ৱিকিপিডিয়া:ৰচনাশৈলীৰ হাতপুথি: বিভিন্ন সংশোধনসমূহৰ মাজৰ পাৰ্থক্য

The '''Manual of Style''' (often abbreviated '''MoS''' or '''MOS''') is a [[style guide]] for all Wikipedia articles. This is the main page; subpages with greater detail are linked in the menu to the right, and are listed at [[Helpসহায়: List of Manuals of Style]].

Writing should be clear and concise. [[Plain English]] works best: avoid [[jargon]], and vague or unnecessarily complex wording.

On points where more than one style is acceptable, editors should not change an article from one of those styles to another without a substantial reason. Revert-warring over optional styles is unacceptable.<ref>These matters have been addressed in rulings of the [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Arbitration Committee|Arbitration Committee]]: see [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Requests for arbitration/Jguk#Principles]] and [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Requests for arbitration/Sortan#Principles]].</ref> If discussion cannot determine which style to use in an article, defer to the style used by the first major contributor.

Any issues relating to style guidance can be discussed on the [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া talkবাৰ্তা:Manual of Style|MoS talk page]]. Some of the past discussions which led to decisions on aspects of style guidance are recorded at the [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register|MoS register]].

{{dablink|Main page: [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles]]. For results of past discussions, see the [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register#Article titles|Register]].}}

The title of a Wikipedia article should be chosen based on Wikipedia's [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles|Article titles]] policy. The principal criteria for an ideal title are that it should be recognizable (as a name or description of the article's topic), natural, precise (but only as precise as necessary), concise, and consistent with the titles of similar articles. Sometimes these criteria conflict and need to be balanced against one other.

For guidance as to the format of titles, see the [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles#Article title format|''Article title format'']] section of that policy. Note in particular that:

* To italicize a title, add the template {{tl|italic title}} near the top of the article. Use of italics should conform to [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:ITALICS]].

The provisions of the Manual of Style apply to all parts of an article, including the title. See especially [[#Punctuation|punctuation]], below. (The policy page [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles]] does not determine punctuation.)

=== Lead section ===

=== Section headings ===

The remainder of the article after the lead is divided into sections, each of which has a section heading. Sections can be nested. Provided there are more than three section headings in the article, a numbered [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:TOC|table of contents]] is generated automatically, and displayed just above the first heading. This provides an overview of the article and allows readers to navigate through the text more easily.

* Unlike article titles, section titles are italicized with double apostrophes, just like other text. [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:ITALICS]] still applies.

Before changing a section heading, consider whether you might be breaking existing links to that section. If there are many links to the old section title, create an [[Helpসহায়:Anchor|anchor]] with that title to ensure that the links still work. Similarly, when linking to a section of an article, leave a invisible [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:COMMENT|comment]] at that section, specifying the names of the linking articles so that if the title is altered, others can fix the links. For example:

If the topic of a section is also covered in more detail in a dedicated article, show this by inserting {{tlx|main|Article name}} directly under the section heading. See also [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Summary style]].

As explained in more detail in the ''[[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (layout)#Standard appendices and footers|Standard appendices and footers]]'' section of the MoS layout page, optional appendix sections containing the following lists may appear after the body of the article in the following order: (a) books or other works created by the subject of the article; (b) internal links to related English Wikipedia articles; (c) notes and references; (d) recommended relevant books, articles, or other publications that have not been used as sources; and (e) recommended relevant websites that have not been used as sources and do not appear in the earlier appendices.

Certain article elements usually come outside the section structure; these include [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Hatnote|disambiguation hatnotes]] (normally placed at the very top of the article), [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Infobox|infoboxes]] (usually placed before the lead section), [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Navbox|navigational boxes]] (placed at the bottom of the page, or sometimes at the top in the form of sidebars), [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Category|categories]] and [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Interlanguage link|interlanguage links]].

Subject to the guidelines below, the English Wikipedia does not prefer any major national variety of the language. No variant is inherently more correct than another. Cultural clashes over vocabulary, spelling, and grammar can be avoided by using the following four guidelines. (The accepted style of punctuation is covered in the [[#Punctuation|punctuation section]], below.) New users can be advised of this guideline using {{tl|uw-lang}}.

* [[Great Fire of London]] ([[British English]]) or Tolkien's ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (which uses another variant of British English)

This guideline should not be used to claim national ownership of certain articles; see [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:OWN]].

When a variety of English has become established in an article, it should be maintained unless [[#Strong national ties to a topic|Strong national ties to a topic]] (see above) requires otherwise. When no variety is yet established and discussion cannot resolve the issue, adopt the variety used by the first major contributor; or equivalently, the first contributor to a non-[[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Stub|stub]] article to edit in a way that determines the variety. That editor can document the decision by placing the appropriate [[:category:Varieties of English templates|''Varieties of English'' template]] on the article's talk page.

