The Wisconsin Department of Transportation style guide is for WisDOT employees and contractors who prepare department information. This includes documents, print materials, presentations, social media and webpages. This resource is designed to give the department's public information products a consistent, uniform look and style. Our goal is to produce and provide clear and concise informational materials, which are easily understood by our customers.
The WisDOT style guide follows the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook as a standard for style, punctuation, spelling preference, hyphenation, etc. The information provided here reflects a few departures from the AP style. Technical materials may follow industry standards to reflect technical style but should follow WisDOT style for general usage and formats. Also, please note that ads, brochures, webpages and legal contracts may require some deviation from these guidelines.
If you have questions or need clarification on writing style, the Office of Public Affairs staff is here to help. Contact OPA at (608) 266-3581 or
opa.exec@dot.wi.gov.
Abbreviations
acronyms
Define them! Write out the words that make up an acronym during its first use, with the acronym included in parenthesis. Example: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is starting work on the project. Once the acronym is clearly established, use it for any following references within a document. An alternative for additional references is to use a generic noun rather than the acronym. For example, after spelling out American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, "the organization," or "the association," can be used instead of AASHTO.
addresses
Writing style: Spell the state when you only give city and state: She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Abbreviate the state to two letters in a full mailing address: 4802 Sheboygan Ave., Madison, WI
Spell the street when not used in an address: He lives on Sunny Street.
Abbreviate Ave. Blvd., St., etc. only if part of a numbered address
Use P.O. Box
Amtrak
Use this acronym (American travel by track) in all references to the National Railroad Passenger Corp. Do not use all caps (AMTRAK).
and
Always spell out the word in text (rather than using the ampersand symbol "&"), unless the symbol is specifically part of a name (Madison Gas & Electric). An ampersand may be used in tables if space is limited.
college degrees
Use lower case when spelling out degrees; upper case when abbreviating: bachelor of arts, master's degree. Abbreviate only after a full name, set off by commas: Bill Jones, Ph.D., M.A., B.A.
Don’t capitalize college degrees used as general terms of classification; however, capitalize a degree used after a person's name.
company, companies
Abbreviate Co. or Cos. when a firm uses it at the end of its name. Spell out and lowercase company or companies whenever they stand alone.
corporation
Abbreviate corporation as Corp. when a company or government agency uses the word at the end of its name. Spell out and lowercase corporation whenever it stands alone.
DOT
USDOT, WisDOT, or Wisconsin DOT (not U.S. DOT, WIDOT or WDOT)
WisDOT divisions/offices
Spell out on first reference and abbreviate on subsequent references:
Division of Business Management (DBM)
Division of Budget and Strategic Initiatives (DBSI)
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Division of State Patrol (DSP)
Division of Transportation Investment Management (DTIM)
Division of Transportation System Development (DTSD)
Secretary's Office (SO)
Office of General Counsel (OGC)
Office of Inspector General (OIG)
Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
highways
See the word usage section
incorporated
Abbreviate and capitalize as Inc. when used as part of a corporate name. Don’t set off with commas. Example: ABC Company Inc. will benefit from the Transportation Economic Assistance grant.
media
Use of call letters: Fox 6/WITI, WIBA-FM, WISC-TV, (no hyphen when TV is part of the call letters, e.g. WMTV).
“TV" is acceptable as an adjective or in such cases as cable TV, but generally spell out television when used in text.
months
You may abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. when these months are used with dates: Oct. 31, 2009 Don't abbreviate: March, April, May, June or July, unless you have a chart or table where space is limited (Mar., Apr., May, Jun., Jul.) Always spell out the month when it is only month and year: January 2005 (no comma separating month and year).
state names
Spell out the names of the 50 United States when they stand alone in text. The names of eight states are never abbreviated: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. Wisconsin can be abbreviated as Wis. to fit in a table or chart. Be consistent within documents. The two-letter abbreviations (WI) should only be used in mailing addresses, or in charts where the postal abbreviation is used for all states referenced.
street
Main Street; 609 Main St.; Main and Locust streets
Wisconsin
Spell out the name when it stands alone in text. It may be abbreviated as Wis. to fit in a table or chart. “WI” should only be used in mailing addresses.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Spell out Wisconsin Department of Transportation or state Department of Transportation in the first reference. Use WisDOT, Wisconsin DOT or the department (not capitalized) in second and subsequent references. In most cases, do not precede WisDOT with "the." (For example, do not write "The WisDOT announced today that..." But it is correct to write, "Additional information is on the WisDOT website.")
WisDOT uses a down style in our writing. If the word isn't at the beginning of a sentence or isn't a proper name, we generally don’t capitalize it. When in doubt, we recommend using lower case.
airport
Capitalize airport only when it’s part of a proper name: General Mitchell International Airport
App
When referencing a mobile application, app (no period) is acceptable. Download the 511WI app today. Forms and documents should be referenced as applications.
