, or question mark) after the formula. Within a sentence, other punctuation (such as comma or colon) is used after a formula just as it would be if the text were not a formula. See [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (mathematics)#Punctuation after formulae]].

== Chronological items ==
{{Main|Wikipedia: Manual of Style (dates and numbers)#Chronological items|l1=WP:MOSNUM#Chronological items}}

The principles behind the writing of a date or a time are:
*The use of precise language
*The use of consistent language
*Accommodation of differences between various English-speaking cultures.

The MoS clarifies a number of situations including, but not limited to:
*Expressions such as that should be avoided, for example "currently" as they will cease to be valid as time passes.
*The consistent use of the 12-hour and 24-hour clocks and their associated quirks.
*The consistent presentation of dates and of date or year ranges, allowing for difference between the British and American styles of date and month ordering.
*How and when to use seasons to denote time of year, taking into account differences between northern and southern hemispheres differences. 
*Whether Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44&nbsp;BC, 44BC, 44&nbsp;B.C., 44&nbsp;BCE, 44BCE or 44&nbsp;B.C.E.
*When to use "1993/4" and "1993-4". 
*The use of the Julian, Gregorian, Roman, Arabic, Hebrew and other calendars.  
*The use of time zones.

== Numbers ==
{{see also|WP:MOSNUM#Numbers}}
<span id="Spelling out numbers" ></span><!--This span preserved an old heading name so that #-links still have valid targets.-->

The principles behind the writing of a number are:

*The use of consistent notation
*Accommodation of differences between various English-speaking cultures

MOSNUM clarifies a number of situations including:
*When to write integer numbers out in full and when to use Arabic numerals
*When to write fractional numbers in full and how to format [[vulgar fraction]]s
*How to write and format numbers that use scientific notation 
*Which decimal delimiter to use
*When and how to use a thousands delimiter in numbers that have many digits
*How to use and abbreviate the words "million", "billion", and "trillion"
*How to write percentages: choosing between "3%", "3 per cent", "three %", "three percent"
*How to present measurement uncertainties
*When and how to use the [[South Asian numbering system]] ([[lakh]] and [[crore]])
*When to use dollars, pounds or euros and when to use local currencies
*How to write and format sums of money, taking into account different currencies, both current and obsolete
*How to write and format geographical coordinates

== Currencies ==
{{see also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)#Currencies}}
*In non-country-specific articles, express amounts of money in [[United States dollars]], [[euros]], ''or'' [[pounds sterling]]. Do not link the names or symbols of currencies that are commonly known to English-speakers ({{xt|$}}, {{xt|£}}, {{xt|€}}), unless there is a particular reason to do so; do not use currency symbols which may be ambiguous, unless they are clear from the context of the article.
*In country-specific articles, use the currency of the country. On first occurrence, consider including an approximate conversion to a major reserve currency such as U.S. dollars, euros, pounds: for example, {{xt|Since 2001 the grant has been 10,000,000 [[Swedish krona|Swedish kronor]] (approx. US$1.4M as at August 2009)}}, alternatively: {{xt|Since 2001 the grant has been 10,000,000 [[Swedish krona|Swedish kronor]] (approx. €1.0M as at August 2009)}}.
*Generally, use the full name of a currency, and link it, on its first appearance if English-speakers are likely to be unfamiliar with it ({{xt|52 [[Nepalese rupee]]s}}); subsequent occurrences can use the currency sign (just {{xt|88 Rs}}).
*Most currency signs are placed ''before'' the number; they are unspaced ({{xt|$123}}), except for alphabetic signs ({{xt|R&nbsp;75}}).

== Units of measurement ==
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)#Units of measurement|l1=WP:MOSNUM#Units of measurement}}
The use of units of measurement is guided by the following principles:
* Avoid ambiguity: Aim to write so you cannot be misunderstood.
* Familiarity: The less readers have to look up definitions, the easier it is to be understood.
* International scope: Wikipedia is not country-specific; apart from some regional or historical topics, use the units in most widespread use worldwide for the type of measurement in question.

The articles that deal specifically with units of measurement, their names and their symbols address a number of situations including:
*[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Which units to use|Which units to use]]: metric, imperial/US or both 
*[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Unit_conversions|How to write supplementary units]]; for example, whether to write 
:"The African elephant is 4 m at the shoulder" 
:"The African elephant is 4 m (13 ft) at the shoulder"
:"The African elephant is 13 ft (4 m) at the shoulder" or
:"The African elephant is 13 ft at the shoulder"
*[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Avoiding_ambiguities|Dealing with ambiguities]]; for example, is that gallon a US gallon or an imperial gallon? 
*[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Unnecessary vagueness|Use of quantitative information]] such as 4&nbsp;metres or 13&nbsp;ft rather than qualitative information such as "big", "small" etc.
*[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Unit names and symbols|Presenting unit names and symbols]] in a consistent manner.
*[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Quantities of bytes and bits|Presentation of digital quantities]] (bit, byte) that are used in the information technology industry.
*[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Adopting suggestions from standards bodies|Following conventions]] laid down by standards bodies such as ISO.

