Similarly, the Alabama abbreviation is AL (and not Al). Some writers and editors still prefer to use the older forms of state abbreviations (see "Traditional Abbreviations in the table below), though this is rare. These postal abbreviations may also be used in any context where abbreviations are appropriate. - department 8. The traditional abbreviations are still commonly used in other ways besides mailing addresses. - appointment 3. apt. What Is a Style Guide and Which One Do You Need? Abbreviations. Popular Quizzes Today. This is a list of postal code abbreviations used by the United States Postal Service.They are used to help the postal service process mail. In an attempt to be more consistent across the board, AP has changed the ruling so that both domestic and international articles now contain spelled … Legal citation manuals, such as The Bluebook and The ALW… State Abbreviations and State Postal Codes. U.S. Postal Service Find out what is the most common shorthand of TRADitional on Abbreviations.com! (exempli gratia = for example) etc. (1984). If you're following APA or AP, you will keep the periods there too. The Riverside Publishing Company. The list remained relatively unchanged until ZIP codes were introduced. U.S. maps; States; Cities; Lakes; National Parks In most cases, postal abbreviations are appropriate and well understood. Natural Resources Canada, however, maintains a list of such abbreviations which are recommended for "general purpose use" and are also used in other official contexts, such as the census conducted by Statistics Canada. In lists and tabular material, use the traditional abbreviation. There are three different ways to write state names: you can spell them out in their entirety, you can use traditional abbreviations, or you can use postal abbreviations. Click on a letter to see the abbreviations beginning with that letter. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Why the ZIP Code Abbreviations Were Developed. Since the Postal Service instituted ZIP codes and their accompanying state postal codes in 1963, the two-letter abbreviations have steadily gained popularity. The Post Office aimed to fit the final address line into 23 characters to accommodate "major addressing systems.". Which Words in a Title Should Be Capitalized? (et cetera = and so forth) Before 1963, there were no ZIP codes used on postal mail in the United States, and the U.S. Post Office preferred that people wrote out state and territory names completely to avoid confusion in sorting mail. The Associated Press Stylebook, the usage guide for most United States newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended to a city name (for example, "Santa Ana, Calif."). When used in an address, use the two-letter USPS abbreviation. (Monday) Tues. (Tuesday) Thurs. Forced Order. Rate 5 stars Rate 4 stars Rate 3 stars Rate 2 stars Rate 1 star . What's the Preferred Way to Write the Abbreviation for United States? The addition of seven additional characters on a final address line (ZIP code plus two spaces) necessitated the shortening of state abbreviations to fewer characters. Sources: 1831, Table of Post Offices in the United States; 1874 and 1943, United States Official Postal Guide; 6/1963, Postal Bulletin 20368; 10/1963, Post Office Department Publication 59, Abbreviations for Use with ZIP Code.. As you can see, there are many guidelines for writing proper AP Style state abbreviations in your text. This applies to Chicago Manual of Style and the American psychological Association Style (APA). There are situations, however, in which it's correct to spell out state names. Visit Back2BU for the latest updates and information on BU's response to COVID-19. Home How to use the OED Abbreviations. AP suggests spelling out "Alaska," "Hawaii," and all state names with five or fewer letters; and, unlike the old GPO recommendations, AP suggests spelling out the names of all non-state territories, with the exception of the District of Columbia (D.C.). That was the word used by the people at IBM, transferred, "Both men were raised in the Midwest (Garfield in Ohio, Guiteau in Illinois) by a single, widowed parent." If you follow the older practice, be consistent in your use of the traditional abbreviations, and remember that eight states (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah) are only rarely abbreviated when using the older (pre-ZIP code) forms. For example, they can be used in writing after a city (like in "Miami, Fla."). If you are following the Chicago Manual, you'll remove the periods to become US except in bibliography or reference entries pertaining to U.S. statutes, court cases, and other legal-context usages, which retain the periods. - bring your own bottle, used for parties where guests are expected to bring their own drinks or restaurants that don't sell alcohol. D.I.Y. Looking for the abbreviation of TRADitional? Students can find additional information in the Undergraduate Student Guide and Graduate & Professional Student Guide. Some of them are the same