Editing Encyclopedia:Manual of Style (section)

==Vocabulary<span class="anchor" id="VOCAB"></span><span class="anchor" id="VOCABULARY"></span>==
===Contractions===
{{shortcut|MOS:CONTRACTIONS}}
{{Main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Abbreviations#Contractions}}

Avoid [[Contraction (grammar)|contractions]], which have little place in formal writing. For example, write {{xt|''do not''}} instead of {{!xt|''don't''}}. Use of {{xt|o'clock}} is an exception. Contracted titles such as {{!xt|Dr.}} and {{!xt|St}} generally should not be used but may apply in some contexts (e.g., quoted material, place names, titles of works).

===Gender-neutral language===
{{Redirect|MOS:GENDER|the style guideline regarding pronoun usage for individuals whose gender might be questioned|MOS:GENDERID}}
{{for-multi|an essay with suggestions and sample usage|Wikipedia:Gender-neutral language|an essay about not assuming the pronouns of other editors|Wikipedia:Editors' pronouns}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Writing about women}}
{{Shortcut|MOS:GNL|MOS:S/HE}}

Use [[gender-neutral language]] – avoiding the [[generic he|generic ''he'']], for example – if this can be done with clarity and precision. This does not apply to direct quotations or the titles of works (''{{xt|The Ascent of Man}}''), which should not be altered, or to wording about one-gender contexts, such as an all-female school ({{xt|When any student breaks that rule, she loses privileges}}).

References to space programs, past, present and future, should use gender-neutral phrasing: {{xt|human spaceflight}}, {{xt|robotic probe}}, {{xt|uncrewed mission}}, {{xt|crewed spacecraft}}, {{xt|piloted}}, {{xt|unpiloted}}, {{xt|astronaut}}, {{xt|cosmonaut}}, not {{!xt|manned}} or {{!xt|unmanned}}. Direct quotations and proper nouns that use gendered words should not be changed, like {{xt|Manned Maneuvering Unit}}.
{{Shortcut|MOS:SHIP}}
Ships may be referred to using either neuter forms ("it", "its") or feminine forms ("she", "her", "hers"). Either usage is acceptable, but each article should be internally consistent and employ one or the other exclusively. As with all optional styles, articles should not be changed from one style to another unless there is a substantial reason to do so. See {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Military history|Pronouns}}.

===Contested vocabulary===
Avoid words and phrases that give the impression of straining for formality, that are unnecessarily regional, or that are not widely accepted. See [[List of commonly misused English words]]; see also {{section link||Identity}}.

===Instructional and presumptuous language===
{{Shortcut|MOS:INSTRUCT||MOS:NOTE|MOS:NOTETHAT|MOS:NOTED|MOS:PRESUME|MOS:QUESTION}}
{{redirect|MOS:NOTE}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Editorializing|Wikipedia:Writing better articles#Information style and tone|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Self-references to avoid#Note that&nbsp;...|Wikipedia:It should be noted<!-- WP:NOTETHAT -->}}

Avoid phrases such as {{!xt|remember that}} and {{!xt|note that}}, which [[Imperative mood|address readers directly]] in an [[Wikipedia:Writing better articles#Tone|unencyclopedic tone]] and lean toward [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|instructional]]. They are a subtle form of [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Self-references to avoid|Wikipedia self-reference]], "breaking the [[fourth wall]]". Similarly, phrases such as {{!xt|of course}}, {{!xt|naturally}}, {{!xt|obviously}}, {{!xt|clearly}}, and {{!xt|actually}} make presumptions about readers' knowledge, may [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|express a viewpoint]], and may call into question the reason for including the information in the first place.