=== Opportunities for commonality ===

* If one variant spelling appears in an article title, [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Redirect|redirect]] pages are made to accommodate the other variants, as with [[Artefact]] and [[Artifact]], so that all variants can be used in searches and in linking.

|''Incorrect'': ||{{!xt|Contrary to popular belief, aardvarks are NOT the same as anteaters.}}

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Contrary to popular belief, aardvarks are ''not'' the same as anteaters.}}

=== Capitalization of "The" ===

Generally do not capitalize the definite article in the middle of a sentence. However, some idiomatic exceptions, including most titles of artistic works, should be quoted exactly according to common usage.

| ''Incorrect'' || ''(generic)'': || {{!xt|There was an article about The United Kingdom in yesterday's newspaper.}}

| ''Correct'' || ''(generic)'': || {{xt|There was an article about the United Kingdom in yesterday's newspaper.}}

| ''Incorrect'' || ''(title)'': || {{!xt|J.R.R. Tolkien wrote ''the Lord of the Rings''.}}

| ''Correct'' || ''(title)'': || {{xt|J.R.R. Tolkien wrote ''The Lord of the Rings''.}}

| ''Correct'' || ''(title)'': || {{xt|Homer wrote the ''Odyssey''.}}

| ''Correct'' || ''(exception)'': || {{xt|There are two seaside resorts in The Hague.}}

* For the use of titles and honorifics in biographical articles, see [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (biographies)#Honorific prefixes|Honorific prefixes]].

* '''Religions, sects, and churches''' and their followers (in noun or adjective form) start with a capital letter. Generally, "the" is not capitalized before such names ({{xt|the Shī‘a}}, not {{!xt|The Shī‘a}}). (However, see the [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (Latter Day Saints)|style guide]] and [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Naming conventions (Latter Day Saints)|naming convention]] for the Latter Day Saint movement.)

When using scientific names, capitalize the genus but not the species (and italicize both); proper names incorporated into Latin species names are not capitalised. Common names should not normally be capitalized ({{xt|maple tree}}, {{xt|zebra}}); as an exception to this general rule, the official common names of birds are capitalized ({{xt|Bald Eagle}}). For new pages, ensure a [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Redirect|redirect]] from the alternative capitalization to prevent article duplication.

| ''Correct'' || ''(generic)'': || {{xt|The university offers programs in arts and sciences.}}

| ''Correct'' || ''(title)'': || {{xt|The University of Delhi offers programs in arts and sciences.}}

|''Incorrect'' || ''(generic)'': || {{!xt|The City has a population of 55,000.}}

|''Correct'' || ''(generic)'': || {{xt|The city has a population of 55,000.}}

|''Correct'' || ''(title)'': || {{xt|The City of Smithville has a population of 55,000.}}

|''Correct'' || ''("city" omitted)'': || {{xt|Smithville has a population of 55,000.}}

== {{Anchor|Acronyms and abbreviations|Acronyms|Initialisms|Shortenings}} Abbreviations ==

* When an abbreviation is to be used in an article, give the expression in full at first, followed immediately by the abbreviation in parentheses (round brackets). In the rest of the article the abbreviation can then be used by itself:

* Do not apply initial capitals in a full version simply because capitals are used in the abbreviation.

|''CorrectIncorrect'': || (not a proper noun)'': || {{!xt|We used digitalDigital scanningScanning (DS) technology}}

|''Correct'' : || (a proper noun)'': || {{xt|TheWe filmused wasdigital produced by the British Broadcasting Corporationscanning (BBCDS) technology}}

* If the full version is already in round brackets, use a comma and ''or'' to indicate the abbreviation.

* The letters in an acronym or an initialism are generally not separated by periods (full stops) or blank spaces ({{xt|GNP}}, {{xt|NORAD}}, {{xt|OBE}}, {{xt|GmbH}}). Periods and spaces that were traditionally required have now dropped out of usage ({{xt|PhD}} is now preferred over {{!xt|Ph.D.}} and {{!xt|Ph.&nbsp;D.}}). Periods are not used in units of measurement; see [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)]]. There are some traditional exceptions ({{xt|i.e.}}, {{xt|e.g.}}; not {{!xt|ie}}, {{!xt|eg}}, {{!xt|i.&nbsp;e.}}, {{!xt|e.&nbsp;g.}}); and see below for {{xt|US}} and {{xt|U.S.}}

* Abbreviations formed by truncation ({{xt|Hon.}} for {{xt|Honorable}}), compression ({{xt|cmte.}} for {{xt|committee}}), or contraction ({{xt|Dr.}} for {{xt|Doctor}}) may or may not be closed with a period; a consistent style should be maintained within an article. A period is more usual in North American usage ({{xt|Dr. Smith of 42&nbsp;Drummond St.}}); ''no period'' is commonly preferred in British and other usage ({{xt|Dr Smith of 42&nbsp;Drummond St}}). British and some other authorities prefer to drop the period from truncated and compressed abbreviations generally ({{xt|XYZ Corp}}; {{xt|ABC Ltd}}), a practice favored in science writing. Regardless of punctuation, words that are abbreviated to more than one letter are spaced ({{xt|op.&nbsp;cit.}} or {{xt|op&nbsp;cit}}; not {{!xt|op.cit.}} or {{!xt|opcit}}). There are some exceptions: {{xt|PhD}} (see above) for "Philosophiae Doctor"; {{xt|BVetMed}} for "Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine".