as the two-letter postal abbreviations. Also, be sure to use a lowercase “state” in both of these instances to avoid any confusion. For example: This rule applies also if you are writing something formal and following a style guide, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, MLA Style, American Psychological Association Publication Manual (APA), or Associated Press Style (AP). The traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territories, widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U.S. postal abbreviations, are still commonly used for other purposes (such as legal citation), and are still recognized (though discouraged) by … In other contexts, such as newspaper articles, the traditional abbreviations for the states are used. Use the standard state abbreviations, with periods and spaces as shown, for all purposes other than postal addresses. - apartment 4. Okay, so “new” is stretching it a bit, but some writers may be unaware that in 2014 AP changed the rule regarding how state names should be written. Help your students learn states, capitals, and abbreviations in a flash with this study guide that improves upon traditional states & capital flashcards! This page has a form you can use to see what city a US or Canadian postal code refers to. Several sets of codes and abbreviations are used to represent the political divisions of the United States for postal addresses, data processing, general abbreviations, and other purposes. In 1987, the Secretary of Commerce switched to the more commonly used two-letter postal code abbreviations. State Abbreviations: State Abbreviations List. However, if you are a journalist or business writer who follows The Associated Press Stylebook (AP), you will abbreviate the state using the traditional state abbreviations below. - Do it yo… Written and verbal communication often includes these abbreviations: 1. approx. So what to do? These postal abbreviations are distinguished from traditional abbreviations such as Calif., Fla., or Tex. In bibliographies, lists, charts where space is at a premium, reference lists, footnotes and endnotes, and in mailing addresses, state names are usually shortened using the postal abbreviation. This is a list of traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territories. These abbreviations (short names) were used in mailing addresses before the introduction of two-letter U.S. postal abbreviations. A.S.A.P. (Sarah Vowell, "Assassination Vacation," 2005). united states map quiz abbreviations – staes and capitals map of us map usa with all names 14 map of usa e Letter Does Not Appear In Any U S State Name Simplemost U S GEOGRAPHY 36 best Seterra Map Quizzes images on Pinterest Postal and Traditional State Abbreviations Reference Guide 36 best Seterra Map Quizzes images on Pinterest Us Map Games With State … Postal Service (see "Postal Abbreviations" in the chart below) should always be used where a Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code follows. Spell out state names when used with the name of a city (except for DC): “I was born in New York, New York—please stop singing.” Two-letter postal abbreviations are preferred over traditional abbreviations when state names are used in bibliographies, tables, lists, blah cetera. Use the standard state abbreviations, with periods and spaces as shown, for all purposes other than postal addresses. Description: This map shows 50 states and their abbreviations in USA. There are situations, however, in which it's correct to spell out state names. Days of the Week: Abbreviations of Three Letters or More Addresses Latin Phrases Traditional State Abbreviations (not frequently used anymore) Jan. (January) Mon. This kind of image (United States Map Quiz Abbreviations – Postal and Traditional State Abbreviations Reference Guide) earlier mentioned can be branded having: submitted by simply mistermap on 2017-08-07 11:36:31. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Chicago Manual of Style and AP Style Manual state abbreviations, FIPS State Codes of the US and Outlying Areas, https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_U.S._states_by_traditional_abbreviation&oldid=6941016, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. Knowing to search Google for both the state and its old fashioned abbreviation, such as Washington OR "Wash." can widen your search possibilities. In the past, states were generally abbreviated in domestic articles and news stories, but they were always spelled out in international content. (id est = in other words) e.g. These foldables make fun and simple study center activities and great interactive study guides for homework practice. There are three different ways to write state names: you can spell them out in their entirety, you can use traditional abbreviations, or you can use postal abbreviations. The Associated Press Stylebook states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. Note, however, that Chicago recommends using the two-letter postal codes (and therefore US) wherever