Do not {{em|tell}} readers that something is interesting, ironic, surprising, unexpected, amusing, coincidental, etc. Simply present sourced facts neutrally and let readers draw their own conclusions. Such constructions can usually just be deleted, leaving behind proper sentences with a more academic and less pushy tone: {{!xt|Note that this was naturally subject to controversy in more conservative newspapers.}} becomes {{xt|This was subject to controversy in more conservative newspapers.}}
Similar variants which indirectly instruct readers, such as {{!xt|It should be noted that}} or {{!xt|It is important to note that}}, may be rewritten by leaving out those words: {{!xt|It is important to note that the colloquial dialect of Portuñol is similar to but different from Mirandese}} becomes just {{xt|The colloquial dialect of Portuñol is similar to but different from Mirandese}}. 

Avoid rhetorical questions, especially [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Section headings|in headings]]. Use a heading of {{xt|Active listening}} and text such as {{xt|The term ''active listening'', coined in&nbsp;...}}, not {{!xt|What is ''active listening''?}}

For issues in the use of [[Template:Crossreference|cross-reference]]s{{snd}}e.g., {{xt|{{crossref|(see also [[Bulverism]]}})}}{{snd}}see {{sectionlink||Second-person pronouns}}.

===Subset terms===
{{See also|Wikipedia:Please clarify|Wikipedia:Vagueness}}
{{Shortcut|MOS:SUBSET}}

A ''subset term'' identifies a set of members of a larger class. Common subset terms are ''including'', ''among'', and ''etc.'' Avoid redundant subset terms (e.g., mis-constructions like {{!xt|{{strong|Among}} the most well-known members of the fraternity are {{strong|included}} two members of the Onassis family}} or {{!xt|The elements in stars {{strong|include}} hydrogen, helium, {{strong|etc.}}}}). The word ''including'' does not introduce a complete list; instead, use ''consisting of'', or ''composed of''.

===Identity===
{{Shortcut|MOS:IDENTITY|MOS:ID}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography#Child named for parent or predecessor|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography#Sexuality|Wikipedia:Verifiability#Self-published or questionable sources as sources on themselves}}

When there is a discrepancy between the term most commonly used by reliable sources for a person or group and the term that person or group uses for themselves, use the term that is most commonly used by recent{{efn|name=recent|In MoS's own wording, "recent", "current", "modern", and "contemporary" in reference to sources and usage should usually be interpreted as referring to reliable material published within the last forty years or so. In the consideration of name changes of persons and organizations, focus on sources from the last few years. For broader English-language usage matters, about forty years is typical. While style guides with fewer than five years in print have not been in publication long enough to have had as much real-world impact as those from around 2000–2015 (on which MoS is primarily based), the corpora used for [[Google ngrams|Google {{var|n}}grams]] are updated through 2022, and we frequently [[Wikipedia:Search engine test#Some search engine tests|rely on]] what they indicate from the late 20th century and onward.}} reliable sources. If it is unclear which is most used, use the term that the person or group uses.

Disputes over how to refer to a person or group are addressed by Wikipedia [[Wikipedia:Content policies|content policies]], such as those on [[Wikipedia:Verifiability|verifiability]], and [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|neutral point of view]] (and [[Wikipedia:Article titles|article titles]] when the term appears in the title of an article).

Use specific terminology. For example, it is often more appropriate for people or things from Ethiopia (a country in Africa) to be described as ''Ethiopian'', not carelessly (with the risk of [[stereotyping]]) as ''African''.

====Gender identity<span class="anchor" id="GENDERID"></span>====
{{Main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography#Gender identity}}

[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography#Gender identity|Specific guidelines apply]] to any person whose gender might be questioned, and any living transgender or non-binary person. In summary:
*Use gendered words only if they reflect the person's latest self-identification as reported in recent sources.
*If the person is living and was not notable yet when a former name was in use, that name should not be included in any Wikipedia page, even in quotations, as a privacy matter. Exception: Do not expunge or replace names in source citations (whether as authors or mentioned in work titles).
*Former names under which a living person was notable should be introduced with "born" or "formerly" in the lead sentence of their main biographical article. Name and gender matters should be explained at first appearance in that article, without overemphasis. In articles on works or other activities of such a person, use their current name by default, and give another name associated with that context in a parenthetical or footnote, only if they were notable under that name. In other articles, do not go into detail about such a person's name or gender except when directly relevant to the context.
*Avoid confusing constructions by rewriting. Paraphrase, elide, or use square brackets to replace portions of quotations as needed to avoid confusion, former names, and mismatching gendered words.
{{crossref|pw=y|For examples and finer points, see {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography#Gender identity}}.}}

