Sample Style Guide

Technical Writing Academy - May 2021

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Now you are in!!!

Table of contents

• Bold

• Italics

• Fixed Font

• Abbreviations

• Capitalization

• Acronyms

• Commas in Lists

• Numbers

• Contractions

• Apostrophes

Bold

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Use bold to highlight button names, fields names, menus, radio buttons, or checkboxes. For example:

• Click the Create button to start the process.
• Enter your IP address in the IP Address field.

Italics

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Use italics to emphasize a word or a group of words. For example:

• At least two reviews are required before you check in your code.
• You must not enter without your ID card.

IMPORTANT: Use this style sparingly to avoid diluting its strength.

Fixed font

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Use a fixed font to highlight:

• Comands or pieces of code. For example: Run the npm install text-cli command to install the utility.
• File or folder names. For example: Read the README.md file before you proceed.

Abreviations

Never use the following abbreviations in a formal document:

e.g.	Instead use “for example”.
i.e.	Instead use “in other words”.
etc.	Instead give the full list of options.
fig.	Instead spell it out as “figure”.
pg.	Instead spell it out as “page”.

Capitalization

Use standard capitalization rules. Also, keep in mind the following:

• The first word after a colon (:) is always capitalized.

• Every heading, table caption, figure caption, column name, or a callout in a figure or table must be in the title case.

Acronyms

Always define an acronym when you are using it for the first time.

For example: This section specifies the terms used in a Product Requirement Document (PRD). The most often used terms in a PRD include…

Commas in Lists

The rules regarding commas for in-sentence lists are as follows:

• Do not use a comma before “and” and “or” if your list contains only two items. For example: Any new organization needs to invest in good infrastructure and hiring great talent.

• Use a comma before “and” and “or” when your list comprises three or more items. For example: A “Pod” comprises a Project Manager, a Technical Writer, Engineers, and UX designers.

Numbers

Remember these rules about numbers:

• Spell out numbers that are less than 10 (0 - 9). For example: I have seven aunts.

• Use numerals for 10 and higher.
  For example: This hub has 32 ports.

• Use a comma to make it easier to read numbers higher than 999.
  For example: The network supports up to 10,000 connections.

Contractions

Contractions are considered informal writing. To prevent “stuffiness” use the contraction “don’t”. Avoid other contractions such as “it’s” or “doesn’t”.

Apostrophes

Do not use an apostrophe for the plural of acronyms. For example:

API’s	Instead use APIs
LAN’s	Instead use LANs