BuzzFeed Style Guide

The BuzzFeed Style Guide aims to provide a prevailing, and evolving, set of standards for the internet and social media.

BuzzFeed publishes news and entertainment in the language of the web, and in our work we rely on a style guide to govern everything from hard-hitting journalism to fun quizzes. We value consistency and accuracy across those formats and categories. (For instance, knowing how to treat numbers is important, but so is correctly spelling "fangirl.") Our perspective reflects that of the internet at large, which is why we hope other sites and organizations across the web will find these guidelines useful. This style guide will be updated regularly to ensure it remains relevant and responds accordingly to changes in language and common, casual usage.

BuzzFeed's preferred dictionary is Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (m-w.com). In Webster's, the first spelling of a word should generally be used (unless it appears in the word list below or is preferred by The Associated Press Stylebook). The preferred style manual is the AP Stylebook. Please consult Chicago Manual of Style for issues not covered by AP Stylebook as well as for more detailed information and discussion, where applicable. Any style point mentioned in this guide overrules those publications.



This style guide provides a reference to common words and terms used on BuzzFeed (see: Word List) and information on style issues particular to the site. It is not intended to be a comprehensive manual of grammar and style.

?! (never !?)

@replies, @mentions (on Twitter)

24/7

3D

7-Eleven

A-list, B-list (etc., when referring to an "A-list celeb")

ABCs

Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi

AC (for air-conditioning)

administration (lowercase "a" in political terms, e.g., "It has been something the administration has avoided" or "the Obama administration")

adviser

after-party

AIDS

airlift

aka (UNLESS it starts a sentence, in which case AKA is acceptable — Aka just looks weird)

alcohol: Drink names are usually lowercase (exception: Bloody Mary)

al-Qaeda

all-nighter

a.m., p.m.

Amex (for American Express)

amendments: First Amendment, 19th Amendment (cap "A" when referencing specific amendments)

the Apple Store

A side (n.); A-side (adj.)

autocorrect

autofill

Auto-Tune

awards season / awards show (preferable to "award")

baby daddy, baby mama (two words)

backstory

bandana

bandmates

Bashar al-Assad

batshit

beatboxer, beatboxing

beatdown (n.)

best-seller, best-selling (New York Times best-seller list)

Beyoncé

binge-watch

bitchface

Bitcoin vs. bitcoin (capped as a concept, lowercase as currency)

BlackBerry, BlackBerrys

blond (adj., n.) when referring to men or when used in a genderless context

blonde (adj., n.) when referring to women

Bloody Mary, Bloody Marys

bougie (adj.), bougiest (from bourgeoisie)

bread crumbs

Britpop

bro-down

bro-ing

B side (n.); B-side (adj.)

bull dyke (n.); bull-dyke (adj.)

buzzer beater

BS, BS'd, BS'ing

Cabinet (cap when referring to the governmental advisers)

Cap'n Crunch

catfight

catfished (as a verb, lowercase)

CBGB (not CBGB's)

Cee Lo Green

cell phone (but smartphone)

chatroom (one word)

cheese: What's capped and what's not? Consult MW, but here's a list of some commonly referenced cheeses: Brie, cheddar, Comté, Feta, Fontina, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano

child care (n.); child-care (adj.)

chocolaty (not "chocolatey")

circle jerk

civil rights movement

class-action lawsuit

click-through

Coca-Cola

come (v.); cum (n.) — (omg yes, this is really here)

coming-out (n., adj.), come out (v.)

commenter

company names: Refer to a company as "it," not "they." Exception: Band names usually take a plural construction ("The band is on tour"; but "Arcade Fire are playing tonight."). Omit "Co.," "Corp.," "Inc.," "Ltd.," etc.