Assembly and Senate
Capitalize when part of a proper name or when the state name is dropped but the reference is specific:
The Wisconsin Assembly
The state Senate
Board of Directors
Capitalize when part of a proper name: the WisDOT Board of Directors; the board of directors
books
Capitalize key words including "A" or "The" when they are the first or last word in the title
bridge
Capitalize the word bridge when part of a proper name: Lloyd Spriggle Memorial Bridge. Lowercase when describing the location: the bridge over the Mississippi River, or the Prairie du Chien bridge (when used to designate a location).
bypass
When used generically, do not capitalize. But when it is part of a name, capitalize: Verona Bypass.
city
Capitalize city if part of a proper name, an integral part of an official name, or a regularly used nickname: Kansas City, New York City, Windy City. Lowercase elsewhere: a Wisconsin city; the city government; and all "city of" phrases: the city of Appleton.
City Council
Capitalize when part of a proper name: the Madison City Council; lowercase in other uses: the council, the Superior and Green Bay city councils
college and high school classes
Do not capitalize: freshman; sophomore; junior; senior. Do capitalize: Class of 2026.
Congress
Capitalize Congress when referring to both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, not just one house. Use figures and capitalize district when naming a specific district: the 2nd Congressional District.
county
Capitalize only when part of a proper name: Bayfield County; but Bayfield and Dane counties; the county.
department
Capitalize when it is part of a proper name. Lower case whenever it stands alone. Do not abbreviate in any usage. A phrase such as "the department" is preferable on second reference.
directions and regions
Generally lower case: north, south, etc., when they indicate compass direction; capitalize when they designate region or are part of a proper name. He drove north. Rail would serve southeastern Wisconsin; Midwest; Northern accent; northern France but South Korea.
draft environmental impact statements (DEIS)
Use lowercase for the term, but use capital letters for the acronym. The same would apply to environmental impact statement (EIS) and other long terms that are used repeatedly. (Shorter terms, such as environmental assessment and needs assessment, should always be spelled out.)
dynamic message sign (DMS)
Use lowercase for the term, but use capital letters for the acronym.
elected officials
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin; U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin; State Sen. Jill Billings, D-LaCrosse
email
No hyphen; capitalize only at the beginning of a sentence
Federal, federal
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is part of the federal government.
fiscal year
Don't capitalize; use FY 2024-26 in second reference
Flex Lane
WisDOT implemented the state's first Flex Lane along US 12/18 – commonly known as the Beltline – in Dane County.
General Fund
Always capitalize; name of a fund
General Transportation Aids (GTA)
Always capitalize; name of a program
geographical and infrastructure names
Rock River, Great River Road, Fox Lake, Lake Michigan, Bong Bridge, Badger Interchange, Marquette Interchange
When a generic term is used in the plural, following more than one name, it’s lowercase:
- Between the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers
- At the intersection of Mineral Point and Segoe roads
- Eau Claire and Chippewa counties
When a generic term precedes more than one name, it’s usually capitalized:
Lakes Superior and Michigan
governmental units
Capitalize the full proper name of governmental agencies, departments and offices: Alcohol-Drug Review Unit; Bureau of Driver Services; Bureau of Transportation Safety; U.S. Department of Transportation for first reference; USDOT on second reference or when space is limited.
Governor
Governor Tony Evers on first reference; Gov. Evers on second reference. Can use Gov. in headline. The title alone is not capitalized, “The governor traveled.”
holidays
Capitalize them: Christmas Day, New Year's Eve. The legal holidays in state law are: New Year's, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day (or Fourth of July), Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
inspector
Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name. See titles.
internet and intranet
Capitalize only at the beginning of a sentence.
Interstate
Lower case. Only capitalize when it precedes a number, e.g. I-94 or Interstate 94 but “take the interstate.”
intersection
Do not capitalize unless included in a proper name: Zoo Interchange
legislature
Capitalize when preceded by the name of the state. Lowercase when used generically and for all plural references:
- The Wisconsin Legislature
- Both houses of the legislature
- No legislature has approved the amendment
- The Wisconsin and Minnesota legislatures
legislative titles
Use Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens. as formal titles before one or more names in regular text. Spell out and capitalize these titles before one or more names in a direct quotation. Spell out and lowercase representative and senator when they follow a name, and in other uses. Spell out other legislative titles in all uses. Capitalize formal titles such as assemblyman, assemblywoman, city councilor, delegate, etc., when they are used before a name. Lowercase when they follow a name, and in other uses. Add U.S. or state before a title only if necessary to avoid confusion: U.S. Sen. Jane Smith spoke with state Sen. Doe.
Major Highways Program
This is the name of a program and should be capitalized when it is used as such. Do not refer to major highways as "majors," but rather identify specific highway names and numbers.
mDL
Mobile driver license
miles per hour (mph)
No hyphen when used with a figure (60 mph)
nationalities and races
Capitalize nationalities, peoples, races, etc.: Native American, Indigenous, African American, Caucasian, Chinese, Black
PDF
Capitalize PDF, URL, JPG, PNG, Geographic Information System (GIS) as these are acronyms.
political parties
Capitalize both the name of the party and the word party if it is customarily used as part of the organization's proper name: the Republican Party, the Democratic Party. Capitalize Communist, Conservative, Democrat, Liberal, Republican, Socialist, etc., when they refer to a specific party or its members. Lowercase these words when they refer to political philosophy.
post
Capitalize the Division of State Patrol's post when used as a proper noun/name of the building: Spooner Post, Wausau Post, etc.
