Every word counts.

A compact way to say all day, every day. Write it out when the phrase fits the rhythm better.

Short for two-dimensional. Use 2D when it is familiar in context; spell it out when the audience may not recognize it.

Various display resolutions.

Short for three-dimensional. Use 3D when it is familiar in context; spell it out when the audience may not recognize it.

Note periods: 9:45 a.m. Use a space before the abbreviation.

Accept means receive or agree to. Except usually leaves something out.

Adobe Creative Cloud is a product name. Keep its capitalization. Creative Cloud is a recognizable shortened form after the context is clear.

Advice is what you offer; advise is what you do. In pronunciation, advice ends with an s sound and advise with a z sound.

Affect usually describes an influence. Effect usually names a result. Effect can also be a verb meaning bring about; affect has a specialized noun use in psychology.

Afterward and afterwards both mean later. Afterward is more common in American English; afterwards is more common in British English. Use the form that fits your var…

An alert calls attention to something. In an app, it may be a message, sound, or visible signal. Name what happens when that is clearer than a general label.

Note capitalization. Use only when specifically referring to Amazon's voice assistant. Rewrite sentences to avoid using pronouns such as he or she.

Put the person and action first when that makes the sentence more direct.

One word.

Used by Windows users. For Mac users, use Option key. Use Alt/Option key when referring to both users, or split into separate sentences.

Alternate can mean every other or happening by turns. Alternative refers to another choice. Some varieties also use alternate to mean alternative; be clear about whi…

America can mean the United States in everyday speech, but the Americas include North and South America. Name the country or region when the distinction matters.

Use Android for the operating system. Android phone or Android device is clearer when you mean a device that runs it.

Short for application. Use lowercase unless part of a name or label. Prefer app for familiar software when application would sound unnecessarily formal.

Use Apple menu in cross-platform text. A symbol may render differently across fonts and devices, so do not rely on the Apple logo alone.

Assure often means reassure someone. Ensure means make certain that something happens. Insure commonly means arrange insurance against a loss.

One word and capitalized.

Refers to the action of physically clicking a mouse button or clicking a link. Do not substitute for tap or press.

Use lowercase for the ordinary term, including cloud storage. Match capitalization only when it is part of an official name.

Clarify the meaning: source code, verification code, or another specific type. Match the interface label when describing an actual field.

The Command key on Mac keyboards. Spell out Command in prose and shortcut instructions. Use the symbol only when the audience and format support it.

A complement completes something or goes well with it. A compliment expresses praise.

Use for joining devices or establishing access to a service. Use plug in for the physical action of inserting a plug.

In hardware, a connector joins a cable or device to another part. It can also name software that links services. Explain the kind you mean and help readers recognize…

Use lowercase for text, images, media, or other material. Refer to a specific type when it is clearer.

Refers to the Control key on Mac keyboards. On Windows keyboards, the equivalent key is labeled Ctrl. Do not use Control key when referring to the Windows Ctrl key.

Adobe Creative Cloud is a product name. Keep its capitalization. Creative Cloud is a recognizable shortened form after the context is clear.

Refers to the Control (Ctrl) key on Windows keyboards. On Mac keyboards, the equivalent key is typically the Command key, though Mac also includes a separate Control…

A view summarizing information or activity. Use lowercase generically and match the label if a product names it Dashboard.

One word.

Use enter for supplying information in a field. Type describes producing text with a keyboard. In a simple instruction, name the field and the information needed.

Entitled can mean given a title or having a right to something. Titled, named, or called may avoid a moment of ambiguity when you’re introducing a work.

Everyday describes something ordinary or familiar. Every day means each day.

Farther and further can both describe a greater distance. A familiar style preference uses farther for physical distance and further for an idea, a degree, or someth…

Fewer usually suits separate items you can count; less suits an amount. Time, money, and distance often take less even with a number.

A short explanation that appears beside an interface item, often on hover. Tooltip is another familiar name. For a general audience, explain where the help appears r…

The main or introductory page of a website. Use homepage consistently in general references. A homepage is a page, not the entire website. Match official interface l…

Combine parts so they work together. When the term feels abstract, name what connects and what the person can do.