Con Edison; Con Ed is OK on second reference

congressional district (lowercase "c" and "d")

court cases: Italicize and use "v." instead of "vs." (Roe v. Wade)

Craigslist

crop top

crow's-feet (n.)

crowdfund (all forms)

crowdsource (all forms)

d-bag

day care (two words)

deal breaker (two words)

decade-long

Deep South

de-friend (not unfriend)

Democratic Party (cap "P")

die-hard (adj.), diehard (n.)

diss (meaning to disrespect)

DIY

DJ (n., v.); DJ'ed, DJ'ing

"don't ask, don't tell" (lowercase, in quotes, with a comma for the military policy; in subsequent references, no quotes or abbreviate as DADT)

dos and don'ts

douchebag

doughnut (but: Dunkin' Donuts)

down-low

Down syndrome

downtime

DREAMer (when referring to advocates of the DREAM Act)

drive-thru (as noun)

Dr.: Do not use the term "Dr." to refer to non-medical doctors who hold a doctorate

drum-and-bass

duckface

dumpster

Earth (capped only when referring explicitly to the planet; "The biggest on Earth" but "a down-to-earth guy")

eBay

[ed.:] – for ed notes in running text, cap "Ed.:" if it starts a sentence or is its own sentence

Ecstasy (cap "E" for the drug)

Election Day (but lowercase "election night")

Electoral College

e-book, e-commerce, e-cigarette

email

emoji (lowercase)

ever closer (no hyphen)

eyeing

F-you (as a noun)

Facebook (always capped, in any form)

facedown (adj.)

face-to-face (adj., adv.)

faceup (adj.), face up (v.)

fan base

fan fiction, fan fic

fanboy/fangirl

farmers' market

fauxhawk

fave, faved, fave-ing (as in, "I faved his tweet")

FBI

first lady / first family

first-timer

First World problem

fist-bump (v.); fist bump (n.)

flat iron (hair tool, n.); flat-iron (v.); Flatiron District

flatscreen (one word, both as n. and adj.)

foreign words and phrases: If you can find it in MW, no italics necessary; if you can't, put in italics

Fox News (not FOX)

friend zone (n.); friend-zone (v.)

frontman / frontwoman

fundraiser, fundraising (contrary to AP and MW)

Froot Loops (not Fruit Loops)

froyo

fuckup (n.), fuck up (v.), fucked-up (adj.)

Gchat

G.E.D.

Gehad el-Haddad

Generation X, Gen X'er

Gholam Hossein Mohsen Ejeie

GIF/GIF'd (as verb), GIFs

glowstick

god: Cap only if explicitly referring to or alluding to a deity; lowercase otherwise, especially in common phrases ("Thank god she was OK," "Oh god, he thought," "And god knows we needed all the help we could get")

god-awful

goddamn (per Webster's), goddamnit, goddamned

good-bye

Google+ (preferred over Google Plus)

google (v.); Google (n.)

Gov. (OK on first reference preceding governor's name)

gray (not grey)

grown-up (for all forms)

G-spot

gun control, gun rights (do not hyphenate, even if it's modifying a noun — consider noun phrases)

haha (interjection); ha-ha (n.)

hair care (n.), hair-care (adj.)

hair dryer (but blow-dryer)

hair spray

hairstylist

Hanukkah

hardcore (all uses)

hashtag

hate-watching

HBIC

head count

headscarf

headshot

health care (all forms)

heartrending, gut-wrenching, nerve-racking: Via MW, heartrending denotes sadness, gut-wrenching is meant to describe something that causes "great mental or emotional pain," and nerve-racking describes something causing someone to feel nervous.

higher-up (n.)

hip-hop

hippie as in Woodstock, peace and love, and all that

hippy as in big-hipped

HIV positive (no hyphen, unless it's modifying a word: e.g., "Are you HIV positive?" vs. "The HIV-positive patients")

hmmm

homepage (also: homescreen, etc.)

homestretch

hoodie

hook-up (n.), hook up (v.)

Hosni Mubarak

hotspot, Wi-Fi connection place; hot spot for other uses (i.e., "vacation hot spots")

H.P. Lovecraft

h/t (for hat tips)

humblebrag

ID (for identification)

Ikea (not IKEA)

IMDb

indie pop, indie rock (but hyphenate as modifiers)

Instagram, Instagramming (capped in all forms)

internet (lowercase i)

iPad Mini

Iraq War

It girl / It couple

Jay Z (no hyphen)

jeez (not "geez")

jell (not "gel," per AP when used as a verb)

Jell-O

J.J. Abrams

JK (just kidding)

J.K. Rowling

J.Law

J.Lo

Juggalo / Juggalette

key chain (two words)

Kimye

Kobe (as in Bryant — OK to reference by first name)

L.A.