Include with the region when possible: Northwest Region - Spooner Post
When used as an adjective, the reference is the regional post rather than the region post
Lowercase when used alone. Meet Jane at the post for an interview.
regions
Regions within WisDOT: Use North Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest in formal communications.
When appropriate, abbreviate regions on second reference as: NC Region, NE Region, NW Region, SE Region, SW Region (all caps for the directional references).
Capitalize region when used as a name-proper noun: Southeast Region or SE Region.
-When used as an adjective, use “the regional office” not “the region office.”
When listing regions, list in alphabetical order NC, NE, NW, SE, SW
When referring to a regional office: the Southwest Region, La Crosse Office
For the Hill Farms Office, use Central Office, Madison.
rideshare
Lower case except in reference to a specific rideshare program
schools
Capitalize names of schools, colleges and universities, but not departments or courses unless proper nouns-adjectives: College of Agriculture, Law School, engineering department, department of English
seasons
Do not capitalize seasons: spring, summer, fall, autumn, winter. The report will be available fall 2026.
Secretary
Capitalize when referring the head of a state or federal department, such as WisDOT: Secretary Kristina Boardman; on second reference the preferred formatting is Secretary Boardman, not “the Secretary.”
state
Capitalize only when it is part of a proper name: the State of Wisconsin; state legislature, but Wisconsin Legislature.
State Patrol
Capitalize State Patrol, Wisconsin State Patrol, but do not capitalize “the patrol.”
time zone
Capitalize and spell out: Eastern Standard Time, Central Standard Time, Daylight Saving Time
titles (things)
Capitalize key words in books, plays, lectures, pictures, etc., including "A" or "The" if it is the first or last word in the title
titles (persons)
In general, use capitalization in formal titles used directly before an individual's name: President Abraham Lincoln. Railroads and Harbors Chief Jane Smith.
In general, do not capitalize a formal title when it appears after a name; however, for very high officials, when you are referring to a specific person, capitalize the title: Abraham Lincoln President of the United States; The Secretary of State just entered the room. Jane Doe, senator from Wisconsin; the senator.
It may be appropriate to capitalize all titles on certain documents (agendas, certificates, etc.). Be consistent throughout the document.
towns-villages-cities
town of Grand Chute; village of Waunakee; city of Milwaukee; cities of Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison – list a series of municipalities in alphabetical order, regardless of population difference
Transportation Fund
This is a proper name
Tribe, Tribal
Always capitalized to recognize the Tribes' status as sovereign governments
trooper
Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name. See titles.
web, webpage, website
Do not capitalize; no spaces (home page is two words)
Wrong way vs. wrong-way
Wrong way sign is not hyphenated. Wrong-way is hyphenated before a verb, such as wrong -- driving, incident or crash.
alignment
Use left justified format for text blocks in print and web documents. All text is aligned to the left margin, with the right side looking jagged depending on the length of various words (not even justification). Contact OPA for graphic design needs.
dates
The date comes after the verb in this order: day, month, year, if necessary, followed by the time. For example, The bridge will close Sunday, May 25, from 11 a.m. to noon.
font
The WisDOT preferred font is Helvetica Neue 10 pt, Arial or Roboto.
footnotes
Limit use of footnotes. Hyperlink to content when appropriate.
forms
The preferred way to refer to WisDOT documents is Form Name (number) e.g. Wisconsin Identification Card (ID) Application (MV3004). Listing the form number first is an option when indexing.
In general, spell out one through nine and use figures for 10 and above; use all figures when you have a series of numbers. Be consistent throughout a document. Spell out numbers when they start a sentence
measurements
Use figures and spell out the measurement. She is 5 feet 9 inches tall. When used as an adjective, hyphenate: the 10-mile bypass.
Use only numbers for dimensions, prices, pixels, points, temperatures, etc.: 4 by 5 feet, 7 degrees, 4-lane, $5, 5 cents, 12 cents, $2.50, 425 x 250 px.
percent, percentages
Use the % sign when paired with a number, with no space. Average hourly pay rose 3.1% from a year ago; her mortgage rate is 4.75%; about 60% of Americans agreed.
Use figures: 1%, 4 percentage points.
For amounts less than 1%, precede the decimal with a zero: The cost of living rose 0.6%.
political divisions
1st District, 10th Ward, 3rd Precinct (political divisions)
phone numbers
(608) xxx-xxxx or 1-800-xxx-xxxx or (608) xxx-xxxx, ext. 364.
roads
two-lane, four-lane, etc.
rounding
Round a number up if it is five or more, and down if it is less than five: $2.6 million, not $2,594,697.40.
third-party
When referencing agencies who work with the department, many can be referred to as third-party testers (not 3rd party).
time
Use figures except for noon and midnight. 8:30 a.m., 9 p.m., (not 9:00 p.m.). Avoid redundancies such as: 10 a.m. this morning. Use 10 a.m. today. Put the time after the verb in a sentence. Use dash with no spaces. Program is 8-11 a.m. If the time is within the same 12-hour period, write a.m. or p.m. once.