abbreviations are used." Academic degrees following a person's name are abbreviated and include periods with no spaces. In most cases, postal abbreviations are appropriate and well understood. Apart from the postal abbreviations, there are no officially designated traditional (or standard) abbreviations for the provinces. Shortest to Longest Times 8,132; Is That the Central American Capital? State abbreviations are all two letters, and these two letters are always capitalized without any periods. Traditional US state abbreviations, which were used prior to the introduction … - approximately 2. appt. The company is based in, New Jersey. The standard, or traditional, abbreviations, were widely used on mailing addresses and in other contexts before the two-letter postal abbreviations were introduced. In the early 1800s, it had established a standardized list of acceptable abbreviations, updating it in 1874. Finally, United States may be abbreviated to U.S. when used as an adjective, but in formal writing, it's customarily spelled out as a noun. There is also a list of "old style" abbreviations used to refer to US states before the US Postal Service switched to two-letter state abbreviations. - as soon as possible 5. Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff . Promoting ZIP Codes in New York City, 1966 To allow space for the ZIP Code in the last line of an address, state names needed to be abbreviated. MLA prefers to spell out United States as an adjective or a noun in running text. The two letter abbreviations came into use in 1963. 6. c/o - care of, used when sending mail to someone who's not at their usual address 7. dept. The two-letter, no-period state abbreviations recommended by the U.S. In 1987, the Secretary of Commerce switched to the two-letter State Alpha Code for state abbreviations. For example, Washington State is a university in the state of Washington. This handy chart has both the postal and the traditional abbreviations, for your reference: Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Can you name the two-letter postal abbreviations for each US state? by Derek Plays Quiz Updated Mar 18, 2020 . The decision will depend on the context of your writing and on the style guide you're following. United States Map Quiz Abbreviations. State Abbreviation; ALABAMA: AL: ALASKA: AK: ARIZONA : AZ: ARKANSAS: AR: CALIFORNIA : CA: COLORADO The U.S.: State Abbreviations - Map Quiz Game: The United States Postal Service (USPS) has established a set of uppercase abbreviations to help process mail using automated equipment. B.Y.O.B. The Web's largest and most authoritative acronyms and abbreviations resource. 10 Tips for Using Abbreviations Correctly, How to Write a Bibliography For a Science Fair Project, Definition and Examples of Analysis in Composition, Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York, "Our family had been transferred from Endicott, New York, to Raleigh, North Carolina. In conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in most datelines, use the traditional abbreviation. If you are using Google to search for old records, these records will probably use the old abbreviation. The postal abbreviations are the same as the ISO 3166-2 subdivision codes for each of the fifty states. He lives in Pennsylvania, but plans to move to Tacoma, Wash. These are the two-letter abbreviations that are used by the United States Postal Service. (Thursday) Ave. (Avenue) St. (Street) i.e. This is a fill-in-the-blank quiz, so just type the correct state abbreviation into the box below, and then click the “Check” button. To find out all photos with United States Map Quiz Abbreviations photographs gallery you should stick to that url. 18 December, 2020 at 8:58 AM. The standard, or traditional, abbreviations, were widely used on mailing addresses and in other contexts before the two-letter postal abbreviations were introduced. when used as a … ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. This page was last changed on 14 May 2020, at 09:40. Traditional State Abbreviations In addition to the postal abbreviations listed above, the states in the United States can also be shortened with a system typically called "traditional" abbreviations. Go back to see more maps of USA  U.S. Maps. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_traditional_abbreviation Give students all the st Each state has its own unique shortened name codes used in written documents and mailing … This list contains the most common abbreviations used in the OED. Most of the words listed are only abbreviated in certain contexts, esp. So, New Hampshire is shortened as NH and not as N.H. with periods after each letter. Use our free state abbreviations quiz to learn the abbreviations for all 50 states. In short-form listings of party affiliation, use the traditional abbreviation (D-Ala., R-Mont.). As a general rule, the names of states should be spelled out when they appear in sentences but abbreviated in other contexts. 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