In instances where these principles appear to conflict with one another, consult other editors on the article's talk page and try to reach consensus.

== Common mathematical symbols ==
{{see also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (mathematics)}}
*For a negative sign or subtraction operator, use a minus sign ({{xt|−}}), Unicode character U+2212 <small>MINUS SIGN</small>. Input by clicking on it in the insert box beneath the edit window or by typing <code>&amp;minus;</code>.
* For a multiplication sign between numbers, use {{xt|×}}, which is input by clicking on it in the edit toolbox under the edit window or by typing <code>&amp;times;</code>.  However, the unspaced letter {{xt|x}} is accepted as a substitute for ''by'' in such terms as {{xt|4x4}}.
* [[Exponentiation]] is indicated using a superscript, {{xt|''a<sup>n''</sup>}} (typed as <code><nowiki>a<sup>n</sup></nowiki></code>). [[Exponential notation]] can be spaced or unspaced, depending on circumstances.
* Do not use programming language notation outside computer program listings.  In most programming languages, subtraction, multiplication, and exponentiation are respectively represented by the [[hyphen-minus]] <code>-</code>, the [[asterisk]] <code>*</code>, and the [[caret]] or double asterisk <code>^</code> or <code>**</code>, and [[scientific notation]] is replaced by [[E notation]].
* Symbols for [[binary operator]]s and [[binary relation|relations]] are spaced on both sides:
** plus, minus, and plus-or-minus (as binary operators): {{xt|+}}, {{xt|−}}, {{xt|±}} (as in {{xt|5&nbsp;−&nbsp;3}});
** multiplication and division: {{xt|×}}, {{xt|÷}};
** equals, does not equal, equals approximately: {{xt|{{=}}}}, {{xt|≠}}, {{xt|≈}};
** is less than, is less than or equal to, is greater than, is greater than or equal to: {{xt|<}}, {{xt|≤}}, {{xt|>}}, {{xt|≥}}.
* Symbols for [[unary operator]]s are closed-up to their operand:
** positive, negative, and positive-or-negative signs: {{xt|+}}, {{xt|−}}, {{xt|±}} (as in {{xt|−3}});
** other unary operators, such as the exclamation mark as a [[factorial]] sign (as in {{xt|5!}}).

== Grammar ==
=== Possessives ===
{{shortcut|MOS:POSS}}
''For the apostrophe character, see [[#Apostrophes]] above. For thorough treatment of the English possessive see [[Apostrophe]].''

;Singular nouns
*For the possessive of most singular nouns, add '''s'' ({{xt|my daughter's achievement}}, {{xt|my niece's wedding}}, {{xt|Cortez's men}}, {{xt|the boss's wife}}, {{xt|Glass's books}}, {{xt|Illinois's largest employer}}, {{xt|Descartes's philosophy}}, {{xt|Verreaux's eagle}}). Exception: abstract nouns ending with an /s/ sound,  when followed by ''sake'' ({{xt|for goodness' sake}}, {{xt|for his conscience' sake}}).
*For the possessive of singular nouns ending with just one ''s'' (sounded as /s/ or /z/), there are three practices:
*# Add '''s'': {{xt|James's house}}, {{xt|Sam Hodges's son}}, {{xt|Jan Hus's life}}, {{xt|Vilnius's location}}, {{xt|Brahms's music}}, {{xt|Dickens's novels}}, {{xt|Morris's works}}, {{xt|the bus's old route}}.
*# Add just an apostrophe: {{xt|James' house}}, {{xt|Sam Hodges' son}}, {{xt|Jan Hus' life}}, {{xt|Vilnius' location}}, {{xt|Brahms' music}}, {{xt|Dickens' novels}}, {{xt|Morris' works}}, {{xt|the bus' old route}}.
*# Add either '''s'' or just an apostrophe, according to how the possessive is pronounced:
*#* Add only an apostrophe if the possessive is pronounced the same way as the non-possessive name: {{xt|Sam Hodges' son}}, {{xt|Moses' leadership}};
*#* Add '''s'' if the possessive has an additional {{IPA-en|<s>ɪ</s>z|}} at the end: {{xt|Jan Hus's life}}, {{xt|Morris's works}}.
*#* Some possessives have two possible pronunciations: {{xt|James's house}} or {{xt|James' house}}, {{xt|Brahms's music}} or {{xt|Brahms' music}}, {{xt|Vilnius's location}} or {{xt|Vilnius' location}}, {{xt|Dickens's novels}} or {{xt|Dickens' novels}}.
* Apply just ''one'' of these three practices consistently within an article. If the third practice is used and there is disagreement over the pronunciation of a possessive, the choice should be discussed and then that possessive adopted consistently in an article. (Possessives of certain classical and biblical names may have traditional pronunciations which may be deemed as taking precedence: {{xt|Jesus' answer}} and {{xt|Xerxes' expeditions}}, but {{xt|Zeus's anger}}; and in some cases—particularly possessives of inanimate objects—rewording may be an option: {{xt|the location of Vilnius}}, {{xt|the old bus route}}, {{xt|the moons of Mars}}.)