If the time is within the same 12-hour period, write a.m. or p.m. once. If the focus of the sentence is times, can put the time before the day e.g. Peak travel times are expected from 1-9 p.m. Thursday (May 22), between noon and 8 p.m. Friday (May 23) and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday (May 26).
years
Early '60s (not 60's) 1980s. (Don't use an apostrophe when making figures plural). Avoid starting a sentence with a year. Always include the year on first reference of a date in a document.
apostrophe
Use when creating a contraction: don't (do not), couldn't (could not), it's (it is)
Use to indicate possessive case of nouns: the department's budget; the employee’s job
Use to indicate omission of figures: the '90s; class of '97
When you make a noun or number plural by adding "s," don't use an apostrophe: 1990s
bullet points
Use parallel construction
Capitalize the first letter of the first word in each bullet
Create bullet point lists; it’s easier than writing complete sentences
Avoid using semicolons, commas and conjunctions to separate bullets
Stay consistent; if complete sentences must be used then make each bullet point a complete sentence with proper punctuation
colon
Use a colon to signal to the reader that a series or a list will follow.
Use a colon to separate an explanation, rule or example from a preceding independent clause.
The Zoo Interchange is not just another highway project: it is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of Wisconsin.
comma
Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma (aka an Oxford comma) before the conjunction (and, or) in a simple series:
- You can get there by car, bus or train.
- LED traffic lights now come in red, yellow and green.
However, if one element of the series has a conjunction in it, put a comma before the last element:
- I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast.
- Project funds covered resurfacing pavement, replacing curb and gutter, and adding new guardrail.
When a conjunction (and, but, or) links two clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences, use a comma before the conjunction, in most cases.
- Some people drive too fast, and sometimes they don’t wear their seat belts.
Use a comma to separate an introductory clause or phrase from the main clause:
- By retirement age, many people who haven't ridden for years take up the bicycle again.
If the information in a parenthetical phrase relates closely to the sentence, enclose it in commas.
- The most scenic way to cross the country, if you have the time, is to travel by train.
Use a comma to introduce a complete one-sentence quotation within a paragraph.
- “Stay with your vehicle; a tow truck will be along shortly,” the officer said.
A comma should follow yes, no, why, well, etc., when one of these words begins a sentence.
- No, they didn’t close the Sun Prairie exit after the semi-trailer overturned.
hyphen
Hyphens are primarily used to connect words, whereas dashes are most often used to set words — or phrases — apart. Here are some rules for when to use hyphens:
- In compound numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine and when used in larger numbers, such as three hundred forty-six. Ordinal numbers, such as twenty-fifth and sixty-third need hyphens, too.
- In compound adjectives in which the last word is capitalized, such as un-American, mid-Atlantic.
- To join a word to a past participle to create a single adjective preceding the noun it modifies:
- We held the program kick-off event last Friday.
- This is a government-funded program.
But do not hyphenate the same phrase when it follows the noun:
- When do they plan to kick off the program?
- The program is government funded.
In a compound adjective that is a fraction:
- The bill passed with a two-thirds majority.
But fractions treated as nouns are not hyphenated:
- Two thirds of the applications have been reviewed.
In compounds made up of two or more words used as an adjective before a noun:
- He made a last-minute decision.
But do not use a hyphen when one of the words is an adverb ending in “-ly:”
- We viewed an amazingly good PowerPoint.
With ages, when they are adjective phrases involving a unit of measurement:
- My 10-year-old car broke down.
But do not use a hyphen when the phrase comes after the noun:
mid
No hyphen unless a capitalized word follows: mid-April, mid-Atlantic, midterm, midsemester. Use a hyphen when mid- precedes a figure: mid-30s.
multi
The rules in prefixes apply but in general, use no hyphen: multimodal, multilateral, multimillion, multicolored. However, multi-lane is the exception for the use of a hyphen.
right of way; rights of way
Do not hyphenate
quotation marks
- Use quotes at the beginning of each paragraph of a continuous quote of several paragraphs, but at the end of the last paragraph only.
- You may quote a word being introduced for the first time, but not in subsequent references.
- Don’t quote names of newspapers or periodicals: the Wisconsin State Journal.
- Don’t quote names of aircraft, automobiles, trains, vessels, etc.
- Use single quotes for quotations within quotations and in headlines. "I know the public will 'rage' at the design."
- The period and the comma always go inside the quotation marks.
italics
Italic type is generally used for the following: certain scientific names, court cases, named vehicles, books, feature-length films and documentaries, paintings (and other works of visual art), periodicals (journals and magazines).
semicolon
Use a semicolon between independent clauses to indicate separation stronger than a comma, but less than a period.
- The Marquette Interchange project was on time and under budget; it is our showcase project.
Use a semicolon to separate clauses joined by such transitional words as hence, moreover, however, also, therefore and consequently. Follow these words with a comma.