::''See also [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)]] for when to abbreviate units of measurement.''

:Generally avoid making up new abbreviations, especially acronyms ({{xt|World Union of Billiards}} is good as a ''translation'' of {{xt|Union Mondiale de Billard}}, but neither it nor the reduction {{!xt|WUB}} is used by the organization; so use the original name and its official abbreviation, {{xt|UMB}}). If it is necessary to abbreviate a heading in a wide table of data, use widely recognized initialisms (for {{xt|United States gross national product}} use {{xt|US}} and {{xt|GNP}}, with a link if the term has not already been written out: {{xt|US&nbsp;[[Measures of national income and output|GNP]]}}; do not use the made-up initialism {{!xt|USGNP}}).

=== Ampersand ===

The [[ampersand]] (&) substitutes for the word ''and'' (it was a form of Latin ''et''). In normal text, ''and'' should be used instead: {{xt|January 1&nbsp;and&nbsp;2}}, not {{!xt|January 1&nbsp;&&nbsp;2}}. Retain ampersands in titles of works or organizations, such as ''[[The Tom and Jerry Show (1975 TV series)|The Tom&nbsp;& Jerry Show]]'' or [[AT&T]]. Ampersands may be used with consistency and discretion in tables, infoboxes, and similar contexts where space is limited. Modern editions of old texts routinely replace ampersands with ''and'' (just as they replace other disused glyphs, [[Typographic ligature|ligatures]], and abbreviations); so an article's quotations may be cautiously modified, especially for consistency where different editions are quoted. (For similar allowable modifications see [[#Quotations|Quotations]], below.)

{{further|[[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (text formatting)]]}}

: Use italics for phrases in other languages and for isolated [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (text formatting)#Foreign terms|foreign words]] that are not common in everyday English. Proper names (such as place names) in other languages, however, are not usually italicized.

: For quotations, use only quotation marks (for short quotations) or block quoting (for long ones), not italics. (See [[#Quotations|Quotations]] below.) This means that (1) a quotation is not italicized inside quotation marks or a block quote just because it is a quotation, and (2) italics are no substitute for proper quotation formatting. One way to distinguish long block quotes from ordinary text is to use {{tl|quotation}}, which will box the text. Citation links may not work within such templates; if so, it may be necessary to use <nowiki><blockquote> and </blockquote></nowiki>.

: Use italics within quotations if they are already in the source material. When adding italics on Wikipedia, add an editorial note {{xt|[emphasis added]}} after the quotation.

: Italicize only the elements of the sentence affected by the emphasis. Do not italicize surrounding punctuation.

|(Note the difference between {{!xt|''?''}} and {{xt|?}}. The question mark applies to the whole sentence, not just to the emphasized {{xt|that}}.)

: The italics markup must be outside the link markup, or the link will not work; however, internal italicization can be used in [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Piped link|piped links]].

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|<code><nowiki>The opera ''[[Turandot]]'' is his best.</nowiki></code>}}

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|<code><nowiki>The [[USS Adder (SS-3)|USS ''Adder'' (SS-3)]] was a submarine.</nowiki></code>}}

** in other places where breaking across lines might be disruptive to the reader, especially in [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:WikiProject Infoboxes|infoboxes]], such as {{xt|£11&nbsp;billion}}, {{xt|{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}}&nbsp;{{CURRENTYEAR}}}}, {{xt|5°&nbsp;24′&nbsp;21.12″&nbsp;N}}, {{xt|Boeing&nbsp;747}}, after the number in a numbered address (e.g. {{xt|123&nbsp;Fake Street}}) and before [[Roman numerals]] at the end of phrases (e.g. {{xt|World War&nbsp;II}} and {{xt|Pope Benedict&nbsp;XVI}}); and

** within wikilinks like [[World War&nbsp;II]] (encoded as <code><nowiki>[[World War&amp;nbsp;II]]</nowiki></code>).<ref>[[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া talkবাৰ্তা:Manual of Style/Archive 115#nbsp in a link]]</ref>

:Use [[#Ellipses|ellipses]] to indicate omissions from quoted text. Legitimate omissions include extraneous, irrelevant, or parenthetical words, and unintelligible or guttural speech ({{!xt|umm}}, and {{!xt|hmm}}). Do not omit text where doing so would remove essential context or alter the meaning of the text. When quoting a vulgarity or obscenity, it should appear exactly as it does in the cited source; words should never be [[bowdlerized]] by replacing letters with dashes, asterisks, or other symbols. In carrying over such an alteration from a quoted source, {{xt|[''[[sic]]'']}} may be used to indicate that the transcription is exact.

:* Styling of dashes and hyphens: see [[#Dashes|Dashes]], below. Use the style chosen for the article: unspaced em dash or spaced en dash.

:* Styling of apostrophes and quotation marks: they should all be straight, not curly. See [[#Quotation marks|Quotation marks]], below. In quoting text from non-English sources, replace non-English typographical elements such as [[guillemets]] ({{!xt|«&nbsp;»}}) with their English-language equivalents; replace guillemets with straight quotation marks, and so on.