;Plural nouns
*For  a normal plural noun, ending with a pronounced ''s'', form the possessive by adding just an apostrophe ({{xt|my sons' wives}}, {{xt|my nieces' weddings}}).
*For a plural noun ''not'' ending with a pronounced ''s'', add '''s'' ({{xt|women's careers}}, {{xt|people's habits}}, {{xt|the mice's whiskers}}; {{xt|The two Dumas's careers were controversial}}, but where rewording is an option, this may be better: {{xt|The career of each Dumas was controversial}}).

;Official names
*Official names (of companies, organizations, or places) should not be altered ({{xt|[[St Thomas' Hospital]]}} should therefore ''not'' be rendered as {{!xt|St Thomas's Hospital}}, even for consistency).

;Pronouns
*The possessive ''its'' ({{xt|the dog chased its tail}}) has no apostrophe. (''It's'' is the short form of ''it is'' or ''it has'':  {{xt|it's a nice day}}, {{xt|it's been a nice day}}.) ''Hers'', ''ours'', ''yours'', ''theirs'', and ''whose'' likewise lack apostrophes. Possessives of non-personal pronouns such as ''everyone'' are formed as if they were nouns ({{xt|everyone's mother}}, {{xt|nobody's hat}}, {{xt|anyone else's opinion}}, {{xt|the others' husbands}}).

=== First-person pronouns ===
{{shortcut|MOS:FIRSTPERSON|WP:FIRSTPERSON}}
Wikipedia articles must not be based on one person's opinions or experiences, so never use ''I'', ''my'', or similar forms (except in quotations).

Also avoid ''we'', ''us'', and ''our'': {{!xt|We should note that some critics have argued in favor of our proposal}} (personal rather than encyclopedic). But these forms are acceptable in certain figurative uses. For example:
* In historical articles to mean the modern world as a whole: {{xt|The text of ''De re publica'' has come down to us with substantial sections missing.}}
* The author's ''we'' found in scientific writing: {{xt|We are thus led also to a definition of "time" in physics}} (Albert Einstein); {{xt|Throughout the proof of this theorem we assume that the function ''ƒ'' is uniformly continuous}}. Often rephrasing is preferable: {{xt|Throughout the proof of this theorem it is assumed that the function ''ƒ'' is uniformly continuous.}}

=== Second-person pronouns ===
{{shortcut|MOS:YOU|WP:YOU}}
Do not use the second person (''you'', ''your''); it is often ambiguous and contrary to the tone of an encyclopedia (see also [[#Instructional and presumptuous language|Instructional and presumptuous language]], below).
* Use the third person (a noun, or ''he'', ''one'', etc.): instead of {{!xt|When you move past "Go", you collect $200}}, use {{xt|When players pass "Go", they collect $200}}, or {{xt|A player passing "Go" collects $200.}}
* The [[English passive voice|passive voice]] may sometimes be used instead: {{xt|When "Go" is passed, $200 is collected}}.

=== Plurals ===
{{shortcut|MOS:PLURALS|WP:PLURALS}}
{{see also|English plurals|Collective noun}}
{{for|the page title guideline|WP:SINGULAR}}
Use the appropriate plural; allow for cases (such as ''[[excursus]]'' or ''[[hanif]]'') in which a word is now listed in major English dictionaries, and normally takes an ''s'' or ''es'' plural, not its original plural: {{xt|two excursuses}}, not {{!xt|two excursus}} as in Latin; {{xt|two hanifs}}, not {{!xt|two hanufa}} as in Arabic.

Some [[collective nouns]]—such as ''army'', ''company'', ''crowd'', ''fleet'', ''government'', ''majority'', ''mess'', ''number'', ''pack'', and ''party''—may refer either to a single entity or to the members that compose it. In British English, such words are commonly treated as singular or plural according to context. Names of towns and countries take plural verbs when they refer to sports teams but singular verbs when they refer to the actual place (or to the club as a business enterprise): in {{xt|[[England national football team|England]] are playing [[Germany national football team|Germany]] tonight}}, ''England'' refers to a [[Association football|football]] team; but in {{xt|England is the most populous country of the United Kingdom}}, it refers to the country. In North American English, these words (and ''the United States'', for historical reasons) are almost invariably treated as singular. See also ''[[#National varieties of English|National varieties of English]]'' above.