A combination of systems, tools, or components. In writing for a general audience, explain what works together rather than relying on integration alone. Use lowercas…

Lowercase internet is common in contemporary general writing. Some older references capitalize it. Choose a convention for the piece and preserve capitals in actual …

Use in to when in belongs to the verb. Use into for movement to the inside of something.

Its shows possession. It’s means it is or it has. Try the expanded words to check which form you need.

Use to describe a small physical port or receptacle for connecting hardware (e.g., audio jack, video jack). Avoid using as a verb. Do not use male or female to descr…

Note capitalization. A scripting language commonly used to add interactive features to webpages.

Use to refer to individual keys on a keyboard or other hardware device.

Use to describe the action of pressing a key or a series of keys. Often used in technical contexts such as shortcut instructions or programming.

Use to describe the action of pressing a key or combination of keys, typically in a broader or more functional context than keypress.

In computing, kill has a specific technical use. For a general reader, stop, end, or force quit may explain the action more clearly.

A collection of information people can search or browse for help. Spell out knowledge base before using KB if the short form will recur. A wiki describes a way of ma…

Refers to the country or region. Use South Korea or North Korea for clarity when distinction is necessary. Do not use Korea to refer to only one of the two countries…

Lay means put something down: you lay an object somewhere. Lie means recline or rest in a position: you lie down yourself. The object is a useful clue.

Use let when it fits your voice. A more direct construction can sometimes make the reader’s action clearer.

Note capitalization. Acronym for Light Detection and Ranging. Spell out only if necessary in technical contexts.

One word. The length of time a person, animal, object, or idea lasts. Be specific about the meaning when a comparison depends on it.

Use link for a hyperlink. Make the destination clear from the linked wording. In instructions, tell readers what to select rather than using link as an unclear actio…

Always capitalize. Refers to the operating system. Do not use to refer to distributions unless specified (e.g., Ubuntu Linux).

Avoid in formal writing; use low-resolution instead.

Capitalize when referring to a button or icon represented by a lock. Use lowercase when used as a verb or in general contexts.

Use log out for ending a session when the product uses that term. For services that use sign in, pair it with sign out. Match actual interface labels.

Use login as a noun or adjective and log in as a verb. This guide prefers sign in for the action, while actual interface labels should be quoted accurately.

Don’t use; use login and log in.

The appearance and behavior of something, often an interface. Name the detail you mean when a broad phrase would leave readers guessing.

Use lookup as a noun or adjective to refer to a data search or reference. Use look up as a verb.

Loose can mean not firmly attached. Lose means misplace or no longer have something. In these uses, loose ends with an s sound and lose with a z sound.

Use low resolution as a noun phrase and low-resolution before a noun.

Refers to Apple’s desktop and laptop computers. Always capitalize. Do not use to refer to the operating system (macOS).

Acronym for Media Access Control. Use all caps. Avoid confusion with Mac (Apple computers). Use only in networking or security contexts.

Use to refer to Apple’s older operating system version (before macOS). Capitalize Mac OS X. Do not use for current systems.

Machine can mean many kinds of equipment. Computer, device, or the actual name can make a sentence more precise.

Always use lowercase for the mac prefix and capitalize OS. Refers to Apple’s current desktop operating system.

In a cybersecurity context, consider intermediary attack when it is accurate and understood by the audience. Explain the threat in plain language rather than relying…

Use to refer to a device’s RAM or working data storage capacity.

Use lowercase. Refers to the bar containing menus (e.g., File, Edit) typically located at the top of the screen.

Use lowercase unless part of a UI label. Refers to on-screen navigation elements.

Use to refer to system or user notifications, alerts, or prompts. Avoid alert unless referring to an alert sound or message.

Note capitalization. Refers to the productivity software suite by Microsoft. Do not shorten to Office unless previously defined in context.

Refers to standard settings or default behavior. Avoid using normal when default, standard, or more specific terms are clearer.

A message or signal that brings something to someone’s attention. In an app, describe what it tells the person or what they can do next.

All caps. Acronym for Organic Light-Emitting Diode. Use OLED to describe display technology.

Once can mean one time, formerly, or as soon as. All are ordinary uses. If a sequence could be unclear, after or when may make it easier to follow.