- The rains were extraordinary; however, the road did not wash away.
Use a semicolon to separate lengthy statements following a colon, and when commas are used within these clauses or phrases.
- Division and office meetings with the executive assistant took place on specific days: DMV, DTIM and DTSD on Mondays; DSP and DBM on Tuesdays; and OPA, OIG and OGC on Wednesdays.
Use a semicolon to precede "for example," "namely," "for instance," "i.e.," and others when they introduce a list of examples that you don’t feel belong in parentheses. Follow these words with a comma.
- Many factors are considered before a highway is built; for instance, available funding, environmental assessment and community needs.
spacing after period
Use just one space between sentences. This applies to print and web-based documents.
statutes
When quoting shorter statutory material, put it in quotation marks and identify the statute in the following sentence:
- The law requires the Department of Transportation to, "maintain its principal office at Madison and district offices at such other cities, villages and towns as the necessities of the work demand." Section 84.30, Wis. Stats.
When quoting longer statutory material, a colon should follow introductory material with the quoted materials set in an indented block of text, without quotation marks. Examples:
The law generally requires the department to keep bidder information confidential, except as provided in s. 84.01 (32)(b), Wis. Stats.: 84.01 (32)(b) This subsection does not prohibit the department from disclosing information to any of the following persons:
- The person to whom the information relates.
- Any person who has the written consent of the person to whom the information relates to receive such information.
- Any person to whom 49 CFR 26, as that section existed on October 1, 1999, requires or specifically authorizes the department to disclose such information.
or
The department's duty to advise local authorities is clear:
The department shall advise towns, villages, cities and counties with regard to the construction and maintenance of any highway or bridge, when requested. On the request of any town, village, city or county board, or county highway committee, any supervision or engineering work necessary in connection with highway improvements by any town, village, city or county may be performed by the department and charged at cost to such town, village, city or county. Section 84.01(5), Wis. Stats.
If you are simply citing to statutory authority, without quoting any material: Billboards cannot be erected adjacent to state trunk highways without a permit. Section 84.30, Wis. Stats.
underline
Hyperlinked words should automatically be underlined. Books, magazines, periodicals and newspapers should be italicized, not underlined. Don’t underline text without a hyperlink.
web addresses
Unless it’s a key point of the message, don’t include full web addresses in web copy; use hyperlinked words when possible or custom URLs. Do not use www. For short URLs, do not include “https://”.
When referencing any of the platforms, always capitalize the name.
Facebook
X (Twitter)
When referencing posts before July 2023, can say Twitter, “tweet” is lowercase.
Instead of “tweet” and “retweet” it is now “post” and “repost”
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube
Always capitalize the "Y" and "T"; one word
URL usage
When writing a social media post, do not use short URLs for Facebook but they can be used for all other platforms. Always use short URLs for Instagram. If there is no short (or simple) URL, a URL should not be used. For short URLs, do not include “https://”. Examples:
a, an
Use a before consonant sounds: a historic event, a one-year term (sounds like it begins with a "w".) Use an before vowel sounds: an energy crisis, an honorable man (silent h).
accident
Do not use ‘accident’ to describe a collision. Use the term crash.
and
Use the word. Avoid use of the ampersand symbol.
adopt, approve, enact, pass
Amendments, ordinances, resolutions and rules are adopted or approved. Bills are passed. Laws are enacted.
adviser or advisor
Both spellings are acceptable, but be consistent within each document.
afterward or afterwards
Both spellings are acceptable, but be consistent within each document.
all time, all-time
An all-time high, but the greatest administrator of all time.
alright / all right
Alright is not a word; it's a common misspelling of all right, which means all correct. Some people prefer yes, acceptable, or satisfactory instead of all right.
alot / a lot / allot
Alot is not a word; it is a common misspelling of a lot. A lot is colloquial and vague; choose a more precise word, when possible. Allot (verb) means to assign a share, to allocate.
annual
Do not refer to an event as annual until it has been held in at least two successive years. Don't use first annual, but sponsors plan to hold the fair annually. Never capitalize annual meeting.
anybody, any body, anyone, any one
Use anybody or anyone for an indefinite reference: Anybody could do that. Use any body or any one when you single out one element of a group: Any one of them could speak up.
bimonthly/biweekly
Because bimonthly can mean every two months or twice a month, and biweekly can mean every two weeks or twice a week, these are confusing word. Semi- only means twice, so avoid confusion by writing semimonthly or semiweekly; or write twice a week or month.
bus, buses
bus, buses, bused, busing. It is acceptable to double the "s" in these words, but be consistent within a document.
cancel, canceled, canceling, cancellation (note the second "l")
Canine, K-9
K-9 (not K9) refers to dogs specifically trained for law enforcement, while canine is a broader term that encompasses all dogs. State Patrol welcomed a new K-9 to the team.
car pool, carpool
Both spellings are acceptable, but be consistent within each document.
carryover (is a noun and adjective); carry over (is a verb)
cement, not concrete
Cement is the powder mixed with water and sand or gravel to make concrete. Use concrete (not cement) when referring to pavement, blocks, driveways, etc.