:* Spaces before punctuation such as periods and colons: these should be removed as alien to modern English-language publishing.

:* Some text styling should be altered. Of course the typeface will be automatically standardized; but generally preserve bold and italics (see [[#Italics|Italics]], above). Where the source is an old typewritten document such as an academic dissertation, [[underlining]] is almost certainly used to represent italics, and should be changed to italics as it would be by any book publisher.

:* When quoting from early modern sources, disused glyphs and ligatures should be normalized to modern usage when doing so will not change or obscure the meaning of the text. Examples of such changes include the following: æ→ae, œ→oe,ſ→s, and y^e→the. Also see [[#Ampersand|Ampersand]], below.

:* If an entire sentence is quoted in such a way that it becomes a grammatical part of the larger sentence, the first letter loses its capitalization ({{xt|It turned out to be true that "a penny saved is a penny earned"}}).

: When a quotation includes another quotation (and so on), start with double quote marks outermost, and, working inward, alternate single with double quote marks ({{xt|"She disputed his statement that 'Voltaire never said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.{{" ' "}}}}, with three levels of quotation). Adjacent quote marks, as at the end of that last example, can be difficult to read ({{!xt|"'"}}) unless [[Kerning#Digital_typographyDigital typography|kerned]] apart slightly with [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]]; the {{tl|" '}}, {{tl|' "}} and {{tl|" ' "}} templates will accomplish this; the example above is achieved by typing this: <code><nowiki>... your right to say it.{{"&nbsp;'&nbsp;"}}</nowiki></code>.

: The author of a quote of a full sentence or more should be named; this is done in the main text and not in a footnote. However, attribution is unnecessary with quotations that are clearly from the person discussed in the article or section. When preceding a quotation with its attribution, [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Words to avoid#Synonyms for said|avoid characterizing it in a biased manner]].

<sourcesyntaxhighlight lang="html4strict">

<sourcesyntaxhighlight lang="html4strict">

Quotations from foreign-language sources should be translated. Quotations which have been translated should be distinguished from those that have not. If they are available, the article should indicate the original source of the translation (if it was first published outside Wikipedia) and the original language (if it is not clear from the context).

{{dablink|See also [[#Quotations|Quotations]] above. For results of past discussions, see the [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register#Quotation marks|Register]].}}

Wikipedia prefers double quotation marks because some search engines cannot find quotations within single quotation marks, like {{!xt|'I ate the apple'}}. ([[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Searching|Wikipedia's search facility]] will only find such an expression if the search string is also within single quotation marks.) In addition, double quotation marks are harder to confuse with apostrophes.

:* [[Quotation mark glyphs#Typewriter quotation marks|Typewriter]] or straight style: {{xt|<big>'''"'''</big>text<big>'''"'''</big>, <big><b>'</b>''''''</big>text<big><b>'</b>''''''</big>.}} '''Recommended at Wikipedia.'''

If a sentence contains a bracketed phrase, place the sentence punctuation outside the brackets {{xt|(as shown here).}} However, where one or more sentences are wholly inside brackets, place their punctuation inside the brackets. (For examples, see [[#Sentences and brackets|Sentences and brackets]], below.) There should be no space next to the inner side of a bracket. An opening bracket should be preceded by a space, except in unusual cases; for example, when it is preceded by an opening quotation mark, another opening bracket, or a portion of a word:

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919), also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv, was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.}}

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader. He was also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv.}}

* However, if the entire sentence is within brackets, the closing punctuation falls within the brackets. (This sentence is an example.) This does not apply to matter that is added (or modified editorially) at the beginning of a sentence for clarity, which is usually in square brackets:

==== Brackets and linking ====

* Branwen, Gwern (2009). [http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2009-November/105182.html <nowiki>[WikiEN-l]</nowiki> Chinese start caring about copyright].

|''Incorrect'': ||{{!xt|Burke and Wills, fed by local Aborigines (on beans, fish, and "ngardu") survived for a few months.}}

|''Incorrect'': ||{{!xt|She said, "punctuation styles on Wikipedia change too often," as well as making other complaints.}}

|''Awkward'': ||{{!xt|Mozart was, along with the Haydns, both Joseph and Michael, and also Beethoven, one of Schubert's heroes.}}

A [[serial comma]] (also known as an ''Oxford comma'' or a ''Harvard comma'') is a comma used immediately before a conjunction in a list of three or more items: the phrase {{xt|ham, chips, and eggs}} includes a serial comma, while the variant {{xt|ham, chips and eggs}} omits it. Editors may use either convention on Wikipedia so long as each article is consistent within itself. However, there are some times when the serial comma can create or remove confusion:

*: The clarity of the last example depends on the reader's knowing that Obama is male and cannot be a mother. If we change the example slightly, we are back to an ambiguous statement: {{!xt|The author thanked her mother, Irish President Mary McAleese, and Sinéad O'Connor.}}

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|He attempted it in two years: 1941 and 1943.}}

=== Semicolons ===

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Though he had been here before, I did not recognize him.}}