This guide uses onscreen as one word. On-screen is another established form. Follow the dictionary or convention for your piece and keep the choice consistent.

Use on to when on is part of the verb. Use onto to indicate motion toward a surface or object.

Software made available under a license that permits defined uses, modification, and redistribution. Check the actual license; open source does not mean there are no…

Lowercase unless part of a product name (e.g., Windows operating system).

Lowercase unless part of a UI label. Refers to a selectable choice or setting.

Note capitalization. Refers to the Option key on Mac keyboards. For Windows, use Alt key.

Explain why someone might choose an optional action when that is more helpful than saying optionally.

Acronym for operating system. Use only after defining the full term. Avoid using OS in place of product names (e.g., Windows, macOS).

Use to refer to older versions of Apple’s operating system prior to macOS.

Over can describe position, movement, or a quantity greater than a number. More than is another option for a numerical comparison. Choose the phrase that reads clear…

Note periods: 8:15 p.m. Use a space before the abbreviation.

An individual document or view in a website or app. Use page, window, screen, or view according to what readers actually encounter.

Pair describes connecting devices so they can work together. Paired describes the resulting connection. Explain the action when readers may not know the term.

An area within a window, often showing a particular set of options or information. In instructions, use the actual label and describe the action when that is clearer…

Use the product’s actual name for a panel. When a more specific term such as pane, window, or dialog is clearer, prefer it. Avoid substituting names for interface ar…

Passed is the past tense of pass. Past refers to an earlier time or a position beyond something.

One word; lowercase. Refers to a secure string used to access accounts or systems. Avoid suggesting passwords be shared or stored insecurely.

All caps. Acronym for Portable Document Format. Use PDF to refer to a file type or document format. Do not use pdf or Pdf.

Percent is the usual American spelling; per cent is also used in British English. The symbol % works well with numerals. Choose a form for the piece and keep compari…

A control for choosing a value, such as a date or color. Use the term when readers recognize it; otherwise describe what they see and do.

Use please when it fits the tone and relationship. Direct instructions can be respectful without repeating it at every step. In a personal request, a simple please m…

Use to refer to the specific act of plugging a connector into a port or an outlet. For example, a power cord plugs into an electrical outlet; you can plug a USB C co…

In hardware or networking, name the kind of port when readers need that detail. A port and a connector are different parts.

In American English, practice is both noun and verb. British English commonly uses practice for the noun and practise for the verb. Check the convention for your var…

Principal can mean main or most important. As a noun, it can name someone in a leading role or an amount of money before interest. Principle names a belief, a guidin…

Use lowercase for an account profile or a written description of a person. Match capitalization when it is part of a name or actual interface label.

Use a direct verb when provide makes the sentence longer without adding meaning.

Short for random access memory, the working memory used by a computer. Distinguish it from storage when a specification depends on the difference.

Use when a reader exchanges a code or voucher for something. Name what the code provides and match the actual interface label.

A document or view presenting information, findings, or results. Use lowercase generically and match an actual report title or interface label.

An image of what appears on a screen. Take a screenshot is a familiar way to describe the action. Name what to capture if readers need a particular area.

Use lowercase. Refers to the visual box that appears when users drag to select multiple items onscreen. Avoid terms like lasso or marquee unless part of a named tool…

A direct reference to the person can be clearer than an abstract phrase with self. Keep established compounds when they express the meaning accurately.

Capitalize the first word and proper nouns.

Use Settings (capitalized) when referring to a labeled section or UI element. Use settings (lowercase) when referring to general configuration options.

Use setup as a noun or adjective and set up as a verb.

Use lowercase. Refers to the interface on Apple devices that lets users share content or perform related actions. Avoid using sharing menu or share menu.

Note capitalization. Refers to the keyboard key used to modify input, such as capitalizing letters or activating shortcuts.

Note hyphen. Use to describe the action of holding the Shift key while clicking to select a range of items.

Note hyphen. Use to describe the action of holding the Shift key while dragging an item, often to constrain movement or duplicate content.

Shows up is natural in conversation. Appears can be shorter in an instruction, while arrives may suit a person. Choose the meaning and tone you want.

Use shutdown as a noun or adjective. Use shut down as a verb. Don’t use interchangeably.

