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by Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft® Manual of Style, Fourth Edition
Microsoft® Manual of Style, Fourth Edition
Foreword
Introduction to the Fourth Edition
What’s inside
How to use this manual
Other references
Acknowledgments
Contact the Microsoft Editorial Board
Errata & book support
We want to hear from you
Stay in touch
1. General Topics
1. Microsoft style and voice
Principles of Microsoft style
Consistency
Attitude
Language
Precision
Sentence structure and grammatical choices
Punctuation
Contractions
Colloquialisms and idioms
Bias-free communication
Do not use racial, cultural, sexual, and other stereotypes
Do not use stereotypes of people with disabilities
Anthropomorphism
Words to watch out for
Parallelism
Parallelism in lists
Parallelism in procedures
Parallelism in sentences
2. Content for the web
Make the right content choices
Text for the web
Make text scannable
Organize your text
Use links—lots of them
Video content for the web
Blogs
Community-provided content
Wikis
Evaluate your content
A/B testing
Task analysis
Help users find your content
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Keywords
Links
Titles
Descriptions
Tags
Social Media Optimization (SMO)
International considerations for web content
Accessibility considerations for web content
Legal considerations for web content
3. Content for a worldwide audience
Global English syntax
Machine translation syntax
Terminology and word choice
Technical terms
Jargon
Testing for jargon
Latin and other non-English words
Global art
Examples and scenarios
International currency
Time and place
Names and contact information
Fonts
Web, software, and HTML issues
Legal issues with worldwide content
Additional globalization resources
Print resources
4. Accessible content
Accessibility guidelines and requirements
Accessible webpages
Accessible writing
Accessible graphics and design
Acceptable terminology
5. The user interface
Windows user interface
Windows desktop
Desktop access points
Open window
Browser
Webpage
Windows Phone user interface
Start screen and Tiles
Other screen elements
App list
Hub
Menu
Dialog box
Lock screen
Keyboard
User interface elements
User interface terminology
User interface syntax
Ribbons, menus, and toolbars
Ribbons
Ribbon terminology
Menus
Menu terminology
Kinds of menus
Style of menu names and commands
Toolbars
Toolbar Terminology
Kinds of toolbars
Style of toolbar names and buttons
Webpage controls, dialog boxes, and property sheets
Webpage controls
Dialog boxes
Property sheets
Backstage view
How to refer to Backstage view
Control Panel
Messages
Errors
International considerations
Warnings
Confirmations
Notifications
Other user interface elements
Unnamed buttons
Modes of interaction
Gesture
Speech
Mouse terminology
How to refer to the mouse
How to refer to mouse pointers
Which verbs to use to refer to mouse actions
How to document mouse procedures
Key names
Special character names
Names of keyboard “quick access” keys
Keyboard shortcuts
Content for multiple platforms
User interface text
If you only do six things
High-level UI text checklist
User interface formatting
Capitalization
Bold formatting
6. Procedures and technical content
Procedures
How to format procedures
Multiple-step procedures
Single-step procedures
How to write procedure steps
Folders and icons
Commands
Dialog box options
Right angle brackets for menu items
Accessibility considerations
Document conventions in procedures
Mouse procedures
Keyboard procedures
Pen-computing procedures
Touch procedures
Sensor procedures
Joystick procedures
Multiple input methods and branching within procedures
Supplementary information and text within procedures
Document conventions
Cloud computing style
Cloud terminology
Reference documentation
Standardization and consistency
Reference topic titles
What to include in a reference topic
Code examples
General guidelines
Code formatting and naming guidelines