== Vocabulary ==
=== Contractions === <!-- section ''Possessives'' above links here -->
{{shortcut|MOS:N'T|WP:CONTRACTION}}
[[Contraction (grammar)|Uncontracted]] forms such as ''do not'' or ''it is'' are the default in encyclopedic style; ''don't'' and ''it's'' are too informal. But contractions should not be expanded mechanically. Sometimes rewriting the sentence as a whole is preferable; and occasionally contractions provide the best solution anyway.

=== Gender-neutral language ===
{{dablink|See also [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Gender-neutral language]]. For results of past discussions, see the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register#Gender-neutral language|Register]].}}
Use [[gender-neutral language]] where this can be done with clarity and precision. This does not apply to direct quotations or the titles of works (''{{xt|The Ascent of Man}}''), which should not be altered; nor where all referents are of one gender, such as in an all-female school ({{xt|When any student breaks that rule, she loses privileges}}).

=== Contested vocabulary ===
Avoid words and phrases that give the impression of straining for formality, that are unnecessarily regional, or that are not widely accepted. See [[List of English words with disputed usage]] and [[List of commonly misused English words]]; see also [[#Identity|Identity]] (below) and [[#Gender-neutral_language|Gender-neutral language]] (above).

=== Instructional and presumptuous language ===
{{See also|Wikipedia:Words to watch#Editorializing}}
{{shortcut|MOS:NOTED}}
Avoid such phrases as ''remember that'' and ''note that'', which [[Imperative mood|address readers directly]] in an unencyclopedic tone. Similarly, phrases such as ''of course'', ''naturally'', ''obviously'', ''clearly'', and ''actually'' make presumptions about readers' knowledge, and call into question the reason for including the information in the first place. Do not ''tell'' readers that something is ironic, surprising, unexpected, amusing, coincidental, etc. This supplies a [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Neutral point of view|point of view]]. Simply state the sourced facts and allow readers to draw their own conclusions.

=== Subset terms ===
A ''subset term'' identifies a set of members of a larger class. Common subset terms are ''including'', ''among'', and ''et cetera'' (''etc.''). Do not use redundant subset terms (so avoid constructions like these: {{!xt|Among the most well-known members of the fraternity are included two members of the Onassis family}}; {{!xt|The elements in stars include hydrogen, helium and iron, etc.}}). Do not use ''including'' to introduce a complete list, where ''comprising'', ''consisting of'', or ''composed of'' would be more accurate. <!--(Yes, ''comprising'' belongs in this list; it means "to include or contain" and does not need an additional preposition. ''Comprised of'' is not standard English.)-->

=== Identity ===
{{shortcut|MOS:IDENTITY}}
* Disputes over how to refer to a person or group are addressed by policies such as [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Verifiability|Verifiability]], [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Neutral point of view|Neutral point of view]], and [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles|Article titles]] where the term appears in the title of an article. When there is no dispute, the term most commonly used for a person will be the one that person uses for himself or herself, and the most common terms for a group will be those that the group most commonly uses for itself. Wikipedia should use them too. (See for example the article [[Jew]], which demonstrates that most Jews prefer that term to "Jewish person".)
* Any person whose gender might be questioned should be referred to using the gendered nouns, pronouns, and possessive adjectives that reflect that person's  ''latest'' expressed gender self-identification.  This applies when referring to any phase of that person's life. Nevertheless,  avoid confusing or seemingly logically impossible text that could result from pronoun usage (for example: instead of {{!xt|She fathered her first child}}, write {{xt|She became a parent for the first time}}).<!-- Note: some related points are under discussion at WT:BLP#Titillating_sources. Any policy changes might have an effect here. -->
* Use specific terminology. For example, often it is more appropriate for people from Ethiopia (a country in Africa) to be described as ''Ethiopian'', not carelessly (with the risk of [[stereotyping]]) as ''African''.
* The adjective ''[[Arab]]'' (never to be confused with ''[[Muslim]]'' or ''[[Islamic]]'') refers to people and things of ethnic Arab origin. The term ''Arabic'' refers to the [[Arabic language]] or [[writing system]], and related concepts ({{xt|Not all Arab people write or converse in Arabic}}).
* As always in a direct quotation, use the original text, even if the quoted text is inconsistent with the preceding guidelines.