Use lowercase. Sidebar refers to a vertical navigation area, typically on the left side. Use sidebar menu only when it clarifies the context.

A sighted person is a person who can see. Use the distinction when it matters, and don’t assume that screen-reader use tells you whether someone is sighted. People u…

Use sign, not symbol, in the following terms: division sign, equal sign, greater-than sign, less-than sign, minus sign, multiplication sign, number sign, and plus si…

Two words for the action. Write sign in to your account. Use with or using for a method, such as sign in with a passkey. Match an actual button or service label.

Two words as a verb. Use for ending an account session when the service uses this term. Match the interface label.

Use sign-on as a noun or adjective. Use sign on as a verb. Avoid using these terms when sign in is clearer.

Signaled and signaling are common American spellings. Signalled and signalling are common British spellings. Choose the forms that fit your variety of English.

Since can refer to time or give a reason. Use because when it makes the reason clearer.

Single can emphasize one item. Leave it out when the number is already clear and the emphasis adds nothing.

Use the hyphenated form single sign-on. Spell it out before using SSO if readers may not know it. Match an actual product’s terminology when writing instructions.

Note capitalization. Use only when specifically referring to Apple’s voice assistant. Rewrite sentences to avoid using pronouns such as he or she.

Use lowercase. Refers to relative dimensions. Avoid when more specific terms like width or height are clearer.

Size can mean make or adjust to a particular size. Resize is often more precise for changing an image or window.

Use slash to refer to the (/) character. Don’t call it a backslash unless referring to (\).

Don’t use; replace with terms like secondary, replica, or dependent, depending on context.

Use lowercase. Refers to a low-power state for a computer or device.

Move smoothly across a surface. For an interface action, use drag, swipe, or slide according to what the person actually does.

Use to refer to a control that adjusts a value along a range.

One word. Refers to a sequence of images or slides shown in order.

Use for a long physical opening that accepts an item or connection. Can also refer to a virtual opening that accepts a virtual item.

One word.

Smiley can name a smiling-face symbol or describe one. Emoji is broader and includes much more than faces. Use the more specific word when it helps.

So-called can distance you from a label or make it sound doubtful. Use it deliberately, especially when describing another person’s work or identity. If you only mea…

Websites and apps for sharing and communicating. Name a particular service when that helps, and use its current name.

Use to describe a physical receptacle with holes to receive a plug or another connector. Don’t use female connector. Avoid jack unless referring to audio.

Avoid; use a term such as file or electronic document.

Programs and code that run on a device. Use app, program, or the specific product name when more precise.

Spell out on first use. Abbreviate as SDK only after defining. Use lowercase unless part of a product name.

The terms for using software. Preserve the document’s actual title. License is the noun spelling in American English; licence is common in British English.

One word.

Two words.

Two words.

See storage, storage space.

Space bar and spacebar are both found in writing about keyboards. Use one form consistently, and match a platform’s key name when quoting instructions.

Use to refer to the space entered by pressing the space bar.

Unwanted messages, often sent in bulk. Spam also works as a verb in everyday writing. Be clear whether you mean an unwanted message or repeated messaging.

One word.

A pointer that spins while the computer is busy. The technical name can be useful in troubleshooting; a familiar description can help someone recognize it.

All caps. Abbreviation for solid-state drive. Use SSD after first mention or when space is limited.

One word. Use to describe a product or application that functions independently.

Use standby as a noun or adjective. Use stand by as a verb.

Start is a familiar word for beginning. Launch may fit a release or an app; initiate often sounds more formal. Choose the verb that describes what happens.

Capitalize Start only. Refers to the Windows interface element for accessing apps and settings.

Use startup as a noun or adjective. Use start up as a verb.

Stationary means not moving. Stationery is writing paper and related supplies. The e in envelope can help you remember stationery.

An individual action in a procedure. Keep steps concise, use parallel wording, and number actions when order matters.

A control with arrows or buttons for increasing and decreasing a value. The name is useful in interface design; an instruction can simply describe the action.

Use still image as a noun and still-image as an adjective.

Stop is a direct word for ending an action. Use a more specific word when the distinction matters, such as pause for something that can resume.

