In AP Style, “United States” is written out as a noun, while “U.S.” is used as an adjective within sentences. In headlines, “US” is preferred without periods for brevity and clarity.
What AP Style US Suggests?
The word United States can be used as a noun or an adjective within sentences.
1. If you are using ‘United States’ as a noun, you should capitalize it by giving a space between ‘United’ and ‘States’.
For example,
• There are a few top universities in the United States.
2. You can use U.S. (as an adjective) without any spaces between both letters. For example,
• A U.S. citizen asked me to join his local company.
Note: According to AP Style, you should use US (with no periods and space) in headlines. For example,
• US postal employee charged… (Firstcoastnews.com)
Why AP Style Differs for “United States” in Headlines and Text
AP Style simplifies “United States” to “US” in headlines to save space and improve readability, which is especially useful in news articles where headlines must be brief and impactful.
Omitting the periods in “US” also aligns with general headline formatting rules, which favor minimal punctuation to avoid visual clutter. For example:
- In text: “The U.S. economy saw significant growth last quarter.”
- In a headline: “US Economy Sees Major Growth Last Quarter”
Common Mistakes to Avoid with “United States” in AP Style
One common error is mixing up “United States” as a noun with “U.S.” as an adjective. In AP Style, “United States” should be spelled out when it serves as a noun, while “U.S.” is used in an adjectival context. For example:
- Incorrect: “A United States company opened a new branch.”
- Correct: “A U.S. company opened a new branch.”
Another mistake is using “U.S.” in headlines, which goes against AP Style. Headlines should instead use “US” without periods for brevity and a cleaner look. For instance:
- Incorrect: “U.S. Education Policy Changes Announced”
- Correct: “US Education Policy Changes Announced”
Finally, writers sometimes mistakenly add spaces between “U” and “S” when abbreviating, which should be avoided. Always write “U.S.” as one continuous abbreviation when it functions as an adjective.
Additional AP Style Tips for Writing Country Names
In AP Style, country names are typically spelled out fully within text, with abbreviations reserved for only a few specific countries, such as “U.K.” and “U.S.” Additionally, it does not use periods with most country abbreviations in headlines, as seen with “UK” and “US.”
For countries with widely recognized abbreviations (such as “UK” for United Kingdom), AP Style allows their use sparingly and only when contextually clear. When discussing certain countries in longer texts, writers should opt to spell out the name at least on the first reference. Here are a few examples:
- Text: “Trade between the United Kingdom and the United States is strong.”
- Headline: “UK and US Trade Hits Record High”
Check Out: Find Out The Abbreviation For Country.
What Did You Learn?
Key points include using “United States” as a noun, “U.S.” as an adjective, and “US” in headlines without periods. By understanding these distinctions and applying additional tips for country names, you can create clean, polished content that aligns with industry standards.