APStylebook

The 32 surviving teams after the group stage of the World Cup enter a single-elimination tournament. (The only exception are the teams that lose in the semifinals and advance to a third-place match the day before the World Cup final). Knockout and elimination are both acceptable. The terms for the specific rounds: round of 32, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final. Our Stylebook Online Topical Guide will help you stay in style on all the rounds between now and July 19. apstylebook.com/topical_most_r…

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AP Stylebook Online is updated throughout the year, and we have hundreds of new and updated entries. But one of the most common AP Stylebook searches is for our rules on times, so here's some AP style guidance that's stood the test of time.

Are you a college instructor who teaches AP style? We're seeing an increase in libraries subscribing to AP Stylebook Online so students can easily use our most comprehensive and up-to-date guidance. If you want to suggest Stylebook Online to your reference librarians, share this helpful FAQ: buff.ly/kP0SUUT

The Stylebook's nobility entry explains: Charles’ younger son is Prince Harry on first reference, and then simply Harry. He is also the Duke of Sussex. His wife is the Duchess of Sussex, formerly known as Meghan Markle. When writing about them as a couple, it is acceptable to call them Prince Harry and Meghan on first reference. Harry and Meghan gave up royal duties in 2020 and now live in Montecito, California. Since stepping down as working royals, they no longer use the titles His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness. The children of Harry and Meghan are Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. apnews.com/article/uk-pri…

Jet Ski is capitalized because it is a trademark. Our primary dictionary, Merriam-Webster, defines it as a small motorized, usually recreational, watercraft.

The U.S. Constitution is made up of the original preamble that begins “We the people” and seven articles that took effect in 1789, and 27 amendments added between 1791 and 1992. The first 10 of those amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. We now invite our GenX followers to begin singing the preamble as you learned it on Saturday morning from Schoolhouse Rock. buff.ly/SYGzHcn

Going upstate for a summer vacation? Both the AP Stylebook and our primary dictionary, Merriam-Webster, show upstate lowercase and one word, with no hyphen. Merriam-Webster adds that's the case even if upstate is used as an adverb or adjective, such as in "upstate cottage."

A timeshare (one word, no hyphen) is a property with multiple owners who can use it at certain times of year; typically an apartment or condo-type unit located in a resort or vacation destination.

We have offered automated AP style proofing since well before anyone ever uttered the words Grammarly or ChatGPT. We partnered with the international proofing tools company Tansa more than two decades ago to create automated AP style checking, with rules-based recommendations written by professional linguists, not AI. AP StyleGuard Pro makes suggestions based on AP style guidance, but you retain full control to accept or reject them. We empower writers and editors, we don't replace them. store.stylebooks.com/apstyleguard-s…

For the American holiday Independence Day, July Fourth or Fourth of July are also acceptable names. Note the capitalization of Fourth. The federal legal holiday is observed on Friday if July 4 falls on a Saturday, as it does this year, or on Monday if it falls on a Sunday.

In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize directional words when they designate regions. For example, when combining with another common noun to form the name for a region or location: the North Woods, the South Pole, the Far East, the West Coast (the entire region, not the coastline itself), the Eastern Shore.

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Although @MerriamWebster's definition does not give props to Katy Perry, it does show that firework is the singular of fireworks. The plural fireworks is used in phrases like: a display of fireworks. As each singular explosion goes off, you could sing, “Baby, you're a firework!”

A soccer match is played over two halves of 45 minutes, but referees typically add a few minutes to compensate for time lost due to injuries, substitutions, video reviews and other delays. How many minutes of injury time are added is announced at the end of regulation time. This is known as injury time or stoppage time. Check out our AP Stylebook Online Topical Guide on the 2026 World Cup for more guidance: apstylebook.com/topical_most_r…

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Use a comma after states or countries used with city names: His journey will take him from Dublin, Ireland, to Fargo, North Dakota, and back. The Selma, Alabama, group saw the governor. Use parentheses, however, if a state name is inserted within a proper name: The Huntsville (Alabama) Times.

Use a comma instead of a period at the end of a quotation that is followed by attribution: "Write clearly and concisely," she said. Do not use a comma, however, if the quoted statement ends with a question mark or exclamation point: "Why should I?" he asked.

AP style shows group stage is two words, no hyphen. Teams in the 2026 World Cup have been assigned to 12 different four-team groups. The top two teams from each group are guaranteed to advance, as will the eight best third-place teams. Teams finishing fourth in groups are eliminated. Check out our AP Stylebook Online Topical Guide on the World Cup. We don't want you to get eliminated from your office's style debate. apstylebook.com/topical_most_r…