Use to refer to hardware used to store data, such as an SSD or flash drive. Use lowercase.

Use storage or storage space to describe the available or used capacity of a device or account. Avoid memory unless referring to RAM.

Refers to hardware used to access online media content. Avoid brand-specific terms unless necessary.

Usually join sub to the following word without a hyphen. A proper name or a possible misreading may call for a hyphen.

One word. Refers to a folder located inside another folder.

One word. Refers to menus that appear within another menu.

Don’t hyphenate unless needed for clarity.

Use lowercase for general assistance. Capitalize Support when it is an actual team name or interface label. For compatibility, prefer works with or compatible with w…

Refers to the gesture of sliding a finger across a screen.

A physical or onscreen control, often for turning something on or off. Describe the action clearly and match the actual labels.

Use for changing from one thing to another.

Switch on and switch off are natural expressions, especially in British English. Turn on and turn off are alternatives. Match the voice of the piece and the action y…

Use symbol for a typographic or conceptual character, such as the percent symbol (%). An onscreen picture may be an icon or a button instead.

Use sync, not synch. Use with for devices and to, from, or between for content.

Use computer or device when that is what you mean. System can describe a combination of hardware, software, and related components.

Files a device uses to start or manage its operations. Explain why they matter before asking someone to change them.

macOS app for changing systemwide settings in macOS 12 and earlier. Use System Settings for macOS 13 and later.

macOS app that replaces System Preferences in macOS 13 and later.

Refers to operating system–level software. Do not use systems software.

One word. Refers to something affecting or available across the entire system.

Use to refer to either a separate view in an app or a control that switches views. A tab displays different content within the same window or app.

Capitalize Tab when referring to the keyboard key. Use lowercase tab character to describe the actual character it creates.

A quick touch and release on a touchscreen. Tap is usually enough on its own in a short instruction.

Touch and hold describes keeping contact with a screen. Tap and hold and long press also appear in product instructions. Match the term readers will see and explain …

Abbreviation for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Spell out on first mention in technical documents if the audience may be unfamiliar. Avoid using ca…

Assistance with hardware or software. Use the team’s actual name when referring to a particular support service.

Use to refer to the act of transmitting information. Use telecommunications to describe the field or industry.

Use lowercase when referring to a generic command-line interface.

Use to describe an area where users enter text. Try to refer to the specific label of the field when possible.

That often introduces a clause that identifies the thing you mean. The information is essential to the sentence’s meaning.

Their shows possession. There points to a place or introduces a statement. They’re means they are.

Then often points to a time, a next step, or a result. Than introduces a comparison.

They, their, and them can refer to one person or several. Use singular they when gender is unknown or irrelevant, and respect the pronouns a person uses.

Use third party as a noun and third-party as a compound adjective.

Through suits most prose. Thru is an informal spelling found in messages, signs, and names such as drive-thru. Keep it when it belongs to an actual name.

Use tilde to refer to the ~ character. Avoid using squiggle or approximate sign.

A rectangular interface item representing content or a feature. Match the terminology used by the product and explain the action rather than naming the shape when po…

Two words. Capitalize the specific name but lowercase general usage.

One word. Use to describe a linear or visual representation of events or progress over time, such as in video editing, history views, or progression charts.

One word. Use to describe a session or connection ending automatically due to inactivity.

One word. Use as a noun to describe a recorded time and date; use as a verb to refer to the act of recording such information.

Two words. Refers to the area at the top of a window that displays the window’s name or title.

Use titled to introduce the name of a work. Entitled also has this meaning, though titled can avoid confusion with having a right to something.

See window titles.

Hyphenate to-do in to-do list. It can also be a noun for a task or, in another sense, a fuss. For a general reader, task or item may be clearer than a to-do.

Switch between states or options. Turn on, turn off, or switch between can be clearer when a reader doesn’t know the interface term.

One word

One word.

A short hint attached to an interface item, often shown on hover or focus. Use the term when readers know it; otherwise describe how to find the hint.

Use touch for contact with a screen or object. Name the gesture more precisely when it matters, and explain any physical detail a reader needs.

Keep contact with an item until an action happens. Tell readers what to wait for, and match a product’s own gesture name when quoting its instructions.