===Non-English terms <span class="anchor" id="Foreign terms"></span> ===
{{Shortcut|MOS:NON-ENG|WP:!EN|MOS:FOREIGN}}
{{See also|WP:Manual of Style/Accessibility#Other languages|WP:Manual of Style/Lead section#Other languages|:Category:Wikipedia Manual of Style (regional)|Help:Interlanguage links}}

==== Terms without common usage in English <span class="anchor" id="No common usage in English"></span> ====
{{Main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Non-English-language terms}}

Non-English terms should be used sparingly. In general, [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Foreign terms|use italics]] for phrases and words that are not current in English. This is best done with the {{tlx|lang}} template using the appropriate [[ISO language code]], e.g., {{tlx|lang|es|casa}}. There are alternatives to the {{tnull|lang}} template which also provide additional information about a non-English word or phrase, such as a link to the language name; {{crossref|pw=y|see [[:Category:Wikipedia multilingual support templates]]}}. As Wikipedia does not apply italics to names of people, places, or organizations, the alternative template {{tlx|langr}} can be used to apply the language markup without italicizing.{{efn|This has the benefit of helping screen readers pronounce the name correctly. Such a proper name may be italicized when contrasting it with a conventional English form: {{xt|Munich ({{langx|de|München|link=no}})}}.}} Templates like {{tlx|lang}} automatically italicize text written using the Latin alphabet, so specifying italics is unnecessary. 

Text written in non-Latin scripts such as Greek, Cyrillic, and Chinese should not be italicized or put in bold, as the difference in script is already sufficient to visually distinguish the text. Generally, any non-Latin text should include an appropriate romanization.

====Terms with common usage in English====
{{anchor|Common usage in English|reason=Old section name, surely has incoming links.}}
[[Loanword]]s and borrowed phrases that have common usage in English{{snd}}{{xt|Gestapo}}, {{xt|samurai}}, {{xt|vice versa}}{{snd}}do not require italics. A rule of thumb is to not italicize words that appear unitalicized in major general-purpose English dictionaries.

==== Spelling and romanization ====
{{Shortcut|MOS:Ñ|MOS:NOTLATIN|MOS:ROMANIZATION|MOS:ROMANISATION|MOS:DIACRITICS}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use English-language sources)#Modified letters|Wikipedia:Romanization|:Category:Romanization}}

Names and terms originally written using a non-[[Latin script]]—such as the [[Greek alphabet]], the [[Cyrillic alphabet]], or [[Chinese characters]]—must be [[romanized]] for English-language use. If a particular romanization of the subject's name is [[Wikipedia:Article titles#Use commonly recognizable names|most common]] in English ({{xt|Tchaikovsky}}, {{xt|Chiang Kai-shek}}), that form should be used. Otherwise, the romanization of names should adhere to a particular widely used system for the language in question ({{xt|Aleksandr Tymoczko}}, {{xt|Wang Yanhong}}). 

The use of [[diacritic]]s in non-English words is neither encouraged nor discouraged. Use generally depends on whether they appear in reliable English-language sources, though with some additional constraints imposed by site guidelines. Provide [[Wikipedia:Redirect#Alternative names and languages|redirects]] from alternative forms that include or exclude diacritics.

