Book Navigation Links
Abbreviations
In general…
When a civil or military title is used before a last name, it should be spelled out. With full names, the title should be abbreviated. Examples:
- General Schwarzkopf; Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf
- Senator Kerry; Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.
Abbreviate and capitalize Co., Corp., Inc., and Ltd., and do not precede with a comma (except for Five Colleges, Incorporated).
Do not abbreviate street addresses in running text. Exceptions are NW, NE, SE, and SW used in some street addresses. Example:
The construction on Massachusetts Avenue will continue until March.
Academic degrees following a person’s name are abbreviated and set off by commas. Example:
- Don Jones, PhD, has joined the faculty.
U.S. state names and U.S. territories
In running text, use the postal code abbreviations for states when they appear with a city or town; spell the state in full when mentioned without a corresponding city or town.
Examples:
- He lives in Massachusetts, but went to school in Tampa, FL.
- The company is based in Newark, NJ.
Note: State names with six letters or less (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah) are never abbreviated in running text.
| U.S. States and Territories | Postal Code | Editorial Abbreviations |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL | Ala. |
| Alaska | AK | Alaska |
| American Samoa | AS | American Samoa |
| Arizona | AZ | Ariz. |
| Arkansas | AK | Ark. |
| California | CA | Calif. |
| Colorado | CO | Colo. |
| Connecticut | CT | Conn. |
| Delaware | DE | Del. |
| District of Columbia | DC | D.C. |
| Federated States of Micronesia | FM | Federated States of Micronesia |
| Florida | FL | Fla. |
| Georgia | GA | Ga. |
| Guam | GU | Guam |
| Hawaii | HI | Hawaii |
| Idaho | ID | Idaho |
| Illinois | IL | Ill. |
| Indiana | IN | Ind. |
| Iowa | IA | Iowa |
| Kansas | KS | Kans. |
| Kentucky | KY | Ky. |
| Louisiana | LA | La. |
| Maine | ME | Maine |
| Marshall Islands | MH | Marshall Islands |
| Maryland | MD | Md. |
| Massachusetts | MA | Mass. |
| Michigan | MI | Mich. |
| Minnesota | MN | Minn. |
| Mississippi | MS | Miss. |
| Missouri | MO | Mo. |
| Montana | MT | Mont. |
| Nebraska | NE | Nebr. |
| Nevada | NV | Nev. |
| New Hampshire | NH | N.H. |
| New Jersey | NJ | N.J. |
| New Mexico | NM | N.M. |
| New York | NY | N.Y. |
| North Carolina | NC | N.C. |
| North Dakota | ND | N.D. |
| Northern Mariana Island | MP | Northern Mariana Island |
| Ohio | OH | Ohio |
| Oklahoma | OK | Okla. |
| Oregon | OR | Ore. |
| Pennsylvania | PA | Pa. |
| Puerto Rico | PR | P.R. |
| Palau | PW | Palau |
| Rhode Island | RI | R.I. |
| South Carolina | SC | S.C. |
| South Dakota | SD | S.D. |
| Tennessee | TN | Tenn. |
| Texas | TX | Texas |
| Utah | UT | Utah |
| Vermont | VT | Vt. |
| Virgin Islands | VI | V.I. |
| Virginia | VA | Va. |
| Washington | WA | Wash. |
| West Virginia | WV | W.Va. |
| Wisconsin | WI | Wis. |
| Wyoming | WY | Wyo. |
Well-known American or international cities do not require accompanying state or country.
Examples:
- "Professor Quinn is attending a conference in Paris this year." (Not "...a conference in Paris, France, this year.")
- "All scholarship recipients will have an opportunity to study abroad in London." (Not "...to study abroad in London, England.")
- "The art exhibit is transferring from Los Angeles to New Orleans."
Less-widely known cities or towns include accompanying U.S. state or country.
Examples:
- "The bulk of his research took place in Burlington, VT, during the summer."
- "Furano, Japan, is famous for its lavender fields."
United States—spell out when used as a noun; use "U.S." as an adjective.
Examples:
- "...China's involvement with the United States."
- "U.S. involvement in overseas diplomacy..."
- "She paid in U.S. dollars despite the unfavorable rate exchange."