In AP Style, addresses must be written with specific rules regarding abbreviations and capitalization. Common street abbreviations like Ave., Blvd., and St. are used only when numbers are included in the address; otherwise, full names should be used.
Use of Abbreviations
Ave., Blvd., and St. are some common address abbreviations. You can only use these address abbreviations with numbered addresses or when there is a number in your address. For example,
• Address: 1200 California Ave.
However, when there is no reference of number in your address, it is necessary to write full name (Avenue) by capitalizing it. For example,
• Address: California Avenue.
Furthermore, if you are coming across with more than one street name or when avenue is used alone in your text, then you should write the full name without capitalizing it. For example,
• You can find out the bank branches on California and Warner avenues.
The words like alley, drive, circle, road, etc., are always used with their full names. If you are using any of these words with a formal name without any number, you should capitalize it. Otherwise, if it is used alone or with more than one names, then it is necessary to lowercase it. For example,
• Go to Florida Road.
• Bank branches are located on Breton and Florida roads.
Note: Use figures in your addresses. For instance,
1200 California Ave. (Correct)
Twelve hundred California Ave. (Wrong)
Rule to Write Numbered Streets
If you are giving reference a number with street names, then you should capitalize and write full spellings from ‘First’ to ‘Ninth’. Otherwise, you have to use two-letter figures (i.e. 29th, 22nd, etc.)
For example,
• Go to Second St.
• Go to 12th St.
If you are writing an address mentioning compass points with a number, then you can abbreviate that compass point. However, if there will be no number, then no need to abbreviate a compass point.
For example,
• Address: 1200 E. California Ave.
• Address: East California Avenue.
Check Out: How Do We Write Numbers In AP Style?
Common Mistakes to Avoid with Addresses
When writing addresses in AP style, there are a few common mistakes to watch out for. Here are some examples of how to avoid them:
Incorrect Use of Abbreviations
One common mistake is to use abbreviations in addresses when they shouldn’t be. For example, “1200 California Avenue” is incorrect if you don’t use a number. In this case, “Avenue” should be written in full, as there is no number. If it were “1200 California Ave.”, the abbreviation is correct.
Correct: 1200 California Ave.
Incorrect: 1200 California Avenue (when no number is used).
Capitalization Mistakes
Another mistake is improperly capitalizing street names. Words like “road,” “street,” “avenue” should be capitalized only if they are part of the formal name and there is a number in the address. Otherwise, they should be written in lowercase. For example:
Correct: Go to Main and First streets.
Incorrect: Go to Main and First Streets.
Using Numbers for Streets Beyond Ninth
The AP style has specific rules for writing numbered streets. You should write “First” through “Ninth” as words, and then use figures for “Tenth” and beyond. For example, “First St.” is correct, but “Tenth St.” should be written as “10th St.”
Correct: I live on First St.
Incorrect: I live on Tenth Street (should be 10th St.).
Confusing Compass Points
Don’t abbreviate compass points unless there’s a number in the address. For example, “1200 W. Main St.” is correct, but “West Main St.” should be written out without the abbreviation because no number is involved.
Correct: 1200 W. Main St.
Incorrect: West Main St. (without a number).
What Did You Learn?
We learned that abbreviations like “Ave.” and “St.” should only be used with numbered addresses, while full names like “Avenue” and “Street” should be written out when no number is included.