Proper names in languages written using the [[Latin alphabet]] can include letters with diacritics, [[Typographic ligature|ligatures]], and other characters that are not commonly used in contemporary English. Wikipedia normally retains these special characters, except where there is a well-established English spelling that replaces them with English standard letters. Examples:
* The name of the article on Hungarian mathematician [[Paul Erdős]] is spelt with the [[double acute accent]], and the alternative spellings ''Paul Erdos'' and ''Paul Erdös'' redirect to that article.
* Similarly, the name of the article on the Nordic god {{langr|non|[[Ægir]]}} is so spelt, with redirects from the ligature-free form {{langr|non|[[Aegir]]}} and the Swedish spelling {{langr|sv|[[Ägir]]}}.
* However, the region of Spain named {{lang|es|Aragón}} in Spanish and {{lang|ca|Aragó}} in Catalan is given as [[Aragon]], without the accent, as this is the established English name. Non-English forms with diacritics appear in the article's lead section.
Use of diacritics is determined on a topic-by-topic basis; a [[Wikipedia:Consensus#Levels of consensus|small group of editors]] cannot prohibit or require the use of diacritics within a given class of articles.{{efn|1=See the near-unanimous [[Special:PermanentLink/496631631#RfC: Can a wikiproject require no-diacritics names, based on an organisation's rule or commonness in English press?|RfC]], repeated [[Special:PermanentLink/664830645|deletion]] at [[Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion]] of an anti-diacritics "wikiproject", the policy {{section link|Wikipedia:Consensus#Levels of consensus}}, and the [[Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee]]'s standardized [[Wikipedia:Arbitration/Index/Principles 2#Levels of consensus|''statements of principles'' on such matters]].}}

Spell a name consistently in the title and the text of an article. {{crossref|pw=y|(Relevant policy: [[Wikipedia:Article titles]]; see also [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use English-language sources)]].)}} For a non-English name, phrase, or word, adopt the spelling most commonly used in English-language [[Wikipedia:Verifiability#Reliable sources|reliable sources]], including but not limited to those already cited in the article.{{efn|name=GScholar|1=Reputable English-language encyclopedias and dictionaries in the aggregate are often helpful in [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (geographic names)#Widely accepted name|determining the most widely accepted spelling]] of a place name, loanwords, etc. It may also help ([[Wikipedia:Google test|within limits]]) to compare search results from the [[Google Scholar]] journal index, for topics likely to be covered in peer-reviewed academic papers.}} For punctuation of compounded forms, see relevant guidelines in {{section link||Punctuation}}.

[[Proper and common nouns|Proper name]]s in non-English languages should generally not be italicized, unless another reason applies; such as with [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Titles of works#FOREIGNTITLE|titles of major published works]], e.g., [[Les Liaisons dangereuses|{{xt|{{lang|fr|Les Liaisons dangereuses}}}}]]; or when being compared to other names for the same subject in a [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Words as words|words-as-words]] manner, e.g., {{xt|'''Nuremberg''' ({{langx|de|Nürnberg}})}}. When non-English text should not be italicized, it can still be properly tagged by using the {{tlx|lang}} template with the {{para|italic|unset}} parameter: {{tlx|lang|de|Nürnberg|italic{{=}}unset}}.

Sometimes usage will be influenced by other guidelines, such as {{section link||National varieties of English}}, which may lead to different choices in different articles.

====Other non-English concerns<span class="anchor" id="Other concerns"></span>====
*For non-English vernacular names of species, see {{section link||Animals, plants, and other organisms}}.
*For handling of quotations in languages other than English, see {{section link||Non-English quotations}}.
*For non-English characters that resemble single quotation marks and apostrophes, see {{section link||Apostrophes}}.
*For actual non-English quotation characters, see {{section link||Quotation characters}}.
*For the capitalization in the titles of non-English language works, see {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Titles of works#Translations}}.
*For linear and [[interlinear gloss]]es and their particular uses of small-caps (and italics and single quotes), see {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Capital letters#All caps and small caps}}.

