A

Abbreviations

An abbreviation is the shortened form of a written word. In most cases, only abbreviate names on the second reference. Avoid using abbreviations that would not be easily recognized by most readers. Try to use abbreviations sparingly. Avoid using more than one abbreviation in a sentence.

For information about how to abbreviate specific items, refer to their particular entry in this guide, the UNLV Editorial Style Guide or The Associated Press Styleguide. Some examples:

Mr. is an abbreviation of Mister.

Tsp. is an abbreviation of teaspoon.

Abortion

Use anti-abortion (not pro-life or anti-choice), abortion rights (not pro-abortion, anti-life or pro-choice), and abortion doctor or abortion practitioner (not abortionist).

Academic degrees/credentials

Include no more than the two highest-earned degrees. Use at the end of a full name on the first reference only and in captions. Always use initials. When trying to establish someone’s position as an expert in a story, refer only to his or her specialty rather than using the initials of his or her degree(s).

Do not use periods between letters of academic degrees — MD, not M.D.; PhD, not Ph.D. If the subject is an MD, PhD, or DO, refer to him or her as "Dr." on the second reference. Some examples:

Richard Baynosa, MD, seen here, with his patients.

Marc J. Kahn, MD, MBA, was named dean of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV in 2020.

Accept, except

Accept has several different meanings but in general means one of three things — to willingly receive something, to give permission or approval to, or to regard as proper or an ultimate truth.

Except refers to an exclusion or something outside of the ordinary.

Acronyms

An acronym is a word formed from the first letter(s) of a series of words. Omit periods between the letters. Generally, capitalize acronyms when the series of words form a proper name, such as CDC for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the individual letters are pronounced, such as HMO for health maintenance organization. Some examples:

The word laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.

UNESCO (pronounced you-Ness-co) is an acronym for the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization.

Do not use in text to replace “and.”

Act

Capitalize when using act as a piece of legislation.

Example: The Dream Act

Acute care nursing

Addresses

Use abbreviations for street, avenue, and boulevard when writing numbered addresses. All other street designations (lane, circle, alley, etc.) should be spelled out.

Do not spell out numbers in addresses. Only use the numeric form for the house or building number. However, street names that use ordinal numbers 1-9 should be spelled out and capitalized. Some examples:

1234 Main St.

7654 Willow Circle

745 Fifth Ave.

Affect, effect

Affect is most commonly used as a verb, meaning to influence. There is seldom a need to use affect as a noun in daily language, unless describing an emotion.

Example: Supporting local businesses affects the local economy.

Effect can be used as either a verb or a noun. As a verb, it means to cause. In its noun form, it means a result.

Example: The fall of the regime was the effect of widespread protests.

Ages

Numerals should always be used for living things. For inanimate objects or when used at the beginning of a sentence, spell out the number.

When expressed as an adjective before a noun or as a substitute for a noun, use a combination of numerals and hyphens. Some examples:

John Doe, 35, is a rising star in the organization.

John Doe is 35 years old.

Thirty-five-year-old John Doe is on the fast-track to success in the organization.

The five-year-old building is already in need of repairs.

AIDS, HIV

AIDS is acceptable in all references to “acquired immune deficiency syndrome.” AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. HIV is acceptable in all references.

All

Use a hyphen when using this as a prefix. Some examples:

all-around

all-encompassing

Alumnus, alumni; alumna, alumnae

Alumnus is the singular, masculine form of alumni. Alumna is the singular, feminine form of alumnae. Use alumni when referring to a group of men and women.

American Medical Association

Only use initials AMA on the second and subsequent references.

Ampersand (&)

Use only when it is part of the name of an organization or a composition. Some examples:

U.S. News & World Report

House & Garden Magazine

Annual

Describes an event that happens once every year. Events cannot be considered annual unless they have been held for at least two successive years. If reporting on an event that is the first of an event to be held annually, note that rather than labeling it as an annual event.

Do not use the description “first annual.” Use inaugural.

Another

Do not use another as a synonym for additional. Only use another when it doubles the original amount mentioned. Some examples:

Twenty people have signed up for classes; another 20 are expected to sign up soon.

Fifteen people agreed with the decision while another 15 dissented.

Below is an example of a misuse of another:

Three stores were severely damaged in the flood. Another 10 suffered only minor damages.

Anti

Generally, all words containing this prefix should be hyphenated, except the ones below. Note that all physics terms that use this prefix should not be hyphenated.