One word. Use to refer to a display that responds to touch input.

Toward and towards are both standard. Toward is more common in American English; towards is more common in British English. Choose the one that fits your variety and…

One word.

One word.

Troubleshoot means work through a problem to find its cause or a solution. Explain the checks one at a time. Debug is more specific when you mean finding and fixing …

Include to after tune in.

Familiar phrases for starting and stopping a device or feature. Enable and disable may describe availability rather than power, so choose the wording that matches th…

TV is familiar and compact. Television may suit the rhythm or formality of a sentence. Use the form that feels at home in the piece.

Don’t use. Use display, video monitor, or monitor depending on context.

Tweet is useful when discussing a post on Twitter in its historical context. For a current service, use its present name and wording. Post is a general option.

A sign-in method using two different kinds of evidence, such as something you know and something you have. Spell it out before using 2FA when readers may not know th…

A sign-in process with two verification steps. It is not automatically the same as two-factor authentication: two steps can use the same kind of factor. Preserve a s…

Use to refer generally to text that appears on a page or screen. Do not use to mean font.

Refers to the action of pressing keys to produce text. Use quotation marks or code font for specific input as appropriate. Use enter when describing the act of inser…

The size of printed or displayed characters. Font size is the familiar label in most writing apps.

A treatment such as bold or italic. Font style is often the label in a writing app. Use the word that fits the discussion or actual control.

The design of a set of letters and other characters. Font is the more familiar word in most writing apps. In a typography discussion, typeface can help distinguish t…

Use this spelling for the country name, not Turkey.

U.S. and US are familiar abbreviations for the United States. This guide uses U.S. in ordinary prose, but other styles omit the periods. Keep the choice consistent a…

Use all caps; there is no spelled-out version. Hyphenate when used as an adjective.

Abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. Avoid using USB as a noun; use it adjectivally when possible. Do not hyphenate, except when adding a letter type (e.g., USB-A)…

An individual identity for accessing a service. Users sign in to an account, using credentials such as an email address and password. Do not use account as a synonym…

Use sparingly. Refers to a unique identifier (typically a user name or email address) used to access a user account. When referring to a field label, use user ID if …

A name used to identify an account. Username and user name both appear in dictionaries and interfaces. Use a consistent form in prose and preserve an actual field la…

A person or organization that supplies products or services. Use lowercase for the generic term and official capitalization for vendor names.

A particular display or arrangement of information in an interface. Use lowercase unless part of a label. Match the terminology used by the product.

Use webpage (one word) to refer to a single document or content displayed in a web browser.

Use lowercase web when referring to the World Wide Web in general contexts. Capitalize Web only when it is part of a proper noun or formal name.

Use website (one word) to refer to a collection of related webpages under a single domain.

Use which with commas for a detail that adds information without identifying the thing you mean.

Note capitalization and hyphenation. Not wifi, wi-fi, or WiFi.

Refer to a window by the title it actually shows. Keep the generic word window lowercase unless it belongs to that title.

Capitalize when referring to Microsoft’s operating system.

Use Windows key to refer to the key on Windows keyboards that opens the Start menu. Mention the symbol (⊞) and abbreviation (Win) if clarifying for users unfamiliar …

Capitalize the full name; web is a familiar short form. The web is one part of the internet, not a name for every internet service.

Lowercase x can be a letter, a variable, or a plain-text substitute in dimensions. The multiplication sign (×) is a different character. Use the form expected by the…

Use to describe horizontal (x-axis) and vertical (y-axis) lines on graphs or interfaces.

Use to describe spatial positions. No hyphen.

Use hyphen. Refers to the horizontal axis on a graph or coordinate system.

Use hyphen. Refers to a point’s position along the x-axis.

Use hyphen. Refers to the vertical axis on a graph or coordinate system.

Use hyphen. Refers to a point’s position along the y-axis.

Zeros and zeroes are both accepted plurals of zero. Choose one and use it consistently.

A postal code in the United States. ZIP Code is the U.S. Postal Service’s form. Postal code is a broader term for writing about several countries. Match the label wh…

Use lowercase when referring to the action (e.g., zoom in on the photo). Use uppercase Zoom when referring to the feature or app.