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|Oranges are an acid fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline.}}

|''Accepted'': ||{{xt|"Life is short, art is long."}} (citing a brief [[aphorism]]; see [[Ars longa, vita brevis]])

|''Accepted'': ||{{xt|"I have studied it, you have not."}} (reporting brisk conversation, like this reply of [[Isaac Newton|Newton]]'s)

|''Unwieldy'': ||{{!xt|Oranges are an acid fruit; bananas are classified as alkaline; pears are close to neutral; these distinctions are rarely discussed.}}

==== Semicolon before "however" ====

| ||{{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people; however, they tried.}}

|''Meaning'': ||{{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people. Nevertheless, they tried.}}

| ||{{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people, however they tried.}}

|''Meaning'': ||{{xt|It was obvious they could not convert these people, regardless of how they tried.}}

| ||{{xt|However they tried, it was obvious they could not convert these people.}}

|''Meaning'': ||{{xt|Regardless of how hard they tried, it was obvious they could not convert these people.}}

| ||{{xt|He did not know, however, that the venue had been changed at the last minute.}}

|''Meaning'': ||{{xt|However, he did not know that the venue had been changed at the last minute.}}

{{dablink|For results of past discussions, see the [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register#Hyphens|Register]].}}

#* A hyphen is not used after a standard ''-ly'' adverb ({{xt|a newly available home}}, {{xt|a wholly owned subsidiary}}) unless part of a larger compound ({{xt|a slowly-but-surely strategy}}). A few words ending in {{xt|-ly}} function as both adjectives and adverbs ({{xt|a kindly-looking teacher}}; {{xt|a kindly provided facility}}). Some such dual-purpose words (like {{xt|early}}, {{xt|only}}, {{xt|northerly}}) are not standard {{xt|-ly}} adverbs, since they are not formed by addition of {{xt|-ly}} to an independent current-English adjective. These need careful treatment: {{xt|Early flowering plants evolved along with sexual reproduction}}, but {{xt|Early-flowering plants risk damage from winter frosts}}; {{xt|northerly-situated islands}}.

|''Incorrect'': ||{{!xt|9-mm gap}}

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|9&nbsp;mm gap}} (entered as <code>9&amp;nbsp;mm gap</code>)

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|9-millimetre gap}}

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|12-hour shift}}

|''Correct'': ||{{xt|12&nbsp;h shift}}

'''Image filenames and redirects:''' Image filenames are not part of encyclopedic content; they're tools. They are most useful tools if they can be readily typed, so they always use hyphens instead of dashes. Similarly, article titles with dashes should have a corresponding redirect from the title with hyphens: for example, {{xt|[[Michelson-Morley experiment]]}} redirects to {{xt|[[Michelson–Morley experiment]]}}, as the latter title, while correct, is harder to search for.

Two forms of dash are used on Wikipedia: '''[[en dash]]''' (–) and '''[[em dash]]''' (—). Type them in as <code>&amp;ndash;</code> (–) and <code>&amp;mdash;</code> (—) or click on them to the right of the "Insert" tab under the edit window; or see [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:How to make dashes|How to make dashes]].

* When [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles|naming an article]], do not use a hyphen as a substitute for an en dash that properly belongs in the title, for example in [[Eye–hand span]]. To aid searching and linking, provide a redirect from the corresponding article title with hyphens in place of en dashes, as in [[Eye-hand span]].

==== Punctuating a sentence (em or en dashes) ====

* {{xt|Another "planet" was detected—but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}

* {{xt|Another "planet" was detected&nbsp;– but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}

* {{!xt|Another "planet" was detected&nbsp;— but it was later found to be a moon of Saturn.}}

* {{xt|We read them in chronological order: Descartes, Locke, Hume—but not his ''Treatise'' (it is too complex)—and Kant.}}

* {{xt|The birds—at least the ones Darwin collected—had red and blue feathers.}}

* {{xt|"Where is the—", she said, but then realized she held it in her hand.}}

* Avoid: {{!xt|First in the procession—and most spectacularly—came the bishops—then the other clergy.}}

==== En dashes: other uses ====

* {{xt|pp.&nbsp;211–19}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|64–75%}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the 1939–45 war}}

* {{xt|450–500 people}}

* {{xt|between 450 and 500 people}}, not {{!xt|between 450–500 people}}

* {{xt|from 450 to 500 people}}, not {{!xt|from 450–500 people}}

* {{xt|&minus;10−10 to 10}}, not {{!xt|&minus;10–10−10–10}}

* {{xt|the drop in temperature was from 5° to &minus;13−13°}}, not {{!xt|the drop in temperature was 5°–&minus;13–−13°}}

* {{xt|23&nbsp;July 1790&nbsp;– 1&nbsp;December 1791}}, not {{!xt|23&nbsp;July 1790–1&nbsp;December 1791}}

* {{xt|14&nbsp;May&nbsp;– 2&nbsp;August 2011}}, not {{!xt|14&nbsp;May–2&nbsp;August 2011}}

