List of style guide abbreviations

This list of style guide abbreviations provides the meanings of the abbreviations that are commonly used as short ways to refer to major style guides. They are used especially by editors communicating with other editors in manuscript queries, proof queries, marginalia, emails, message boards, and so on.

Abbreviation Style guide Organization Field/subject Principal national variety Reference
ACS ACS style American Chemical Society chemistry, chemical engineering American pubs.acs.org
AHD The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Houghton Mifflin Harcourt general American ahdictionary.com
AMA AMA Manual of Style American Medical Association medicine, health care American www.amamanualofstyle.com
AP AP Stylebook Associated Press journalism, wire service American www.apstylebook.com
APA APA style American Psychological Association psychology, social sciences American www.apastyle.org
BCE Butcher’s Copy-editing Cambridge University Press general; publishing British
CBE Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 6th edition, now called Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers Council of Science Editors back when it was called the Council of Biology Editors science, especially life sciences American
CGEL Cambridge Grammar of the English Language Cambridge University Press grammar and usage British
CGEU Cambridge Guide to English Usage Cambridge University Press grammar and usage British
CMOS The Chicago Manual of Style University of Chicago Press general use, publishing American www.chicagomanualofstyle.org
CMS (less commonly used than CMOS) The Chicago Manual of Style University of Chicago Press general use, publishing American www.chicagomanualofstyle.org
CSE Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers Council of Science Editors science, especially life sciences American
GMAU Garner's Modern American Usage Oxford University Press grammar and usage American
GPO U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual United States Government Publishing Office government publishing American www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008
GRM The Gregg Reference Manual McGraw-Hill Higher Education business records and correspondence American, Canadian mhhe.com/business/buscom/gregg/
IEEE IEEE style Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers electrical engineering, electronics, computer engineering American
MAU Modern American Usage by Follett, often called Follett's Modern American Usage grammar and usage American
MEUB Fowler’s Modern English Usage, Burchfield edition grammar and usage British
MEUF Fowler’s Modern English Usage, Fowler edition grammar and usage British
MEUG Fowler’s Modern English Usage, Gowers edition grammar and usage British
MHRA MHRA Style Guide Modern Humanities Research Association humanities British
MLA MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing Modern Language Association humanities American www.mla.org/store/CID25/PID341
MLAH The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers Modern Language Association humanities American www.mlahandbook.org
MSTP Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications Microsoft technical writing on IT topics American
MWC Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Merriam-Webster general American unabridged.merriam-webster.com/collegiate
MWCD Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Merriam-Webster general American unabridged.merriam-webster.com/collegiate
MWDS Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms Merriam-Webster general American
MWDEU Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage Merriam-Webster grammar and usage American
MWEU Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage Merriam-Webster grammar and usage American
MWG Merriam-Webster’s Guide to Punctuation and Style Merriam-Webster general American
MWM Merriam-Webster’s Manual for Writers and Editors (2nd ed. of MWSM) Merriam-Webster general American
MWNI2 Merriam-Webster’s New International Dictionary (Unabridged, 2nd ed.) Merriam-Webster general American
MWI3 Merriam-Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (Unabridged) Merriam-Webster general American
MWSM Merriam-Webster’s Standard American Style Manual Merriam-Webster general American
NHR New Hart’s Rules Oxford University Press general use, publishing British www.oxforddictionaries.com > New Hart's Rules search filter
NYT New York Times Manual of Style and Usage The New York Times journalism American
ODSWE Oxford Dictionary for Scientific Writers and Editors Oxford University Press science writing, technical writing British
ODWE Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors Oxford University Press general British
OED Oxford English Dictionary Oxford University Press general British
OSM Oxford Style Manual (combines ODWE and a fuller predecessor of NHR) Oxford University Press general British
S&W Elements of Style (Strunk and White) general American
TKE The King's English (Fowler and Fowler) grammar and usage British
Tur A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian general, especially academic papers American
URM Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, now called the ICMJE recommendations International Committee of Medical Journal Editors scientific journals, especially life sciences and medical journals International
WIT Words into Type Prentice Hall general use, publishing American