• Antibiotic
• Antibody
• Anticlimax
• Antidepressant
• Antidote
• Antifreeze
• Antigen
• Antihistamine
• Antiknock
• Antimatter
• Antimony
• Antiparticle
• Antipasto
• Antiperspirant
• Antiphon
• Antiphony
• Antiseptic
• Antiserum
• Antithesis
• Antitoxin
• Antitrust
• Antitussive

Anticipate, expect

When one anticipates something, there is an implied element of preparation for the coming event. Expect does not imply that preparations have been made for what is to come.

Anybody, any body; any one, anyone

Generally, use one word. When the emphasis is placed on a single element, use two words. Some examples:

The right smoking cessation program can help anyone kick the habit.

Any one of the many programs available could help you quit smoking.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

No hyphens or slashes. ADHD is acceptable on the second reference.

Autism, autism spectrum disorder

Autism is appropriate for first and successive references. The term autism spectrum disorder is appropriate for the first reference, if dictated by the research or faculty member, but use autism for second reference. Avoid using ASD in all references.

Award-winning

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B

Baby boomer

Refers to the generation born after World War II and in their late teens and early 20s during the 1960s and 1970s. Always lowercase and only hyphenated when used as a compound modifier. Some examples:

He is a baby boomer.

He is of the baby-boomer generation.

Bachelor of Arts/Science

Bachelor’s degree can be used rather than the full title.

Example: She received her bachelor’s degree in 1985 from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Biannual, biennial

Something that occurs biannually occurs twice each year. An event that occurs biennially occurs once every two years.

Bimonthly, biweekly

Bimonthly and biweekly refer to events that occur once every two months or once every two weeks, respectively.

Semimonthly and semiweekly refer to events that occur twice each month or twice each week.

Breastfeed

One word.

Broadcast

Use this for both present and past tense. Broadcasted is unacceptable.

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C

Call letters

Capitalize all letters in the name of a broadcast station. Use a hyphen to separate the individual call letters from the base call letters. It is not always necessary to include the base call letters. They should be excluded on a second reference to the station. Some examples:

KNPR-FM

KLAS-TV

Can’t hardly

Although grammatically correct, it implies a double negative, which is never acceptable. Avoid using this phrase. The preferred form is can hardly.

Capitalization

Capitalize the following:

• The first word of a sentence
• The first word after a bullet
• Proper nouns (official names of places, people, or companies)
• Proper names (the Democratic Party, Fleet Street, etc.)
• Proper names of all UNLV properties
• Some common names. A common name is used when there is no official name for an area or place, but has a well-known moniker. Examples include The Green Zone, Ground Zero, etc.
• Derivatives (words that are derived from a proper noun) like American, Marxism, etc.
• Compositions, including names of publications, music, works of art, television programs, etc. Capitalization of compositions should match that of the original publication. When writing an original publication, use sentence case capitalization for the title.
• Titles, including but not limited to, Dr., Mrs., Mr., and Ms. With the exception of Dr., use titles only on the first reference to a person. On second and subsequent references, use only the last name. See MD entry.

Caretaker

Caregiver is preferable to caretaker when referring to the care of people.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The abbreviation CDC is acceptable on the second and takes a singular verb.

Certified registered nurse practitioner

The abbreviation CRNP is acceptable in all references.

Cesarean section

C-section is acceptable on the second reference.

City

Follow rules of capitalization. When using more generalized terms, always lowercase.

Class of

Lowercase the phrase “class of (graduation year)” unless it is preceded by “Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV” in which case “Class” should be capitalized as it is an official and formal name. 

Click here

Must be avoided. Most Web users intuitively know to “click” at a hyperlink. The link should be the part of the text that describes the function. Some examples:

Browse common questions

Read more

Learn more

View

For more information

Download

Clinical trial phases

Lowercase phase. Use the Arabic numeral, not Roman numeral.

Example: Phase 2 clinical trial

Co

Hyphenate when creating a word that indicates status. In other combinations, do not hyphenate. Some examples:

Co-pilot;

Co-author;

Coexist;

Cooperation

Note that cooperation and similar words are exceptions to the rule that prefixes should be hyphenated when the following word begins with the same vowel.

Coinsurance

Not co-insurance.

Comparison of benefits

Always spell out.

Complementary/Complimentary

Complementary refers to the ability of a person or item to enhance or add to another.

Complimentary is in reference to something that is free of charge.