* {{xt|10:30&nbsp;pm Tuesday&nbsp;– 1:25&nbsp;am Wednesday}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|Christmas Day&nbsp;– New Year's Eve}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|Christmas 2001&nbsp;– Easter 2002}}

* {{xt|1–17 September}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|February–October 2009}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|1492?&nbsp;– 7&nbsp;April 1556}}

* {{xt|Best absorbed were wavelengths in the range 28&nbsp;mm&nbsp;– 17&nbsp;m.}}

* {{xt|boyfriend–girlfriend problems}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Paris–Montpellier route}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a New York–Los Angeles flight}}

* {{xt|iron–cobalt interactions}}; the components are parallel and reversible; iron and cobalt retain their identity

* Wrong: {{!xt|an iron–roof shed}}; ''iron'' modifies ''roof'', so use a hyphen: {{xt|an iron-roof shed}}

* Wrong: {{!xt|the poet's mentor–muse}}; not separate persons, so use a hyphen: {{xt|the poet's mentor-muse}}

* {{xt|red–green colorblind}}; red and green are separate independent colors, not mixed

* Wrong: {{!xt|blue–green algae}}; a blended, intermediate color, so use a hyphen: {{xt|blue-green algae}}

* Wrong: {{!xt|Franco–British rivalry}}; "Franco" is a ''combining form'', not independent; use a hyphen: {{xt|Franco-British rivalry}}

* {{xt|France–Britain rivalry}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|French–British rivalry}}

* {{xt|a 51–30 win}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a six–two majority decision}}

* {{xt|an Italian–Swiss border crossing}}; but {{xt|an Italian-Swiss newspaper}}, for Italian-speaking Swiss

* {{xt|Japanese–American trade}}; but {{xt|a family of Japanese-Americans}} (or {{xt|a family of Japanese Americans}})

* {{xt|the Uganda–Tanzania War}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Roman–Syrian War}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the east–west runway}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Lincoln–Douglas debates}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a carbon–carbon bond}}

* {{xt|diode–transistor logic}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the analog–digital distinction}}&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|push–pull output}}&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|on–off switch}}

* {{xt|a pro-establishment–anti-intellectual alliance}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|Singapore–Sumatra–Java shipping lanes}}

* {{xt|the ballerina's rapid walk–dance transitions}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|a male–female height ratio of 1.14}}

* {{xt|the protein–fat ratio}},&nbsp; or&nbsp; {{xt|the protein/fat ratio}},&nbsp; or&nbsp; {{xt|the protein-to-fat ratio}}

* {{xt|Lennard-Jones potential}} with a hyphen: named after John Lennard-Jones

* {{xt|the Seifert–van Kampen theorem}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Seeliger–Donker-Voet scheme}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|the Alpher–Bethe–Gamow theory}}

* {{xt|Comet Hale–Bopp}} or just {{xt|Hale–Bopp}} (discovered by Hale and Bopp)

* {{xt|Guinea-Bissau}}; Bissau is the capital, and this distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea

* {{xt|McGraw-Hill}}, a publishing house

* {{xt|ex–prime minister Thatcher}};&nbsp;&nbsp; {{xt|pre–World War II aircraft}}

* Keep: [[Post–September 11 anti-war movement]]; [[Trans–New Guinea languages]] (existing Wikipedia articles)

* Best to recast the examples shown above: {{xt|former prime minister Thatcher}}; {{xt|aircraft before World War II}}

* Very awkward: {{!xt|the mother had post–difficult birth health problems}}; recast as {{xt|the mother had health problems after a difficult birth}}

** {{xt|James Galway&nbsp;– flute; Anne-Sophie Mutter&nbsp;– violin; Maurizio Pollini&nbsp;– piano.}}

** {{xt|The future&nbsp;– 7:21; Ain't no cure for love&nbsp;– 6:17; Bird on the wire&nbsp;– 6:14.}}

* to indicate [[phonemic]] [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (pronunciation)|pronunciations]] ({{xt|''ribald'' is pronounced {{IPA|/ˈrɪbəld/}}}})

* to indicate regular defined yearly periods that do not coincide with calendar years ({{xt|the 2009/10 academic year}}, {{xt|the 2010/11 hockey season}}; see [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)#Longer periods]])

Prefer the division operator ({{xt|&nbsp;÷&nbsp;}}) to ({{xt|&nbsp;/&nbsp;}}) when representing elementary arithmetic in general prose: {{xt|{{nowrap|10 ÷ 2 {{=}} 5}}}}. In more advanced mathematical formulas, a [[Vinculum (symbol)|vinculum]] or slash is preferred: <math>\textstyle\frac{x^n}{n!}</math> or {{xt|''x''^''n''/''n''!}}. (See [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (dates and numbers)#Common mathematical symbols]] and [[Helpসহায়:Displaying a formula]].)

=== Terminal punctuation ===

==== Spaces following terminal punctuation ====

The number of spaces following the terminal punctuation of a sentence in the wiki markup makes no difference on Wikipedia because the MediaWiki software condenses any number of spaces to just one when rendering the page (see [[Sentence spacing]]). For this reason, editors may use any spacing style they prefer on Wikipedia. Multiple spacing styles may coexist in the same article, and adding or removing a double space is sometimes used as a [[Helpসহায়:dummy edit|dummy edit]].