Code commenting guidelines
Referring to code examples
Additional resources for writing code
Security
Command syntax
File names and extensions
Version identifiers
General guidelines
Out-of-band release terminology
Protocols
XML tag, element, and attribute formatting
Elements vs. tags
Capitalization
Element name formatting
Attribute formatting
Tag and node formatting
Other formatting
HTML tag, element, and attribute formatting
Elements vs. tags
Formatting guidelines
Readme files and release notes
7. Practical issues of style
Capitalization
Capitalization of feature names and technologies
International considerations
Capitalization of titles and headings
Title capitalization
Capitalization and punctuation
Titles and headings
Title and heading style and conventions
Organizational guidelines
Microsoft in product and service names
Lists
How to punctuate lists
International considerations
Bulleted lists
Numbered lists
Unnumbered single-column and multicolumn lists
International considerations
Term lists
Tables
Accessibility considerations
Capitalization and punctuation
Content
Column headings
International considerations
Formatting
Footnotes
Cross-references
Blind cross-references
Structure and style of cross-references
Format of cross-references
Accessibility considerations
Cross-references in “See also” sections
Cross-references to art
Marginal cross-references
Notes and tips
Notes
Tips
Important notes
Cautions
Numbers
Numerals vs. words
International considerations
Fractions as words and decimals
Ordinal numbers
Commas in numbers
Ranges of numbers
Dates
Phone numbers
International phone numbers
Fictitious phone numbers
Time zones
Measurements and units of measure
Abbreviations of measurements
URLs, addresses
Names of special characters
Art, captions, and callouts
Cross-references to art
When to use captions and callouts
Captions
Callouts
Bibliographies and citations
Citing books and printed articles
Books, general bibliographic style
Books, examples
Printed magazine and journal articles, general bibliographic style
Printed magazine and journal articles, examples
Citing electronic information
CD-ROMs and computer programs, examples
Internet sites, example
Discussion list messages and email, examples
Page layout
Page breaks
Line breaks
Marginal notes
8. Grammar
Verbs and verb forms
Transitive and intransitive verbs
Agreement
International considerations
International considerations
Voice
International considerations
International considerations
Mood
Indicative mood
Imperative mood
International considerations
Subjunctive mood
Nouns
Plural nouns
International considerations
Possessive nouns
Words ending in -ing
International considerations
International considerations
Prepositions
Prefixes
International considerations
International considerations
Dangling and misplaced modifiers
9. Punctuation
Periods
Commas
When to use commas
When not to use commas
Apostrophes
Colons
Semicolons
Formatting semicolons
Quotation marks
Placement of quotation marks
Parentheses
Hyphens, hyphenation
Dashes
Em dash
En dash
Ellipses
Slash mark
Formatting punctuation
10. Indexes and keywords
Indexes
Index entries
Index subentries
Page references
Style and formatting
Capitalization
Plural vs. singular
Prepositions and articles
Verbs
Versus vs. vs.
Cross-references in indexes
Sort order
Order of entries
Special characters
Numeric entries
Alphabetical entries
Keywords and online index entries
Order of entries
Style of indexed keywords
Standardize keywords across products
Merge keywords from multiple files
Cross-references
11. Acronyms and Other Abbreviations
How to use acronyms and other abbreviations
First mention
Articles and plurals
International considerations
Table of acronyms and other abbreviations
How to use abbreviations of measurements
International considerations
Table of abbreviations of measurements
Process for adopting new acronyms or abbreviations
2. Usage Dictionary
A. Usage Dictionary
Numbers and symbols
35mm
8.5-by-11-inch paper
A
A.M., P.M.