=== Foreign terms ===
{{shortcut|MOS:FOREIGN}}
{{seealso|Wikipedia:Interlanguage links}}
Foreign words should be used sparingly.
; No common usage in English
: Use italics for phrases in other languages and for isolated foreign words that are not current in English.
; Common usage in English
: [[Loanword]]s and borrowed phrases that have common usage in English—{{xt|Gestapo}}, {{xt|samurai}}, {{xt|vice versa}}—do not require italics. A rule of thumb is not to italicize words that appear unitalicized in major English-language dictionaries.
; Spelling and romanization
{{seealso|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use English)}}

Names not originally written in a [[Latin alphabet]] (written for example in Greek, Cyrillic, or Chinese scripts) must be given a [[Romanization|romanized]] form for use in English. Use a systematically [[Transliteration|transliterated]] or otherwise romanized name ({{xt|Aleksandr Tymoczko}}, {{xt|Wang Yanhong}}); but if there is a common English form of the name ({{xt|Tchaikovsky}}, {{xt|Chiang Kai-shek}}), use that form instead.

The use of [[diacritic]]s (such as accent marks) for foreign words is neither encouraged nor discouraged; their usage depends on whether they appear in [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Verifiability|verifiable reliable sources]] in English and on the constraints imposed by specialized Wikipedia guidelines. Provide [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Redirect#Alternative names and languages|redirects]] from alternative forms that use or exclude diacritics.

Spell a name consistently in the title and the text of an article. See relevant policy at [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles|Article titles]]; see also [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Naming conventions (use English)|Naming conventions (use English)]]. For foreign names, phrases, and words generally, adopt the spellings most commonly used in English-language references for the article, unless those spellings are idiosyncratic or obsolete. If a foreign term does not appear in the article's references, adopt the spelling most commonly used in other [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:SOURCES|verifiable reliable sources]] (for example [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Naming conventions (geographic names)#Widely accepted name|other English-language dictionaries and encyclopedias]]). For punctuation of compounded forms, see relevant guidelines in [[#Punctuation|Punctuation]], above.

Sometimes the usage will be influenced by other guidelines such as [[#National varieties of English|National varieties of English]], above, which may lead to different choices in different articles.

=== Technical language ===
{{shortcut|WP:JARGON|WP:Explain jargon}}
{{seealso|Wikipedia:Make technical articles understandable}}

Some topics are intrinsically technical, but editors should try to make them accessible to as many readers as possible. Minimize jargon, or at least explain it; or tag it using {{tl|Cleanup-jargon}} or {{tl|Jargon-statement}} for other editors to fix. For unavoidably technical articles a separate introductory article (like [[Introduction to special relativity]]) may be the best solution. Avoid excessive ''wikilinking'' (linking within Wikipedia) as a substitute for parenthetic explanations such as the one in this sentence. Do not introduce new and specialized words simply to teach them to the reader, when more common alternatives will do.

=== Geographical items ===
{{see also|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (geographic names)}}
Places should generally be referred to consistently using the same name as in the title of their article (see [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Naming conventions (geographic names)]]). Exceptions are made if there is a widely accepted historical English name appropriate to the given context. In cases where such a historical name is used, it should be followed by the modern name in round brackets (parentheses) on the first occurrence of the name in applicable sections of the article. This resembles linking; it should not be done to the detriment of style. On the other hand, it is probably better to provide such a variant too often than too rarely. If more than one historical name is applicable for a given context, the other names should be added after the modern English name, that is: "historical name (modern name, other historical names)".

== Images ==

{{shortcut|MOS:IMAGES|WP:MOSIM}}
{{seealso|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (accessibility)#Images|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (layout)#Images}}
{{see|Wikipedia:Image use policy|Wikipedia:Picture tutorial}}

* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (infoboxes)|Infoboxes]], images, and related content in the lead must be right-aligned.
* Use captions to clarify the relevance of the image to the article (see [[#Captions|Captions]], below).
* Images should be inside the major section to which they relate (within the section defined by the most recent level 2 heading)
* Avoid sandwiching text between two images that face each other, or between an image and an infobox.
* See [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Picture tutorial#Avoiding stack-ups|this tutorial]] for how to group images, and avoid "stack-ups".
* It is often preferable to place images of faces so that the face or eyes look toward the text. Multiple images in the same article can be staggered right-and-left (for example, [{{fullurl:Timpani|oldid=427360690}} Timpani]). However, images should not be reversed simply to resolve a conflict between these guidelines; doing so misinforms the reader for the sake of mere layout preferences. An image should be reversed or substantially altered only if this clearly assists the reader (for example, cropping a work of art to focus on a detail discussed in the text). Any such alteration must be noted in the caption.
*The thumbnail option may be used ("<code>[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#thumb|thumb]]</code>"), or another size may be fixed. The default thumbnail width is 220&nbsp;pixels; users can adjust this in their [[m:Help:Preferences|preferences]]. An option such as "<code>|300[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#px|px]]|</code>" resizes the image to the specified width in pixels, and "<code>[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#upright|upright]]=1.2</code>" (or "<code>|[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#frameless|frameless]]|upright=1.2</code>" for [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#Plain pictures|plain pictures]]) resizes an image to approximately the given multiple of a user's preferred width. An image should generally be no more than 500&nbsp;pixels tall and 400&nbsp;pixels ("<code>upright=1.8</code>") wide, so it can be comfortably displayed next to the text on the smallest monitors in common use; an image can be wider if it uses the "<code>[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#center|center]]</code>" or "<code>[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#none|none]]</code>" options to stand alone. The {{tl|Wide image}} and {{tl|Tall image}} templates display images that would otherwise be unreasonably wide or tall.  