Composition titles

Except for books that are primary catalogs of reference material (dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, etc.), put quotation marks around titles of books, magazine articles, lectures, seminars, films and TV shows, computer games, poems, and songs.

Italicize titles of magazines, journals, and newspapers. Some examples:

"Prescription for Excellence"

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show"

The Washington Post

New England Journal of Medicine

Comprise vs Compose

Comprise is a verb that means “to include or contain” or “to consist of.” Therefore, comprised of is incorrect.

Use comprise to introduce the complete list of items that make up a whole. Compose means “to make up or form the basis of.” Some examples:

UNLV Health comprises UNLV Neurology Clinic, UNLV Internal Medicine Clinic, and Neurodevelopment Solutions.

A team composed of UNLV surgical oncologists discovered a new gene associated with breast cancer.

The cloth is composed of cotton and polyester.

Coordination of benefits

Spell out the initial reference. May be shortened to COB upon subsequent references in the same article.

Copay

No hyphen. Not copayment, not co-pay, not co-payment.

CT scan

The abbreviation is acceptable for all references and it stands for computerized tomography. Never write CAT scan, which is the popular pronunciation.

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D

Dates

Only abbreviate the following months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

Always capitalize all months and use the cardinal number, not ordinal (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).

Example: Oct. 3, 2011

Days of the week

Always capitalize. Never abbreviate unless they are used in a tabular calendar.

Departments

Departments exist at the chair and director level. Administrative departments are named with the function first followed by department, while academic departments are preceded by “department of...” Some examples:

information technology department

human resources department

department of surgery

department of internal medicine

Always lowercase the names of departments, except when used as a proper noun or when part of the official and formal name. Some examples:

department of surgery

The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine Department of Surgery

Disabled, handicapped, impaired

Never mention a person’s disability unless it is crucial to the story. Of the three terms mentioned, the preferred term is disabled.

Diseases

Never capitalize unless they are known by the name of the person who identified the disease or they come at the beginning of a sentence. Some examples:

arthritis

Alzheimer’s disease

Divisions

The school of medicine's divisions are different than in other areas of the university and represent a subunit of a department. Divisions are preceded by “division of…” and should be lowercase, except when used as a proper noun or when part of the official and formal name. Some examples:

division of trauma surgery

Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Division of Gastroenterology

Doctor

Abbreviate to Dr. when describing those with doctorate degrees. Academic credentials follow their names on the first reference only. The abbreviation should be used only on second and subsequent references. Never write Dr. John Smith, MD. See MD entry.

Doctor of Dental Surgery

The abbreviation DDS is acceptable in all references.

Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry

Another accredited degree for dental medicine, abbreviated DMD.

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

The abbreviation DO is acceptable in all references.

Doctor of Podiatric Medicine

The abbreviation DPM is acceptable in all references.

Download

One word.

Drug addiction

Do not refer to someone as a “drug addict.” Use “someone with a drug addiction” or “someone experiencing a drug problem.”

Drug references

In general, trade or brand names of drugs or products must be avoided. Use the generic name whenever possible.

Only refer to the trademark name if it is essential to the story. When a trademark name is used, capitalize it.

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E

Each other, one another

Use each other when referring to two people and one another when referring to three or more people. When the number is undefined, either phrase can be used. Some examples:

John and Jane looked at each other.

Brad, Becky, and Benita looked at one another.

ED

Stands for emergency department.

Either…or; neither…nor

The nouns that follow these words do not constitute a compound subject. They are alternate subjects and require a verb that agrees with the closer subject. Some examples:

Neither they nor he is going.

Neither he nor they are going.

Ellipses

Ellipses should only be used to condense quotations and not for any informal purposes. A single space should precede and follow the ellipsis.

Email

Never hyphenate.

Everyone/Every one

Two words when it means each individual item. One word when used as a pronoun meaning all persons.

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F

Facebook

When posting to Facebook, follow all grammatical and spelling standards as explained in this guide and The Associated Press Stylebook.

First quarter/First-quarter

Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier. Some examples:

The company released a financial statement for the first quarter.

The company released a first-quarter financial statement.

Food and Drug Administration

FDA is acceptable on the second reference. Please note it is not called the Federal Drug Administration.

Form titles

Use the proper name at the top of the form to name the PDF document for online posting. Try to avoid spaces in file names. Some examples:

Medicine-Compliance-ReleaseofInformation.pdf

Medicine-HR-Coordination-of-Benefits.pdf

Also, ensure the revision date appears at the bottom left of the document for easy identification.