century
The first century (under 10), the 21st century (numerals 10 and over). Century is not capitalized.
clean up (verb); cleanup (noun and adjective)
control, controlled, controlling
departmentwide, divisionwide
different from
Not different than
disabilities
A person with disabilities works for DMV. Not "a disabled, or handicapped person" or "she is disabled, handicapped, etc." Avoid “hearing impaired” – preference is deaf or hard of hearing. Do not call attention to disabilities unless it is clearly pertinent to a story.
driver license
Not driver’s license. This has been WisDOT’s standard for generations.
dual-language
Dual-language highway signs offered to Tribal Nations across Wisconsin.
groundbreaking
highways
Interstate highways: interstate means between states. Capitalize Interstate when referring to a specific highway. Interstate highways in Wisconsin: I-39, I-41, I-43, I-90, I-94, I-535, I-794, and I-894. Or write "the interstate," or "the interstate system."
U.S. highways: US highways in Wisconsin include: US 2, US 8, US 10, US 12, US 14, US 18, US 45, US 51, US 53, US 61, US 63, US 141 and US 151.
State and county highways. State highways are designated as "WIS," as in WIS 29. County highways are designated as (for example) "County H" in all public information materials. Do not refer to a specific state highway as STH or state trunk highway. Do not refer to a specific county highway as CTH or county trunk highway. However, in technical documents, STH and CTH are acceptable.
municipalities (commonly misspelled)
Arbor Vitae
Ashwaubenon
Butte des Morts
Cornucopia
DeForest
De Pere
De Soto
Eau Claire (city and county)
Ephraim
Fond du Lac (city and county)
Friesland
Ixonia
Johnson Creek
Juneau County
Juneau (city)
Kewaskum
Kewaunee (city and county)
Lac du Flambeau
Lac La Belle
La Crosse (city and county)
Land O’ Lakes
La Pointe
La Valle
Manitowoc (city and county)
Menomonee County
Menomonee Falls
Menomonie
Mosinee
Mukwonago
Muscoda
North Fond du Lac
Oconomowoc
Outagamie County
Pardeeville
Pewaukee
Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Sac
Redgranite
Shawano (city and county)
Soldiers Grove
Trempealeau (village and county)
Wausaukee
Waukesha (city and county)
Wauwatosa
Weyauwega
Weyerhaeuser
Winneconne
Wonewoc
names
In general, use last names only on second reference; except in information communications such as the WisDOT Bulletin, when a first name reference is appropriate.
news release and news conference
news release, not press release
phone
When referencing these devices, here are the proper ways to identify them:
- Cellphone
- Hands-free, handheld
- Mobile phone
- Smartphone
OK, OK’d, or okay
public involvement meeting (PIM)
online
One word in all cases related to computers.
over vs more than
Over and more than can be used interchangeably. When referencing numbers or statistics, more than is preferred. There are more than 30 commercial ports in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has over 30 ports. Both examples are acceptable.
ribbon cutting
roadside
runoff
seat belt
Seat belt (two words) is the preferred term
side street
single-lane
soon or recently
Avoid using these words on the web as the timing is too vague
travel, traveling, traveler, traveled
triskelion
Part of WisDOT’s logo; a figure of three curved lines or branches radiating from a common center
website / webpage
who/whom
Use who and whom for references to human beings and animals with a name. Use that for inanimate objects and animals without a name.
Who is the word when someone is the subject of a sentence, clause or phrase (Examples: The woman who rented the room left the window open. Who is there?) Use who whenever he, she, they, I, or we could be substituted in the who clause.
Whom is the word when someone is the object of a verb or preposition. (Examples: The woman to whom the room was rented left the window open. Whom do you wish to see?) Use whom whenever him, her, them, me, or us could be substituted as the object of the verb or as the object.
workstation
wrong way vs wrong-way driving
Accept: to receive something; to bear up under (bad news)
Except: with the exclusion of; but
Adverse: opposed; bad
Averse: feeling unwilling; experiencing distaste
Affect: (verb, usually) to produce an effect upon; to influence
Effect: (noun, usually) intent; result; appearance; influence; a distinctive impression
Aisle: a narrow passageway
Isle: an island
Ambiguous: susceptible to multiple interpretations; doubtful or unclear
Ambivalent: torn between two opposing feelings or views; uncertainty or indecision as to what course to follow
Among: use when reference is to more than two
Between: use when reference is made to only two
Amount: bulk, the sum total referring to the number
Number: refers to something counted
Quantity: refers to something measured
Appraise: to estimate the value of something
Apprise: to give notice to; to inform
Assure: declare, promise
Ensure: make certain
Insure: protect by insurance
A while: a short time (n.)
Awhile: for a time (adv.)