-able, -ible
abort
above
accelerator key
access
access key
access privileges
access rights
accessible
accessory
accounts receivable
achievement
acknowledgment
action bar
action button
actionable
activate
active player, active user
active vs. current
ad hoc
adapter
add
add-in, add-on
adjacent selection
administer
administrator
Administrator program
affect vs. effect
afterward
against
alarm
album
alert
align, aligned on
allow
alpha
alphabetical
alphanumeric
alt text
among vs. between
ampersand (&)
and so on
and/or
antialiasing
antimalware
antispyware
antivirus
app
appears, displays
appendix, appendices
applet
application
application developer
application file
application icon
application window
arabic numerals
argument vs. parameter
arrow
arrow keys
arrow pointer
article
as
as well as
assembly language
assistive
asterisk (*)
at sign (@)
attribute
audiobook
audit trail
author
auto-
B
back end
back up, backup
backbone
backlight
backspace
backtab
backward
badge
base line vs. baseline
baud
because vs. since
beep
below
beta
bi-
big-endian, little-endian
bio
bitmap
bitmask
bitplane
bits per second
bitwise
black box
black hole
blacklist
blank
blog, weblog
blue screen, bluescreen
board
bold
bookmark
Boolean
boot
bootable disk
bot
bottom left, bottom right
bounding outline
box
bps
breakpoint
Briefcase
broadcast
browse
browse vs. find
browser
bug
bug fix
build
bulleted
burn
button
C
C, C++, C#
cable
cabling
cache vs. disk cache
calendar
call back, callback
call out, callout
caller ID
can vs. may
Cancel button
cancel the selection
canceled, canceling
card
carriage return/line feed
carry out vs. run
cascading menu
cascading style sheets
catalog
category axis
caution
CBT
CD
CD case
CD key
cellular
center around
chapter
character set
chart
chat
check
check box
check in
check mark
checked command
child folder
choose
clear
click
clickstream
clickthrough
client
client side
client/server
clip art
Clipboard
close
Close button
cloud
co-
code page
code point
codec
collaborate, collaboration, collaborator
color map
column format
COM
combo box
command
command button
command line
command prompt
communications port
compact disc
CompactFlash
compare to vs. compare with
compile
comprise
computer
Computer icon
connect
console
context menu
context-sensitive
contiguous selection
control
control-menu box
copy
corrupted
country/region
crash
criteria
critical process monitor
critical section object
critical update
current drive
current folder
current window
cursor
cut
cut-and-paste
D
data
data binding
data center vs. datacenter
data modem
data record
database
datagram
datum
deaf or hard of hearing
debug
deceptive software
decrement
default
definition update
defragment
deinstall
delete
demilitarized zone
deprecated
depress
deselect
Designer
desire
desktop
destination
destination disk, destination drive, destination file
device
device driver
dezoom
dialog
dialog box
dial-up
different
dimmed
direction keys
directory
directory icon
disable
disabled
disc
discreet vs. discrete
disjoint selection
disk
disk resource
disk space
diskette
display
display adapter, display driver
DNS
document
domain
done
DOS
dot-com
dotted rectangle
double buffering
double word
double-click, double-clicking
downgrade
downlevel
download
drag
drag-and-drop
drive
drive name
drop-down
DVD
dynamic-link library
dynamic service capacity
E
e.g.
earlier
e-book
e-commerce
edit
Editor
edutainment
e-form
either/or
elastic service capacity
e-learning
ellipsis button
email
embed
enable, enabled
end
end user, end-user
End-User License Agreement
endline
endpoint
ensure
enter
enterprise
entry
entry field
environment variable
erase
et al.
etc.
EULA
euro
e-words
executable file
execute
exit
expand, collapse
expose
extend
extension, file name extension
e-zine, webzine
F
facsimile
fail
FALSE
family
Far East
far-left, far-right
fast key
favorite
fax
feature pack
field
Figure
file
file attributes
file extension
file name
file name extension, extension
finalize
find and replace
finished
firewall
fixed disk
flick
flush
flush to
folder
folder icon
following
font and font style
foobar, fubar
footer
foreground program
format, formatted, formatting
Fortran
fourth-generation language
frameset
friendly name
from
from vs. than
front end, front-end
full file replacement
function
G
G, G byte, Gbyte
gallery
game pad
Gantt chart
garbage collection
gateway
GB
Gbit
general protection fault
GHz
gigabit
gigabyte
gigahertz
given
global
glyph
GP fault
graphic, graphical, graphics
graphics adapter
gray, grayed
graylist
grayscale
greater, better
gridline
group, newsgroup
group box
groupware
grow
H
hack, hacker
half inch
handheld computer
handle
handshake
hang
hard copy
hard disk
hard-coded
hard-of-hearing
hardware
hardwired
he/she
header
heading
hearing-impaired
Help
hexadecimal
hierarchical menu
higher
high-level-language compiler
high-quality
high-resolution
highlight
hint
hi-res
hit
home directory
home page
honeypot
host name
hosted service
hosting provider
hot key
hot link
hot spot, hotspot
hotfix
hover over
how-to vs. how to
HTML
HTTP
Hub
hybrid cloud
hyperlink
I
i.e.