Full

Hyphenate when used to form compound modifiers. Some examples:

full-dress

full-page

full-fledged

full-scale

full-length

Full time/Full-time

Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.

Fully funded

Commercial health plans. Use only when necessary. Do not hyphenate -ly adverbs.

Avoid fully-funded and fully-insured.

Fundraise

Fundraiser

Fundraising

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G

Governor

Capitalize and abbreviate as Gov. (singular) or Govs. (plural).

Grade, -grader

Hyphenate in combining forms. Some examples:

A fourth-grade pupil

A 12th-grade student

A first-grader

A 10th-grader

Groundbreaking

One word.

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H

Healthcare

One word.

High-tech

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Not HIPPA.

HMO

Widely used acronym for health maintenance organization health plan product.

Holidays and holy days

Always capitalize the name of the holiday or holy day.

Hospitals

Write out the full name of each Southern Nevada hospital, except for an internal document, which a consumer will never read.

Hours of operation

Spell out days of the week, followed by a colon. Use an en dash to denote a time span. Follow the time construct in the Time entry.

Example: Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

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I

Impact

While grammatically correct to use its verb form when referring to something that has had an effect on one’s life, avoid using it in this manner. It can cause confusion in the medical setting as it has a medical definition (when something is impacted, it is either blocked or there is something lodged in a bodily passage; it can also mean that two pieces of bone have been driven together or that a tooth is wedged between the jawbone and another tooth.).

Instead, use affect.

In/Into

In indicates location. Into indicates movement. Some examples:

She was in the ER.

Her family walked into her room from the hall.

In network

Hyphenate when used as an adjective.

Innovative

Avoid this term in all health plan content unless it can be sourced to a specific, non-UNLV Health document identifying the program, facility, or project noted as innovative.

Inoculate

Inquire/Inquiry

Never enquire or enquiry.

Insurance, insurance plan

Use health plan or health plan product, avoid insurance product except where required by law.

Intensive care unit

Use ICU on the second reference.

Inter

The rules in the Prefixes apply.

Internet/Intranet

Lowercase internet and intranet.

Intrauterine Device

Abbreviate only on the second reference to IUD.

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J

The Joint Commission

Joint Commission on the second reference.

Junior/Senior

Only abbreviate at the end of a full name. It should be preceded by a comma.

Example: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

L

Languages

Capitalize the proper names of languages and dialects.

-less

Never use a hyphen before this suffix.

Liaison

Likable

Never likeable.

-like

Do not precede this suffix by a hyphen unless the letter L would be tripled. Some examples:

Businesslike

Shell-like

Like

Follow with a hyphen when used as a prefix meaning similar to. Some examples:

Like-minded

Like-natured

Like vs As

Use like as a preposition to compare noun and pronouns. It requires an object. The conjunction as is the correct word to introduce clauses. Some examples:

John blocks like a pro.

Jim blocks the linebacker as he should.

Login, logon, logoff

Write as two words when using as verbs. As they are written in this entry, they are nouns. Some examples:

The login is 12345.

Please log in to your computer.

Long term vs Long-term

Hyphenate when using as a compound modifier. Some examples:

We will win in the long term.

He has a long-term assignment.

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M

MD

The acceptable abbreviation on all references for medical doctor. Although the abbreviation is acceptable in all references, only use this abbreviation after the first mention of a medical doctor after their full name. For subsequent references, use the abbreviation Dr. before their last name.

Do not use periods with degrees, as in M.D., Ph.D.

Example: John Smith, MD, professor in the department of pediatrics, was recognized as one of the best doctors in Las Vegas, NV. Dr. Smith specialises in adolescent medicine and pediatric surgery.

Medevac

An acceptable abbreviation on all references to medical evacuation.

Medicaid

Always capitalized, as it is a proper noun.

Medical education building

Lowercase “medical education building” unless it is preceded by “Kirk Kerkorian” in which case “Medical Education Building” should be capitalized as it is an official and formal name.

Medicare

Always capitalized, as it is a proper noun.

Mid-

The rules in Prefixes apply, except when followed by a figure, such as mid-40s.

Military titles

Capitalize a military rank when used as a formal title before an individual’s name.

On the first reference, use the appropriate title before the full name of a member of the military. Subsequent references should only use the service-member’s last name.

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N

National Institutes of Health

NIH on the second reference.

Nationalities and races

Capitalize the proper names of nationalities and races. Lowercase black and white. Never use yellow, red, or mulatto to describe a person’s ethnicity unless directly quoting.