*Examples where adjusting the size may be appropriate include the following:
:*Lead images, which should usually be no wider than "<code>300px</code>" ("<code>upright=1.35</code>").
:*Images in which detail is relatively unimportant (for example, a national flag), and which may need smaller sizes than usual.
:*Images containing important detail (for example, a map, diagram, or chart), and which may need larger sizes than usual to make them readable.
:*Images in which a small region is relevant, but cropping to that region would reduce the coherence of the image.
:*Large, panoramic images, which may require larger sizes to make them viewable or readable. ''For further information, refer to: [[সাঁচ:Wide image|Template: Wide image]]''

* Use {{[[সাঁচ:Commons|Commons]]}} to link to more images on Commons, wherever possible. The use of [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Picture tutorial#Galleries|galleries]] should be in keeping with [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Image use policy#Image galleries|Wikipedia's image use policy]].
*[[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:ALT|Alt text]] takes the place of an image for text-only readers, including those using [[screen reader]]s. Images should have an [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:ALT|alt attribute]] added to the {{para|alt}} parameter. See [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:ALT]] for more information. 

=== Avoid entering textual information as images ===
Textual information should almost always be entered as text rather than as an image. True text can be colored and adjusted with [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]] tags and templates, but text in images cannot be. Images are not searchable, are slower to download, and are unlikely to be read as text by devices for the visually impaired. Any important textual information in an image should also appear in the image's alt text, caption, or other nearby text.

=== Captions ===
{{shortcut|MOS:CAPTION|MOS:CAPTIONS}}
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (captions)}}
Photographs and other graphics should always have captions, unless they are "self-captioning" (such as reproductions of album or book covers) or when they are unambiguous depictions of the subject of the article. In a biography article no caption is necessary for a portrait of the subject pictured alone; but one might be used, to give the year, the subject's age, or other circumstances of the portrait along with the name of the subject.
==== Formatting of captions ====
* Captions normally start with a capital letter.
* Most captions are not complete sentences, but merely sentence fragments that should not end with a period. If any complete sentence occurs in a caption, all sentences and any sentence fragments in that caption should end with a period.
* The text of captions should not be specially formatted (with italics, for example), except in ways that would apply if it occurred in the main text.
* Captions should be succinct; more information about the image can be included on its description page, or in the main text.

== Bulleted and numbered lists ==

{{Main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (lists)|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (embedded lists)}}
{{see|Help:List}}
* Do not use lists if a passage reads easily using plain paragraphs.
* Do not leave blank lines between items in a bulleted or numbered list unless there is a reason to do so, since this causes the Wiki software to interpret each item as beginning a new list.
* Use numbers rather than bullets only if:
** a need to refer to the elements by number may arise;
** the sequence of the items is critical; or
** the numbering has some independent meaning, for example in a listing of musical tracks.
* Use the same grammatical form for all elements in a list, and do not mix sentences and sentence fragments as elements.
** When the elements are complete sentences, they are formatted using sentence case and a final period.
** When the elements are sentence fragments, they are typically introduced by a lead fragment ending with a colon. When these elements are titles of works, they retain the original capitalization of the title.  Other elements are formatted consistently in either sentence case or lower case.  Each element should end with a semicolon, with a period instead for the last element. Alternatively (especially when the elements are short), no final punctuation is used at all.

== Links ==
=== Wikilinks ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (linking)}}
{{see|Help:Link}}
'''Make [[সহায়:Link|links]] only where they are relevant and helpful in the context:''' Hyperlinks are distracting, and may slow the reader down. Redundant links (like {{!xt|the tallest people on [[Earth]]}}) clutter the page and make future maintenance harder. High-value links that ''are'' worth pursuing should stand out clearly.

'''Linking to sections:''' A hash sign&nbsp;(#) followed by the appropriate heading will lead to a relevant part of a page. For example, <code><nowiki>[[Apostrophe#Use in non-English names]]</nowiki></code> links to a particular section of the article [[Apostrophe]].

'''Initial capitalization:''' Wikipedia's [[MediaWiki]] software does not require that wikilinks begin with an upper-case character. Only capitalize the first letter where this is naturally called for, or when specifically referring to the linked article by its name: {{xt|[[Snake]]s are often [[venomous]], but [[lizard]]s only rarely (see [[Poison]]).}}

'''Check links:''' Ensure that the destination is the intended one; many dictionary words lead to disambiguation pages and not to complete or well-chosen articles.