LARPer, LARPing (for Live-Action Role-Playing)

LeBron (as in James — OK to reference by first name)

Lego

less vs. fewer: Use less when referring to mass nouns, distance, or money; use fewer when referring to things that are quantifiable (e.g., "There was a less of a risk with that option," "There were fewer people at Jane's party than at Julie's.").

likable

like:

• Use commas on either side for an interjection: "If you have, like, a really bad day…"

• No quotation marks when used as a self-referential pseudo-quote: "I was like, I could never do that. And then I did."

• likes (as in, Facebook) — lowercase, not set in quotes

• As a suffix: see Combining Forms section below

listicle: avoid, use "list" instead

live stream (n. and v.)

live-tweet

log in (v.); log-in (n.)

logline (brief summary of a TV program or film); log line (used on ships)

longform

lower/upper Manhattan (lowercase L/U)

lunchbox

MAC (the cosmetics brand)

mac 'n' cheese

make do (not make due)

mama

manila envelope

mansplain, mansplaining

mash-up

Mason jar

matzoh

M.D./M.D.s (plural)

mecca (lowercase)

MIA

middle-aged (not -age)

Midtown Manhattan/Midtown (capped)

millennials (generally avoid using this term when possible)

mind-set

mixtape

mmm hmm

M.O.

Muammar al-Qaddafi

Mohamed Morsi

mohawk (lowercase as the hairstyle)

molly (and other drugs, lowercase)

more vs. over: Use more with quantities and over with spatial relationships. (e.g., "There were more than 20 people packed into the apartment," "The plane flew over the Atlantic Ocean.")

Muay Thai

Muggle (capped, as in a non-magical person)

mugshot

mustache

nap time

NASCAR

Nasdaq

National Airport or Washington National Airport: preferred over Reagan National Airport

Native American (not American Indian)

Necco (not NECCO)

never mind

News Feed (when referring to Facebook's News Feed; "newsfeed," one word, in other references)

news gathering

New Wave (for film genre); new wave (for music genre)

Ne-Yo

No. 1 but "number-one" when it appears in a quote

now: When referring to time, do not use a comma ("I used to be completely terrified of heights. Now I'm generally OK with heights"). When used colloquially, use a comma ("Now, I'd never say that all cats are awesome, but I've never met one who wasn't").

NSYNC

the n-word (style thusly)

NYC

Obama administration

Obamacare

OB-GYN

offseason

OG (no periods)

"oh man"/ "oh my god" / "oh no" all OK without comma after "Oh"

OK (not okay or O.K.)

OkCupid

omega-3

omelet

onesie

Oprah (OK to use just "Oprah" on first reference)

PA (for personal amplifier)

page view

Paleo diet

peekaboo

Peyton Manning

Ph.D. / Ph.D.s (plural)

phone calling (as a verb, no hyphen)

photobomb, videobomb

photo op

Photoshop (n.), photoshopped (adj.), photoshop (v.)

the Pill: capitalize when referring to birth control, but only when used as a noun and after "the" (e.g., "She was on the Pill to regulate her period." / "There's a new pill on the market with a lower dose of estrogen.")

pinecone

playoff

plus-size

PJs

Pop art movement

pop star, rock star

primetime (one word, all forms)

protester

pro tip (don't hyphenate)

pseudo words: don't hyphenate (e.g., "He rose from Obama stand-in to a pseudo strategist")

Psy

publicly (not publically)

punch line (two words)

Q&A

Qur'an

"the reason" or "the reason that" preferred to "the reason why" in running text

Reddit (cap in running text), redditor (lowercase, for someone who uses Reddit)

refriend / retweet / repin

Republican National Convention but "Republican convention" if not spelling out entire name

Republican Party (cap "P")

rideshare/ridesharing

right-click (hyphenate as both n. and v.)