=== Consecutive punctuation marks ===

><b>'''[[#nbFoot01a|^]]</b>''' Miller, E: ''The Sun'', page 23. Academic Press, 2005.</li>

><b>'''[[#nbFoot02a|^]]</b>''' Brown, R: "Size of the Moon", ''Scientific American'', 51(78):46.</li>

Punctuation marks that are exceptions to this principle include dashes, as well as some phrases within parentheses. For details, see [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (footnotes)#Ref tags, spacing and punctuation|Ref tags, spacing and punctuation]] on the footnotes style page.

A sentence that ends with a formula should have terminal punctuation (period, exclamation mark, or question mark) after the formula. Within a sentence, other punctuation (such as comma or colon) is used after a formula just as it would be if the text were not a formula. See [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (mathematics)#Punctuation after formulae]].

*[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Which units to use|Which units to use]]: metric, imperial/US or both

*[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Unit_conversions|How to write supplementary units]]; for example, whether to write

*[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Avoiding_ambiguities|Dealing with ambiguities]]; for example, is that gallon a US gallon or an imperial gallon?

*[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Unnecessary vagueness|Use of quantitative information]] such as 4&nbsp;metres or 13&nbsp;ft rather than qualitative information such as "big", "small" etc.

*[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Unit names and symbols|Presenting unit names and symbols]] in a consistent manner.

*[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Quantities of bytes and bits|Presentation of digital quantities]] (bit, byte) that are used in the information technology industry.

*[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:MOSNUM#Adopting suggestions from standards bodies|Following conventions]] laid down by standards bodies such as ISO.

* Symbols for [[binary operator]]s and [[binary relation|relationrelations]]s are spaced on both sides:

* The author's ''we'' found in scientific writing: {{xt|We are thus led also to a definition of "time" in physics}} (Albert Einstein); {{xt|Throughout the proof of this theorem we assume that the function ''&fnof;ƒ'' is uniformly continuous}}. Often rephrasing is preferable: {{xt|Throughout the proof of this theorem it is assumed that the function ''&fnof;ƒ'' is uniformly continuous.}}

== Vocabulary ==

=== Gender-neutral language ===

{{dablink|See also [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Gender-neutral language]]. For results of past discussions, see the [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style/Register#Gender-neutral language|Register]].}}

Avoid such phrases as ''remember that'' and ''note that'', which [[Imperative mood|address readers directly]] in an unencyclopedic tone. Similarly, phrases such as ''of course'', ''naturally'', ''obviously'', ''clearly'', and ''actually'' make presumptions about readers' knowledge, and call into question the reason for including the information in the first place. Do not ''tell'' readers that something is ironic, surprising, unexpected, amusing, coincidental, etc. This supplies a [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Neutral point of view|point of view]]. Simply state the sourced facts and allow readers to draw their own conclusions.

* Disputes over how to refer to a person or group are addressed by policies such as [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Verifiability|Verifiability]], [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Neutral point of view|Neutral point of view]], and [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles|Article titles]] where the term appears in the title of an article. When there is no dispute, the term most commonly used for a person will be the one that person uses for himself or herself, and the most common terms for a group will be those that the group most commonly uses for itself. Wikipedia should use them too. (See for example the article [[Jew]], which demonstrates that most Jews prefer that term to "Jewish person".)

The use of [[diacritic]]s (such as accent marks) for foreign words is neither encouraged nor discouraged; their usage depends on whether they appear in [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Verifiability|verifiable reliable sources]] in English and on the constraints imposed by specialized Wikipedia guidelines. Provide [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Redirect#Alternative names and languages|redirects]] from alternative forms that use or exclude diacritics.

Spell a name consistently in the title and the text of an article. See relevant policy at [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Article titles|Article titles]]; see also [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Naming conventions (use English)|Naming conventions (use English)]]. For foreign names, phrases, and words generally, adopt the spellings most commonly used in English-language references for the article, unless those spellings are idiosyncratic or obsolete. If a foreign term does not appear in the article's references, adopt the spelling most commonly used in other [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:SOURCES|verifiable reliable sources]] (for example [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Naming conventions (geographic names)#Widely accepted name|other English-language dictionaries and encyclopedias]]). For punctuation of compounded forms, see relevant guidelines in [[#Punctuation|Punctuation]], above.

=== Geographical items ===

Places should generally be referred to consistently using the same name as in the title of their article (see [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Naming conventions (geographic names)]]). Exceptions are made if there is a widely accepted historical English name appropriate to the given context. In cases where such a historical name is used, it should be followed by the modern name in round brackets (parentheses) on the first occurrence of the name in applicable sections of the article. This resembles linking; it should not be done to the detriment of style. On the other hand, it is probably better to provide such a variant too often than too rarely. If more than one historical name is applicable for a given context, the other names should be added after the modern English name, that is: "historical name (modern name, other historical names)".

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (infoboxes)|Infoboxes]], images, and related content in the lead must be right-aligned.