=== External links ===
{{main|Wikipedia:External links}}
Do not use external links in the body of an article. Articles can include an ''external links'' section at the end, pointing to further information outside Wikipedia as opposed to citing sources. The standard format is a primary heading, <code><nowiki>==</nowiki>&nbsp;External links&nbsp;<nowiki>==</nowiki></code>, followed by a bulleted list of links. Identify the link and briefly indicate its relevance to the article. For example:
:<code><nowiki>*[http://history.nih.gov/exhibits/history/index.html History of NIH]</nowiki>
:<nowiki>*[http://www.nih.gov/ National Institutes of Health homepage]</nowiki></code>
These will appear as:
:* [http://history.nih.gov/exhibits/history/index.html History of NIH]
:* [http://www.nih.gov/ National Institutes of Health homepage]
Add external links with discretion; Wikipedia is [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:NOTLINK|not a link repository]].

== Miscellaneous ==

=== Keep markup simple ===
The simplest [[Wiki markup|markup]] is often the easiest to edit, the most comprehensible, and the most predictable. Markup may appear differently in different browsers. Use HTML and CSS markup sparingly; in particular, do not use the CSS <code>float</code> or <code>line-height</code> properties because they break rendering on some browsers when large fonts are used.

An [[Character entity reference|HTML entity]] is sometimes better than the equivalent Unicode character, which may be difficult to identify in edit mode; for example, <code>&amp;Alpha;</code> is understood where "Α" (the upper-case form of Greek "α") may not be.

=== Formatting issues ===
{{see also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (text formatting)#Font size}}
Modifications in font size, blank space, and color (see [[#Color coding|Color coding]], below) are an issue for the Wikipedia site-wide [[Cascading Style Sheets|style sheet]], and should be reserved for special cases only.

Typically, the use of custom font styles will:
* reduce consistency, since the text will no longer look uniform;
* reduce usability, since it might be impossible for people with custom stylesheets (for accessibility reasons, for example) to override it, and it might clash with a different [[Skin (computing)|skin]] as well as inconvenience people with color blindness (see below); and
* cause disputes, since other editors may disagree aesthetically with the choice of style.

Outside article text, different font sizes are routinely used in navigation templates and [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Infobox|infoboxes]], tables (especially in larger ones), and some other contexts where alternatives are not available (such as table captions). Specify font sizes ''relatively'' (for example in CSS with <code>font-size: 80%</code>) rather than ''absolutely'' (like <code>font-size: 8pt</code>).

==== Color coding ====
{{main|Wikipedia:Accessibility#Color}}
{{shortcut|MOS:COLOR}}

Information should be accessible to all. Do not use color ''alone'' to mark differences in text: they may be invisible to people with [[color blindness]]. Also, black-and-white printouts, older computer displays with fewer colors, and monochrome displays (older [[Personal digital assistant|PDAs]] and cell phones) cannot show such distinctions.

Choose colors that can be distinguished by the readers with the commonest form of colorblindness ([[Color blindness#Red-green color blindness|red–green]]), such as [[maroon (colour)|<span style="background: white; color: maroon">maroon</font>]] and [[teal (color)|<span style="background: white; color: teal">teal</font>]]; and also mark the differences with change of font or some other means ([[maroon (colour)|<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: maroon; font face: Times New Roman">maroon and alternative font face</font>]], [[teal (color)|<span style="background: white; color: teal">teal</font>]]). Viewing the page with [http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/vischeckURL.php Vischeck] can help with the choice of colors. See also [[color coding]].

=== Scrolling lists and collapsible content ===
{{shortcut|MOS:SCROLL|MOS:COLLAPSE}}
Scrolling lists and boxes that toggle text display between ''hide'' and ''show'' should not conceal article content, including reference lists, image galleries, and image captions. They especially should not be used to conceal "spoiler" information (see [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Spoiler]]). Collapsible ''sections'' or ''cells'' may be used in tables that consolidate information covered in the main text, [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:NAVBOX|navboxes]], or [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (infoboxes)|infoboxes]]. When scrolling lists or collapsible content are used, take care that the content will still be accessible on devices that do not support JavaScript or CSS.

=== Invisible comments ===
{{Redirect|WP:COMMENT|the expression of personal opinions in articles|WP:COMMENTARY}}
{{shortcut|WP:COMMENT}}
{{Main|Help:Hidden text}}
Editors use invisible comments to communicate with each other in the body of the text of an article. These comments are visible only in the wiki source (that is, in edit mode), not in read mode.

Invisible comments are useful for flagging an issue or leaving instructions about part of the text, where this is more convenient than raising the matter on the talk page. They should be used judiciously, because they can clutter the wiki source for other editors. Check that your invisible comment does not change the formatting, for example by introducing white space in read mode.