IA-32-based
IA-64-based
I-beam
icon
iconize
if vs. when vs. whether
illegal
image map
imbed
impact
in, into
in order to
inactive, inactive state
inbound
incent
incoming, outgoing
increment
indent, indentation
indenting, outdenting
independent content provider
index, indexes
infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
initialize
initiate
inline
input
input device
input/output
input/output control
insecure
insertion point
inside
install
instant message, IM
instantiate
insure
Intel-based
interface
Internet, intranet, extranet
Internet Connection Sharing
Internet Explorer
Internet service provider
Interrupt
invalid, not valid
inverse video
invoke
IP address
issue
IT as a service (ITaaS)
IT pro
italic
Itanium-based
its vs. it’s
J
Java, JScript, JavaScript
jewel case
join
joystick
jump
justify, justified
K
K, K byte, Kbyte
KB
Kbit
KBps, Kbps
Kerberos protocol
key combination
key sequence
keyboard shortcut
keypad
keypress
keystroke
kHz
kilobit
kilobits per second
kilobyte
kilobytes per second
kilohertz
kludge, kludgy
knowledge base, Knowledge Base
L
label, labeled, labeling
landscape orientation
laptop
later
launch
lay out, laid out, layout
leave
left
left align, left-aligned
left mouse button
left-hand
left-justified
leftmost
legacy
legal
less vs. fewer vs. under
let, lets
leverage
license terms
life cycle
like
-like
line
line feed
link
linking and embedding
list box
load
localhost
lock
lock up
log on, log off, logon, logoff
look at
look up
lo-res
lower
lower left, lower right
lowercase
low-resolution
M
M, M byte, Mbyte
Mac, Macintosh
machine
machine language
Macro Assembler
main document
makefile
malicious code
malicious user
malware, malicious software
management information systems
manipulate
manual
marquee
master/slave
master/subordinate
mathematical
matrix, matrices
maximize
Maximize button
MB
measured service
medium, media
meg
megabit
megabits per second
megabyte
megahertz
member function
memory
memory models
memory-resident
menu item
message (email)
message box
metadata
metafile
MHz
mice
micro-
microprocessor
Microsoft
Microsoft Software License Terms
Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware
midnight
minimize
Minimize button
minus sign (–)
MIP mapping
mission critical, mission-critical
mobile device
mobile phone
monitor
monospace
more than vs. over
mouse over
movable
movement keys
MPEG
MS-DOS
MS-DOS prompt
MS-DOS-based program
multi-
multiple selection
multiplication sign (x)
multitasking
multithreaded
N
n
namespace
nanosecond
native language
natural user interface, NUI
navigate
need
Net
.NET
netbook
network
network adapter
network administrator
network connection
network drive
new line, newline
non-
nonadjacent selection
noncontiguous selection
nonprintable, nonprinting
non-Windows application, non-Windows-based
normal, normally
notebook
notification area
NT
NUL, null, NULL, Null
null-terminated, null-terminating
number sign (#)
numeric
O
object
Object Linking and Embedding
obsolete
of
offline
off-premises, on-premises
okay, OK
on
on the fly
on/off switch
once
online
online Help
on-screen
on-screen keyboard
onto, on to
opcode
open
operating environment, operating system
option, option button
outdent
output
outside
over
overtype
overwrite
P
page
palette
pan
pane
panorama
parameter
parent/child
parenthesis, parentheses
patch
patch management
patching
path
PC
PC Card vs. PCMCIA
p-code
pen
per
percent, percentage
perimeter network
peripheral
permissions
phone
photo
pin
pinch
ping, PING
pipe
pixel
placeholder
plaintext vs. plain text
platform
platform as a service (PaaS)
playlist
Plug and Play
plug-in
point to
pointer
pointing device
pop-up
port
portable computer
portrait orientation
post office vs. postoffice
pound key, pound sign (#)
power cord
power down, power up, power off, power on
power user
pre-
preceding
Preface
press
Press (Microsoft Press)
print, printout
print queue
private cloud, hosted private cloud
privileges
product ID
product key
program file