RIP (no points)

rock 'n' roll

rock-paper-scissors

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

rom-com

royal baby

the royal family (lowercase)

RT'd, RTs, RT (on Twitter)

Run-D.M.C.

screen saver (two words)

screencap

screengrab

screenshot

semi-automatic

service member

set list

al-Shabaab

Shiite, Shiites (not Shia, for the branch of Islam, but Shia is acceptable in quotes)

ship names: capped and italicized (USS Awesome)

'shippers (when referring to viewers who celebrate a fictional TV couple's romantic arc)

shit list

shithole

shitshow

shitstorm

shoegazer

shoo-in

showrunner

shyest

sideboob

sidebutt

side-eye

smartphone (but cell phone)

snowblowed (for past tense of snowblow)

S.O. (for significant other)

softcore

Solo cup

soulmate

soundcheck

soy milk

spandex

spell-check (n. and v.)

spray paint (n.), spray-paint (v.)

Sriracha

state representative (lowercase "s" and "r," unless it precedes politician's name)

startup

the States (when referring to the United States)

Statehouse (always capped)

stepgrandmother/stepgrandfather (close up all "step" relationships unless next word starts with vowel)

stock-in-trade

stop-and-frisk (hyphenate in all uses)

storyline

streetwear

struggle bus

student-athlete (also, student-performer, and the like)

subreddit

super PAC

supervillain

Sweet 16

synthpop

takeout (n.), take out (v.), takeaway (n.)

tear gas (n.); teargas (v.)

teepee

think piece

Third World: avoid; use "developing world/country" instead

tick-tock

till (as abbreviation for "until")

time-lapse (adj.), time lapse (n.)

timeline (one word, all uses)

Time (not TIME) magazine

the Today show (not Today Show)

touchscreen

Toys 'R' Us

tractor-trailer

trans/transgender (not transgendered)

trendspotting

tristate (one word, lowercase)

"try to" (not "try and," as in, "I'm going to try to call her later.")

Twitter / tweeting / tweets

Twitterstorm

type A, type B (as in personality)

U.N.

U.S., U.S.A. U.K. (but NYC)

username

Vine-ing (post a Vine/use Vine is preferred; cap in all uses)

vinyasa yoga

Vitaminwater

V-day OK for Valentine's Day, but use sparingly

V-neck

V-shaped

Vogue Paris, Vogue Italia (not French Vogue, Italian Vogue)

voicemail

vs. (with a period, lowercase in list-y posts), versus (spelled out in news articles, longform stories); but v. for court cases

wack (n.), not cool, effed up; whack (n., v.), a hard or resounding blow, to hit with a hard or resounding blow; also gangster (as in Godfather) slang, "to kill"

Wall Street (spell out, rather than "Wall St.," in running text, unless talking about a specific address)

Wal-Mart Stores (when referring to the corporation); but "I went to Walmart" (when referring to the retail store)

Washington, D.C. / the D.C. area — but, in datelines, just "WASHINGTON"

website / web / webpage

whistle-blower (use instead of "leaker," which tends to have a negative connotation)

windbreaker

whoa

wide-awake (hyphenated)

WikiLeaks

wineglass

Wi-Fi

workflow (one word)

World Wide Web

www: Never use in a URL unless it you can't access the site without it (or if the URL requires the odd www1. or www2.) — all very rare instances!

Xacto

YA (for young adult)

yaaass

Yahoo (no !)

yeah

YouTube, YouTuber

zeitgeist (lowercase, even though MW "often" caps)

zip code (not ZIP code)

Ziploc

z's (aka sleep)

In most cases, spell out on first reference and follow with the acronym in parentheses (if there are subsequent references): e.g., "body mass index (BMI)." Lowercase acronyms with six letters or more (Nasdaq); exception is NASCAR. Possessive acronyms ending in "S" — like CBS or PBS — should take an 's, not just an apostrophe (CBS's sitcoms, PBS's programs, etc.). Well-known acronyms and abbreviations do not need to be spelled out, even on first reference. Use your judgment, but here are some that don't need to be spelled out:

AIDS

ASPCA

CBS

CD

CEO

CIA

CNN

CPR

CT (scan)

DNA

DUI

ER

ESPN

FBI

FDA

HBO

HIV

HMO

HR

IQ

IRS

MIT

MRI

MTV

NAACP

NASA

NASCAR

Nasdaq

NBA

NBC

NFL

NHL

PBS

PC

PGA

PMS

SPF

SUV

UCLA

USDA

VCR

VH1

VHS

WNBA

WWF

YMCA

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