To leave an invisible comment, enclose the text you intend to be read only by editors between <code>&lt;!--</code> and <code>--&gt;</code>. For example: {{xt|<code><nowiki><!--If you change this section title, please also change the links to it on the pages ...--></nowiki></code>}}.

=== Pronunciation ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (pronunciation)}}
'''Pronunciation''' in Wikipedia is indicated using the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA). In most situations, for ease of understanding by the majority of readers and across variants of the language, [[Phonetic transcription#Narrow versus broad transcription|quite broad]] IPA transcriptions are best for English pronunciations. See [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:IPA for English]] and [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:IPA]] (general) for keys, and {{tl|IPA}} for templates that link to these keys. For English pronunciations, [[সহায়:Pronunciation respelling key|pronunciation respellings]] may be used ''in addition to'' the IPA.

== See also ==
<!-- This list is sorted alphabetically. When adding a link, also provide a short resume of the article. -->
* [[সহায়:Wiki markup]] explains the codes and resources available for editing a page.
* [[Style guide]] contains links to the style guides of some magazines and newspapers.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Annotated article]] is a well-constructed sample article, with annotations.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Avoiding common mistakes]] gives a list of common mistakes and how to avoid them.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Basic copyediting]] gives helpful advice on copy-editing.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Be bold]] suggests a bold attitude toward page updates.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Citing sources]] explains process and standards for citing references.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Disinfoboxes]] shows how infoboxes are not always useful.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Editing policy]] explains Wikipedia's general philosophy of editing.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Elements of Style improvement project]].
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:How to edit a page]] is a short primer on editing pages.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Introduction]] is a gentle introduction to the world of Wikipedia.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (list of specialized Manual of Style articles)]].
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Policies and guidelines]] is the main stop for policies and guidelines.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Reader]] stresses that the reader must be considered when editing.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Requests for arbitration/Jguk]] was an [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Arbitration Committee|Arbitration Committee]] case on style edit-warring.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Stub]] shows what to aim for when starting a new article.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Style guide|Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Style guide]] lists some variations between the [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:Version 1.0 Editorial Team#Active projects|proposed printed versions of Wikipedia]] and the Manual of Style.
* [[ৱিকিপিডিয়া:WikiProject]] introduces Wikipedia's system for collaborative development of related articles.

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

== Style guides on other Wikimedia projects ==
*[http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikibooks:Manual_of_Style Wikibooks:Manual of Style – Wikibooks, collection of open-content textbooks]
*[http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews:Style_guide Wikinews:Style guide – Wikinews, the free news source]
*[http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Wikiquote:Manual_of_style Wikiquote:Manual of style – Wikiquote]
*[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Wikisource:Style_guide Wikisource:Style guide – Wikisource]
*[http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikiversity:Manual_of_Style Wikiversity:Manual of Style – Wikiversity]
*[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Style_guide Wiktionary:Style guide – Wiktionary]

== Further reading ==
Wikipedians are encouraged to familiarize themselves with other [[Style guide|guides to style and usage]], which may cover details that are not included in this Manual of Style.  Among these are:
{{refbegin}}
* ''[http://style.radionational.net.au ABC Radio National style guide]'' for Australian English.
* ''[[The Chicago Manual of Style]]'' (CMOS), available in print, on CDROM, and online at ''[http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html The Chicago Manual of Style Online]'' (subscription required). The ''[http://www.docstyles.com/cmscrib.htm CMS Crib Sheet]'' is free online, and summarizes some main provisions of ''The Chicago Manual of Style''.
* ''[http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide Guardian style guide]'' for British English.
* [[Dictionary#Major English dictionaries|Major English dictionaries]].
* ''[[The MLA Style Manual]]'', a publication of the [[Modern Language Association]].
* ''[[Hart's Rules|New Hart's Rules]]'' (NHR), based on the classic ''Hart's Rules'' and the ''Oxford Guide to Style''.
* The ''[[Hart's Rules|Oxford Guide to Style]]'' (OGS), along with its companion the ''Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors''.
* Style guides such as ''[[A Dictionary of Modern English Usage]]'' (Fowler's) and ''[[Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage]]''.
* ''[http://www.agimo.gov.au/information/publishing/style_manual Style Manual: For Authors, Editors and Printers of Australian Government Publications.]'' (AGSM) Sixth edition 2002. ISBN 0-642-03345-5.
{{refend}}

== Search engines ==
*[http://www.onlinestylebooks.com/home.html OnlineStylebooks.com] (a stylebook search engine)

{{Writing guides}}
{{Wikipedia policies and guidelines}}
{{Style wide}}

[[শ্ৰেণী:General style guidelines]]
[[শ্ৰেণী:Wikipedia Manual of Style| ]]