Word List

These words can be slippery. Here’s how we write them. (If it’s not on this list, defer to the AP Style Guide.)

• add-on (noun, adjective), add on (verb)

• back end (noun), back-end (adjective)

• best seller (noun), best-selling (adjective)

• beta

• brick-and-mortar

• checkbox

• coworker

• click-through rate (CTR)

• cost per click

• double-click

• drop-down (noun, adjective), drop down (verb)

• e-commerce (the industry)

• ePub

• email (never hyphenate, never capitalize unless it begins a sentence)

  • To name

  • From name

  • Reply-to name

  • Subject line

  • Cc, Bcc

• emoji (singular and plural)

• front end (noun), front-end (adjective)

• geolocation

• Gmail

• GSuite

• hashtag

• homepage

• integrate

• internet (never capitalize unless it begins a sentence)

• login (noun, adjective), log in (verb)

• Like (the social media activity)

• multichannel

• nonprofit

• OK

• online (never capitalize unless it begins a sentence)

• opt-in (noun, adjective)
, opt in (verb)

• pay-per-click (PPC)

• pop-up (noun, adjective), pop up (verb)

• pre-filled

• pre-sale

• signup (noun, adjective), sign up (verb)

• SPAM

• sync

• third party (noun), third-party (adjective)

• tweet, retweet

• username

• URL

• website

• well-known

• WiFi

Words to avoid

• automagical

• funnel, incentivize, leverage, disruption, thought leader, or other fluffy corporate terms

• internets, interwebs, or any other variation of the word “internet”

• ninja, rockstar, wizard, unicorn (unless referring to a literal ninja, rockstar, wizard, or unicorn)

• young, old, elderly, or any other word describing a person's age

• crushing it, killing it

• crazy, insane, or similar words to describe people