===Technical language<span id="JARGON"></span>===
{{Shortcut|MOS:JARGON}}
{{redirect|Wikipedia:Jargon|an explanation of jargon used on Wikipedia|Wikipedia:Glossary}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|Wikipedia:Make technical articles understandable}}

Some topics are necessarily technical; however, editors should seek to write articles accessible to the greatest possible number of readers. Minimize the use of [[jargon]], and adequately explain its meaning when it is used. Overly technical material can be tagged with {{tlx|Technical}} or {{tlx|Technical statement}}, so that it can be addressed by other editors. For topics that require a more technical approach, the creation of a separate introductory article (like [[Introduction to general relativity]]) may be a solution.

Excessive ''wikilinking'' (linking within Wikipedia) can result from trying too hard to avoid putting explanations in parenthetical statements, like the one that appeared earlier in this sentence. Do not introduce specialized words solely to teach them to the reader when more widely understood alternatives will do. 

When the concepts underlying the jargon used in an article are too complex to explain concisely in a parenthetical, [[Wikipedia:Make technical articles understandable#Write one level down|write one level down]]. For example, consider adding a brief background section with {{tlx|main}} tags pointing to articles with a fuller treatment of the prerequisite material. This approach is practical only when the prerequisite concepts are central to the exposition of the article's main topic and when such prerequisites are not too numerous. Short articles, such as [[Wikipedia:Stub|stubs]], generally do not have such sections.

{{crossref|pw=y|For italicization and other markup of introduced terms, see: {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Words as words}}.}}

===Geographical items===
{{Shortcut|MOS:GEO|MOS:PLACE}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (geographic names)|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Abbreviations#Special considerations}}
{{redirect|MOS:GEO|the guideline on linking comma-separated geographical names|MOS:GEOLINK|geographical coordinates|MOS:COORDS}}

<section begin="MOS:GEO" />'''Geographical''' or '''place names''' are the nouns used to refer to specific places and geographic features. These names often give rise to conflict, because the same places are called different things by different peoples speaking different languages. Many place names have a historical context that should be preserved, but common sense should prevail. There can be few places that have not been parts of more than one culture or have had only one name. As proper nouns, all such place names (but not terms for types of places) [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Capital letters#Place names|have major words capitalized]].

A place should generally be referred to consistently by the same name as in the title of its article {{crossref|pw=y|(see [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (geographic names)]])}}. An exception may be made when there is a widely accepted historical English name appropriate to the given context. In cases where such a historical name is used, it should be followed by the modern{{efn|name=recent}} name in round brackets (parentheses) on the first occurrence of the name in applicable sections of the article. This resembles linking; it should not be done to the detriment of style. On the other hand, it is probably better to provide such a variant too often than too rarely. If more than one historical name is applicable for a given context, the other names should be added after the modern English name, that is: "historical name (modern name, other historical names)".

This is an English-language encyclopedia, so established English names are preferred if they exist, and spellings in non-English alphabets should always be transcribed into the Roman alphabet. In general, other articles should refer to places by the names which are used in the articles on those places, according to the rules described at [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (geographic names)]]. If a different name is appropriate in a given historical or other context, then that may be used instead, although it is normal to follow the first occurrence of such a name with the standard modern name in parentheses.

At the start of an article, provide notable equivalent names from other languages, including transcriptions where necessary: 
:'''Cologne''' ({{langx|de|Köln|link=no}}, IPA: {{IPA|[kœln]}}) is the&nbsp;...
:{{Nihongo|'''Mount Fuji'''|富士山|Fujisan|extra=IPA: {{IPA|[ɸuʥisaɴ]}} }} is the&nbsp;...

Names in languages with no particular present-day or historical ties to the place in question (English excepted, of course) should {{em|not}} be listed as alternatives.

Avoid anachronism. An article about [[Junípero Serra]] should say he lived in [[Alta California|Alta Mexico]], not in [[California]], because the latter entity did not yet exist in Serra's time. The Romans invaded [[Gaul]], not [[France]], and [[Thabo Mbeki]] was the president of the [[Republic of South Africa]], not of the [[Cape Colony]]. To be clear, you may sometimes need to mention the current name of the area (for example "in what is now France"), especially if no English name exists for that area in the relevant historical period.<section end="MOS:GEO" />