Beside: at the side of; next to; apart from (beside the point)
Besides: in addition to; furthermore; moreover;
Biannual: twice a year; synonymous with semiannual
Biennial: every two years
Blatant: disagreeably loud or boisterous; clamorous; conspicuous; obvious
Flagrant: glaringly bad; notorious; outrageous
Boarders: residents in a house or school paying for their room and board (food); also, people who go snowboarding
Borders: having to do with boundaries or edges
Brake: a mechanism to stop; the verb to brake
Break: a pause or a fissure
Bring: to convey toward (the speaker)
Take: to carry from (the speaker)
Can: to be able to; to be capable of
May: to be permitted to
Capital: the seat of government; money invested in a business
Capitol: the building (and only the building) in which a state or federal legislative body meets
Censor: person who examines literature or other material and may remove or suppress what is judged morally or otherwise objectionable
Censure: an expression of blame or disapproval; an official rebuke; severely criticize
Cite: to refer to; to quote by way of authority; to summon to appear in court
Sight: a view
Site: a place
Climactic: pertaining to or constituting a climax
Climatic: having to do with the climate
Coarse: rough, crude
Course: a class or seminar; a route or passage; a series or sequence; procedure or process, etc.
Collaborate: to work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort
Corroborate: to attest the truth or accuracy of; support or confirm by new evidence
Compel: to force, drive or constrain
Impel: to urge to action through moral pressure; to drive forward; propel
Compliment: to praise (v.); a piece of praise (n.)
Complement: a worthy addition (n.)
Comprise: to consist of; to be composed of. The whole comprises the parts.
Compose: to form in combination; to make up; to constitute; to create. The parts compose the whole.
Connote: to suggest or imply; to convey to the mind what is not explicit. (Indicates our association with a thing.)
Denote: to reveal or indicate; to signify; to refer to specifically. (Indicates the thing a word names.)
Continual: repeated again and again
Continuous: uninterrupted
Council: an assembly or group
Counsel: advice; legal adviser
Country: the physical territory of a nation or state; geographical characteristics of a place
Nation: large group of people who share customs, origins, history and often language; political and social characteristics of a place
Cue: a long stick, as for billiards; a reminder or a prompt to do or say something
Queue: a waiting line of people or vehicles; a long braid of hair worn hanging down the back; a sequence of stored computer data or files awaiting processing
Currant: small, sour fruit, used chiefly for jelly, or dried like raisins
Current: now, in the present; flows, especially of liquids, gases and electricity
Defective: having a defect; faulty
Deficient: lacking an essential quality or element; insufficient
Definite: unambiguous
Definitive: authoritative
Desert: dry, barren, often sandy region (emphasis on first syllable)
Desert: to forsake or leave; abandon (emphasis on second syllable)
Dessert: something sweet, served at the end of a meal (emphasis on second syllable, as above)
Disassemble: to take something apart; opposite of assemble
Dissemble: to conceal ones real motives, nature or feelings under a pretense
Disburse: to pay out; distribute
Disperse: to break up and scatter; vanish, dissipate
Discreet: cautious
Discrete: separate
Disinterested: neutral, unbiased
Uninterested: bored, not interested
Drier: one that dries; (adj.) comparative of dry (more dry)
Dryer: an appliance that removes moisture
Dual: an adjective describing the two-ness of something (dual-purpose)
Duel: a prearranged, formal combat between two persons, to settle a dispute
earth: the land surface of the world, as distinguished from the oceans and air.
Earth: the third planet from the sun.
Effective: having an intended or expected effect; producing the desired impression or response
Effectual: producing or sufficient to produce a desired effect; fully adequate
Efficient: acting or producing effectively, with a minimum of waste, expense or unnecessary effort; exhibiting a high ratio of output to input
Elicit: to bring out; evoke; to call forth
Illicit: not sanctioned by custom or law; unlawful
Eligible: qualified, as for a position or office; desirable and worthy of choice
Illegible: not legible or decipherable (as in handwriting)
Emigrant: one who leaves one country or region to settle in another
Immigrant: one who enters and settles in a country or region to which one is not native
Eminent: outstanding, high, lofty
Imminent: threatening to happen soon
Envelop: to enclose or encase completely, with or as if with a covering
Envelope: something that envelops; a flat, folded paper container, as for a letter
Farther: used with physical distance
Further: used with abstract distance or depth
Flair: a natural talent or aptitude; distinctive elegance or style
Flare: to burst into intense, sudden flame; device that produces bright light for signaling; to expand or open outward in shape
Flaunt: to ostentatiously show something off, deliberately to call attention to it
Flout: to deliberately break or disregard a rule or law
Flounder: to proceed clumsily and in confusion; a flat fish
Founder: to sink below the water (ship); to become disabled or go lame (horse); to collapse or break down; to cave in
Forceful: powerful and vigorous
Forcible: accomplished by force
Forgo: to do without
Forego: to go before; to precede
Gild: to cover something in gold or gold-like material
Guild: a special interest group or association
Good: (adjective) describes nouns or pronouns; can be linked with look, sound, taste (She is a good driver.) (Good describes “driver;” a noun.)
Well: (adverb) describes verbs (She drives well.) (Well describes “drives;” a verb.)(adjective) healthy (I am well.)