No.

Use No. as the abbreviation for number in conjunction with a figure to indicate position or rank.

Example: UNLV Health ranks No. 1 in Las Vegas.

Non-English-speaking (adj.)

Hyphenated.

Nonstudent

One word.

Numerals

Spell out numbers one through nine or at the beginning of a sentence. Use ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) when the sequence has been assigned in forming names.

Example: The 4th Ward...

Only use a number symbol as an abbreviation for number when establishing rank.

Example: We’re #1.

When writing out a headline or a chapter name, always use the numeral, even for numbers one through nine.

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O

OB-GYN

The acceptable abbreviation for obstetrician and gynecologist. The abbreviation is acceptable in all references.

Office of

Offices exist only at the dean/C-suite level. Some examples:

Kerkorian School of Medicine Office of the Dean

office of research

office of diversity, equity, and inclusion

One

Hyphenate when used in writing fractions. Some examples:

one-half

one-third

Online

Not on-line or on line. Use only when necessary as it is usually implied.

Ordinal indicators

Do not superscript st, nd, rd, etc.

Example: Mr. Pence was the 10th Republican governor to approve Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act.

Orthopaedics

Not orthopedics.

Out of network vs Out-of-network

Out-of-network when used as an adjective, not non-network.

Out of pocket vs Out-of-pocket

Out-of-pocket when used as an adjective.

Outpatient

Not out-patient.

Overall

A single word when used as an adjective or adverb.

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P

Page numbers

Never abbreviate page as pg. Follow with figures.

Example: page 13

PCP

Primary-care physician. Spell out on initial reference.

Percent

Not per cent. Use the percent symbol (%) when numbers appear in a graph or chart.

Personifications

Always capitalize. Some examples:

Mother Nature

Old Man Winter

Phone numbers and extensions

Always use hyphens to separate the area code, the prefix and the last four digits. Do not use parentheses.

Example: 702-825-2585 x1057

Photo captions

Do not italicize photo captions. Include highest-earned academic degree at the end of a full name on first reference only.

Captioning a single photo: If a photo includes only two subjects, add “(left)” after the left-hand subject’s name; the subject on the right does not require a location tag. If there are more than two photo subjects, start caption with “From left:” Some examples:

Pamela Jacobs, RN, (left) reviews her department’s annual agility test results with Peggy Casey, BSN.

From left: Pamela Jacobs, RN, Peggy Casey, BSN, Sheila Shirazi, physical therapist, and J-Way Poserio, respiratory therapist.

Captioning photos that appear in a grid: Bold directional (e.g., Top right, Bottom right, etc.) and add a colon. If the photo includes only two subjects, add “(left)” after the left-hand subject’s name; the subject on the right does not require a location tag. Do not bold “(left)”. If a photo includes more than two subjects, include “From left:” at the start of the caption. Do not bold “From left:” Some examples:

Top right: Jennifer Chang, MD, (left) offers support to a patient.

Bottom left: (from left) Ardis Moe, MD.

Physician assistant

The abbreviation PA is acceptable in all references.

p.m.

Not pm, P.M., or PM.

Portal

Point of entry for a website or section of a website. A place on a website where someone can go to access numerous resources relating to your “audience.”

POS

Acronym often used to identify a point of service health plan product.

Position Titles

The following formats should be followed when using business titles. See titles for more information.

Example: Dean, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV

All other deans should use the appropriate prefix followed by “dean for” the specific area. Some examples:

associate dean for external affairs

executive associate dean for faculty affairs

Department chairs and directors should use the format “chair of” or “director of” named department. Some examples:

chair of surgery

vice chair of medical education

executive director of space and facilities management

Elden Hamada, director of information technology security

Post-mortem

Hyphenate.

Postoperative

Do not hyphenate.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Hyphenate post-traumatic. PTSD is acceptable on the second reference.

Pre-authorization

Hyphenate.

Pre-certification

Use pre-authorization.

Pre-existing conditions

Not preexisting or preex. Always hyphenate, never shorten.

Prefixes

In general, do not hyphenate when using a prefix with a word starting with a consonant. The three following rules are consistent, but do have some exceptions:

• Except for cooperate and coordinate, use a hyphen if the prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows also begins with the same vowel.
• Use a hyphen if the word that follows is capitalized.
• Use a hyphen to join doubled prefixes (sub-subcommittee).

For exceptions to any of the above rules, check the specific entry in this guide or The Associated Press Stylebook for clarification.