* See [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Picture tutorial#Avoiding stack-ups|this tutorial]] for how to group images, and avoid "stack-ups".

*The thumbnail option may be used ("<code>[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#thumb|thumb]]</code>"), or another size may be fixed. The default thumbnail width is 220&nbsp;pixels; users can adjust this in their [[m:Help:Preferences|preferences]]. An option such as "<code>|300[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#px|px]]|</code>" resizes the image to the specified width in pixels, and "<code>[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#upright|upright]]=1.2</code>" (or "<code>|[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#frameless|frameless]]|upright=1.2</code>" for [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#Plain pictures|plain pictures]]) resizes an image to approximately the given multiple of a user's preferred width. An image should generally be no more than 500&nbsp;pixels tall and 400&nbsp;pixels ("<code>upright=1.8</code>") wide, so it can be comfortably displayed next to the text on the smallest monitors in common use; an image can be wider if it uses the "<code>[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#center|center]]</code>" or "<code>[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:PIC#none|none]]</code>" options to stand alone. The {{tl|Wide image}} and {{tl|Tall image}} templates display images that would otherwise be unreasonably wide or tall.

:*Large, panoramic images, which may require larger sizes to make them viewable or readable. ''For further information, refer to: [[Templateসাঁচ:Wide image|Template: Wide image]]''

* Use {{[[Templateসাঁচ:Commons|Commons]]}} to link to more images on Commons, wherever possible. The use of [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Picture tutorial#Galleries|galleries]] should be in keeping with [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Image use policy#Image galleries|Wikipedia's image use policy]].

*[[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:ALT|Alt text]] takes the place of an image for text-only readers, including those using [[screen reader]]s. Images should have an [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:ALT|alt attribute]] added to the {{para|alt}} parameter. See [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:ALT]] for more information.

'''Make [[Helpসহায়:Link|links]] only where they are relevant and helpful in the context:''' Hyperlinks are distracting, and may slow the reader down. Redundant links (like {{!xt|the tallest people on [[Earth]]}}) clutter the page and make future maintenance harder. High-value links that ''are'' worth pursuing should stand out clearly.

Add external links with discretion; Wikipedia is [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:NOTLINK|not a link repository]].

Outside article text, different font sizes are routinely used in navigation templates and [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Infobox|infoboxes]], tables (especially in larger ones), and some other contexts where alternatives are not available (such as table captions). Specify font sizes ''relatively'' (for example in CSS with <code>font-size: 80%</code>) rather than ''absolutely'' (like <code>font-size: 8pt</code>).

Scrolling lists and boxes that toggle text display between ''hide'' and ''show'' should not conceal article content, including reference lists, image galleries, and image captions. They especially should not be used to conceal "spoiler" information (see [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Spoiler]]). Collapsible ''sections'' or ''cells'' may be used in tables that consolidate information covered in the main text, [[WPৱিকিপিডিয়া:NAVBOX|navboxes]], or [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (infoboxes)|infoboxes]]. When scrolling lists or collapsible content are used, take care that the content will still be accessible on devices that do not support JavaScript or CSS.

'''Pronunciation''' in Wikipedia is indicated using the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA). In most situations, for ease of understanding by the majority of readers and across variants of the language, [[Phonetic transcription#Narrow versus broad transcription|quite broad]] IPA transcriptions are best for English pronunciations. See [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:IPA for English]] and [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:IPA]] (general) for keys, and {{tl|IPA}} for templates that link to these keys. For English pronunciations, [[Helpসহায়:Pronunciation respelling key|pronunciation respellings]] may be used ''in addition to'' the IPA.

* [[Helpসহায়:Wiki markup]] explains the codes and resources available for editing a page.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Annotated article]] is a well-constructed sample article, with annotations.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Avoiding common mistakes]] gives a list of common mistakes and how to avoid them.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Basic copyediting]] gives helpful advice on copy-editing.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Be bold]] suggests a bold attitude toward page updates.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Citing sources]] explains process and standards for citing references.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Disinfoboxes]] shows how infoboxes are not always useful.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Editing policy]] explains Wikipedia's general philosophy of editing.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Elements of Style improvement project]].

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:How to edit a page]] is a short primer on editing pages.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Introduction]] is a gentle introduction to the world of Wikipedia.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Manual of Style (list of specialized Manual of Style articles)]].

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Policies and guidelines]] is the main stop for policies and guidelines.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Reader]] stresses that the reader must be considered when editing.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Requests for arbitration/Jguk]] was an [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Arbitration Committee|Arbitration Committee]] case on style edit-warring.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Stub]] shows what to aim for when starting a new article.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Style guide|Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Style guide]] lists some variations between the [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:Version 1.0 Editorial Team#Active projects|proposed printed versions of Wikipedia]] and the Manual of Style.

* [[Wikipediaৱিকিপিডিয়া:WikiProject]] introduces Wikipedia's system for collaborative development of related articles.

== Notes ==

== Style guides on other Wikimedia projects ==

== Further reading ==

== Search engines ==

[[Categoryশ্ৰেণী:General style guidelines]]