program vs. application
progress indicator
prohibition sign
prompt
prop
properties
property sheet, property page
protected mode
public cloud
pull quote
pull-down
purge
push button, push-button
push-to-talk
Q
quality
quarter inch
quick key
quit
R
radio button
ragged right
RAM
range selection
re-
read/write
read/write permission
read-only
real-time, real time
reboot
recommend
Recycle Bin
refresh
registry, registry settings
reinitialize
release notes
REM statement
remote
remove
replace
restore
Restore button
restore (SQL Server)
right
right align, right-aligned
right mouse button
right-click
right-hand
rightmost
rights
rip
ROM
root directory
RTFM
running foot, running head
run time, runtime, run-time
run vs. execute
runs vs. runs on
S
(s), (es)
sample vs. preview
save
scale up
scan line
screen
screen resolution
screened subnet
ScreenTip
script, scripting language
scriptlet
scroll
scroll arrow, scroll bar, scroll box
search, search and replace
secondary menu
security patch
security update
select
selection cursor
service-oriented architecture
service pack
set up, setup, Setup
set vs. specify
setting
set-top box
shaded
shell
ship
shortcut
shortcut key
shortcut menu
should vs. must
shut down, shutdown, Shut Down
sign in, sign out, sign on, sign up
simply
site
site map
size
slate
slider
small caps
smart card, Smart Card
smartphone
snap-in
soft copy
software as a service (SaaS)
software-plus-services
software update
sound card
spam
specification
speed key
spelling checker
spider
spin box
split bar
split box
spoofing
spreadsheet
spyware
SQL
SQL Server
stand-alone
start, Start (the menu)
start page
startup, start up
status bar
stop
storage, storage device
stream, streaming
stretch
strike
strikethrough
struct
style sheet
sub-
subaddress
subclass
submenu
Super VGA, SVGA
surf
swipe
switch
symbol
sync
sysop
system
system administrator
system prompt
system software
system tray
T
tab
table of contents
tablet, tablet PC
Taiwan
tap
target disk, target drive, target file
taskbar
TB
telnet, Telnet
terabyte
terminal
terminate
text box
that vs. which
then
thread
three-dimensional, 3-D
Tile, Live Tile
time bomb, timebomb
time stamp
time-out, time out
title bar
titled vs. entitled
toggle
tone
tool
toolbox
toolkit
tooltip
top left, top right
topic
toward
trailing
trojan horse, trojan
TRUE
turn
turn on, turn off
turnkey
tutorial
two-dimensional, 2-D
type vs. enter
U
U.K.
U.S.
un-
unavailable
UNC
uncheck, unmark, unselect
undelete
underline, underscore
undo
uninstall
unprintable
unregister
unwanted software
update
update rollup
upgrade
UPnP
upper left, upper right
uppercase
uppercase and lowercase
upsize
upward
usable
use terms
Usenet
user name
user rights
using vs. by using
using vs. with
utility
utilize
V
value axis
VCR
versus, vs.
VGA
vibration
video adapter
video board
video card
video display
video driver
video game, video-game
viewport
virtual
virtual root
virtual server
virtualize
visit
voice mail
vulnerability
W
W3C
want
we
web
Web Apps
How to refer to the Web Apps
Version numbers
Use of an article
webpage
website
weblication
where
while
whitelist
white paper
white space, white-space
who vs. that
Wi-Fi
wildcard character
window
Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware
Windows 7
Windows Events
Windows Explorer
Windows Installer
Windows NT Server, Windows NT Workstation
Windows Vista
Windows, Windows-based
Winsock
wireframe
want
wizard
word processing
wordwrap, wordwrapping
work area
workgroup
working memory
worksheet
workspace
workstation
World Wide Web
write-only
write-protect, write-protected
WWW
X
x
x86
x-axis
Xbase
x-coordinate
XON/XOF
Y
y-axis
y-coordinate
Z
z-
z-axis
zero, zeros
zero character
ZIP Code
zoom in, zoom out
Index
About the Author
Copyright
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Y
y-axis,
y-axis
y-coordinate,
y-coordinate
you,
Sentence structure and grammatical choices
you can,
alert
,
enable, enabled
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