Preventive

Not preventative.

Primary care doctor, Primary care specialty

Do not hyphenate primary care.

Pro-

Use a hyphen when coining words that denote support for something. Some examples:

Pro-labor

Pro-peace

Pro-business

Pro-war

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R

Referral

Occurs when a participating primary care physician refers a covered member (patient) to a participating specialist. Not the same as pre-authorization.

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S

School Name

When referencing the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, the full name should be used in the first reference. Future references can be abbreviated to Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, school of medicine, or the school.

The acronym KSOM must be limited to filename abbreviations only or as a defined term in legal documents (i.e. Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine hereinafter referred to as KSOM). It is strictly prohibited to be used in any other way and must never be used in presentations, emails, signage, promotional or event materials.

Seasons

Lowercase unless part of a formal name or at the start of a sentence.

Specialty vs Speciality

Use specialty as it’s the word used in American English.

Stages of cancer

Use numerals 1-4.

Example: Stage 4 cancer

States

Spell out the names of states when listed alone in textual material. State names may be abbreviated if they appear in groups or to fit typographical requirements for tabular material. Be consistent with whichever format is chosen throughout the publication.

The following states are never to be abbreviated: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, or Utah.

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T

T cell (n.), T-cell (adj.)

Capitalize T. No hyphen for the noun form. Hyphenate when used as an adjective. Some examples:

He had a healthy number of T cells.

His T-cell counts increased over time.

That vs Which (pronouns)

Use that and which in referring to inanimate objects and to animals without a name.

Use that for essential clauses, important to the meaning of a sentence, and without commas

Example: I remember the day that we met.

Use which for nonessential clauses, where the pronoun is less necessary, and use commas.

Example: The team, which finished last a year ago, is in first place.

Time

Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes. Avoid redundancies, like 11 a.m. this morning. Never use the o’clock construct.

If the span of time falls completely within the morning or completely in the afternoon, only place the time designations on the last time noted. Some examples:

9 to 11 a.m.

4:30 to 6 p.m.

If the span of time lasts from the morning to the afternoon, place time designations on both times.

Example: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

24/7

Indicates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Titles

In general, confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual’s name. Otherwise, lowercase titles, regardless of the importance of the position. Some examples:

The committee told President Trump that they disagreed with him.

The financial director of the hospital, John Doe, released the quarterly financial report.

Titles of compositions and broadcasts should always be capitalized and italicized.

Trademarks

Use trademark for the first mention; afterward you don't have to use it.

Example: daVinci™ Surgical System.

Trauma center levels

Use Roman numerals.

Example: Level III trauma center.

Tumor grades

Use numerals 1-4.

Twitter

An individual post is called a tweet, not a twitter.

When posting to Twitter, feel free to abbreviate and truncate words as necessary. Take care to maintain the original meaning of the tweet and to avoid confusing or uncommon abbreviations.

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U

University Medical Center, University Medical Center of Southern Nevada

Use UMC or UMCSN on the second reference.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Lowercase the word university when making informal reference to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

University of Nevada, Reno

URL

The address of a web page. In print, exclude “www” after checking that URL functions without “www” before publishing.

Example: unlv.edu/medicine, not https://www.unlv.edu/medicine

U.S. News & World Report

Username

One word.

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V

Veterans Affairs

Not Veterans Administration. Use VA on the second reference.

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W

Washington, D.C.

Use Washington on second reference or District of Columbia.

Webpage

One word with lowercase w.

Website

One word with lowercase w.

Webpage vs Website

A website is a collection of multiple pages under a unique URL, while a webpage is a component of a website.

Example: The office of graduate medical education webpage is part of the Kerkorian School of Medicine website.

Weekend

Weeklong

Who/Whom

Who is the pronoun used for references to human beings and to animals with a name. It is grammatically the subject (never the object) of a sentence, clause, or phrase. Some examples:

The woman who rented the room left the window open.

Who is there?

Whom is used when someone is the object of a verb or preposition.

The woman to whom the room was rented left the window open.

Whom do you wish to see?

Word-of-mouth

World Health Organization

Use the abbreviation WHO on the second and subsequent references.

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X-Y-Z

X-ray

Capitalize X. Not xray or x-ray.

Year-end

Yearlong

Years

Use figures without commas.

Example: 2011

Use commas only when used with a month and day

Example: Nov. 30, 2011

Use an s without an apostrophe when referencing spans of decades or centuries.

Example: 1900s, 1870s

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