Gray: American spelling of an achromatic color that is between black and white
Grey: British spelling of the same thing
Hangar: a structure, especially for storing or repairing aircraft
Hanger: a contrivance to which something hangs (coat hanger)
Historic: an event whose significance will be remembered by future generations
Historical: based on or concerned with events in history
Imply: the speaker implies
Infer: the listener infers
Incredible: unbelievable, hard to believe
Incredulous: unbelieving or skeptical
Insulate: to prevent passage of heat, electricity or sound into or out of; to cause to be in a detached or isolated position
Insolate: to expose to the sun’s rays
Jack: in electronics, a socket that accepts a plug at one end and attaches to electric circuitry at the other.
Plug: in electronics, a fitting used to connect an appliance to a power supply
Legible: capable of being read or deciphered (words on a page)
Readable: capable of being read easily; pleasurable or interesting to read
Less: generally used with qualities or quantities that cannot be individually counted
Fewer: generally used with objects that can be counted one by one
Lesson: a noun, something you learn or teach
Lessen: a verb, to cause to decrease or make less
Lie: to recline (past tense: lay; past participle: have lain)
Lay: to put or place something (past tense: laid; past participle: have laid)
Lightening: making something lighter; illuminating or brightening
Lightning: accompanied by thunder during storms
Mfr.: abbreviation for "manufacturer"
Mfg.: abbreviation for “manufacturing”
Naval: of or pertaining to ships or shipping, or a navy
Navel: the mark on the abdomen of mammals where the umbilical cord was attached
Parameter: a scientific term, adapted to general usage. Means a constant, a given or a precondition; or a limit or boundary (not physical)
Perimeter: the outer barrier of a closed, curved figure or area; the length of this; circumference
Passed: the past tense form of the verb “to pass,” which means to move forward or through
Past: (n.) what has already happened (don't live in the past); (adj.) gone by, ended (this past week was busy); (prep.) beyond (it is past the deadline)
Pedal: n. a lever worked by the foot (on a piano, sewing machine, bicycle, etc.)
v. to operate a pedal, or to ride a bike
Peddle: v. to travel about selling wares; to sell; to give out or disseminate
Petal: n. on a flower, a separate, often brightly colored segment of a corolla
Personal: private; done to or for, or directed toward a particular person
Personnel: collective noun referring to people employed by or active in an organization
Perspective: a specific point of view in understanding or judging things or events
Prospective: looking toward the future; expected
Populace: noun, meaning the population, the common people, the masses
Populous: adjective, meaning containing many people, thickly settled, numerous
Precede: go ahead of; be before
Proceed: continue with an action
Principal: leader or top person (noun); foremost or highest ranking (adjective)
Principle: fundamental truth; a rule or tenet or precept or policy (noun)
Prescribe: to set down as a rule or direction; to order or advise, as a medicine or treatment.
Proscribe: to deprive of the protection of the law; to outlaw, banish, exile; to denounce or forbid the practice or use of.
Purposely: by design, intentionally; not by accident
Purposefully: with a specific goal in mind
Raise: to make higher, to build, or to nurture and cause to grow
Rise: to get up, to become elevated
Raise: to make higher, to build, or to nurture and cause to grow
Raze: to tear down or demolish; level to the ground; to scrape or shave off
Remuneration: compensation, payment; act of payment or compensation
Renumeration: NOT a word
Shear: to remove by cutting or clipping; to use a cutting tool such as shears
Sheer: to swerve from a course; thin, fine and transparent
Stanch: to restrain a flow
Staunch: firm in attitude, opinion or loyalty (both words pronounced the same)
Stationary: unmoving (adj.)
Stationery: nice writing paper (n.)
Than: a conjunction, used to compare things
Then: an adverb, used with descriptions of time
There: used when referring to location. Also used in a question or statement that begins with “Is there”/” are there” or “there is”/” there are.”
They’re: a contraction that means "they are." (They’re funny people.)
Their: this is the possessive form of they, so it has to do with what belongs to, relates to, or is made or done by "them." It's their house.
To: Used to indicate direction or motion, or as part of an infinitive verb. (I'm going to the store.)
Too: Used as an adverb to mean "also" or "in addition." (She's too busy.") It can also indicate an excessive degree (The movie was too long).
Two: The number 2 (I have two dogs.)
You’re: is a contraction of you are.
Your: always comes before a noun. It typically means "relating to or belonging to you" or "made or done by you." (Can I borrow your pen?)
That: restricts the reader's thought, directing attention to a specific bit of information to complete a message's meaning. (Example: "We have several cars. The car that is in the garage is my son's.”)
Which: is non-restrictive and introduces subsidiary rather than essential information to the meaning of the sentence; always preceded by a comma. (Example: We have one car. "The car, which is in the garage, is my son's.")
Translucent: transmitting light, but causing sufficient diffusion to prevent perception of distinct images
Transparent: capable of transmitting light so that objects or images can be seen clearly
Turbid: having sediment or foreign particles stirred up or suspended; in turmoil
Turgid: swollen or distended; excessively ornate in style or language
Who's: contraction of who is
Whose: belonging to someone (possessive adj.)
Here are further resources. WisDOT Style Guide supersedes these. If you have questions, please contact your OPA communications manager.
WisDOT follows AP Style Guide