Terminology

Access

Do not use access to mean start, create, or open.

Alert

Avoid as a reference to a system message. Use message instead.

And/or

Avoid. Choose either and or or, or rewrite the sentence.

Application

Avoid in content for home users and information workers; use program instead.

Arrow

In documentation for inexperienced computer users, you may want to use arrow to identify the arrow next to a list box label. Do not use up arrow or down arrow which refer to the arrow keys on the keyboard. Example:

    Click the 'Font' arrow to display the list.

Backspace

Okay to use as a verb.

Back up, backup

Two words as a verb; one word as an adjective or a noun.

Bi-

In general, do not hyphenate words beginning with bi-, such as bidirectional, bimodal, and bimonthly, unless it is necessary to avoid confusion.

Bookmark

In general Internet usage, a saved reference in the form of a URL or link that helps users return to a particular location, page, or site. Use favorite to refer to a bookmark in Internet Explorer.

Box

In content about a dialog box, use box instead of field to refer to any box except a check box or a list box. For a check box, use the complete term check box. For a dialog box element that displays a list, such as a drop-down list box, use list rather than box for clarity.

Calendar

Do not use as a verb. Use schedule, list, or another appropriate verb instead.

Call back, callback

Use call back (two words) as a verb and callback (one word) as a noun or adjective.

Cancel the selection

Not deselect or unmark. Use clear to refer to check boxes.

Check command.

Do not use check and uncheck as verbs meaning to add and remove a check in a check box; use select and clear instead.

Check box

Use the identifier check box, not just box, to refer to this option. Box alone is ambiguous, especially for worldwide readers.

Check mark

Two words.

Choose

Use choose when the user must make a decision, as opposed to selecting (not picking) an item from a list to carry out a decision already made.

Click

Use click, rather than choose or select, to refer to the user action of issuing a command or setting an option. Do not use click on or click at; “click in the window” is acceptable.

Clip art

Two words.

Clipboard

Capitalize when referring to the component, in Windows documentation. Do not precede with Windows. Material is moved or copied to the Clipboard, not onto it.

Close

Use close for windows, documents, and dialog boxes. For programs, use exit. For network connections, use end.

Close button

In Windows-based programs, the box with × at the upper right of the screen that, when clicked, closes the window.

Combo box

Do not use combo box in content for home users or information workers. Refer to as a box instead, using the label provided in the user interface.

Use enter to refer to either selecting or typing a value in a combo box.

Compare to vs. compare with

Use compare to to point out similarities between dissimilar items. Use compare with to comment on the similarities or differences between similar items.

Comprise

Avoid. Comprise has a history of misuse and is misunderstood even by many native English speakers. It means “to include” or “to (metaphorically) embrace.” The whole comprises or is composed of its parts; the parts compose or are comprised in the whole. Comprised of is always incorrect.

Context-sensitive

Always hyphenate when used as an adjective.

Dashes

There are two types of dashes, the em dash (—) and the en dash (–).

Em Dash: The em dash (—), based on the width of an uppercase M, is used primarily to set off sentence elements.

En Dash: The en dash (–) is based on the width of an uppercase N. It is slightly longer than a hyphen, half the length of an em dash. En dashes are used primarily as connecting elements, especially with numbers.

Database

One word as a noun or an adjective.

Default

Many home users and information workers do not understand that default refers to something that happens if the user does not take an action or does not supply a required value. Consider whether you need to explain the meaning of default in your content or even whether your content can dispense with default altogether.

Delete

Use delete to refer to actions that the Delete command takes, such as moving files to the Recycle Bin and moving items in Microsoft Outlook to the Deleted Items folder.Do not use delete as a synonym for remove. Do not use cut or erase as a synonym for delete.

Depress

Do not use; instead, use press for the action of pushing down a key. Write around or otherwise avoid using depressed as a description for an indented toolbar button.

Deselect

Do not use. Use cancel the selection instead, or use clear in the case of check boxes.

Desire

Do not use; use want instead.

Dialog box

Always use dialog box, not just dialog, and not pop-up window.

Document

You can use document generically to refer to any kind of item within a folder that can be edited, but it’s clearer to restrict its use to Word, WordPad, and text documents. Use the specific term for “documents” in other programs—for example, an Excel worksheet, a PowerPoint presentation, or an Access database.

Double-click, double-clicking

Always hyphenate. Use instead of select and choose when referring to a mouse action. Do not use double-click on.

Drag

Use instead of drag and drop. Do not use click and drag.

Drilldown, drill down

One word as a noun; two words as a verb. Do not use in documentation to refer to following a path to its files or to further analysis. It’s slang.

Drop-down

Use only if necessary to describe how an item such as a menu works or what it looks like.

e.g.

Means exempli gratia. Do not use; use for example instead.

E-learning and other "e-words"

Always hyphenate for clarity. Use lowercase for e-words in body text, and use initial capital letters in headings, titles and at the beginnings of sentences. The word following the hyphen is capitalized in headings with title-style capitalization.

Examples of correct usage that would also apply to "e-learning":
E-commerce is a very lucrative business model.
I received 120 pieces of e-mail yesterday.
How to Succeed at E-Commerce (heading)

E-mail

 Always hyphenate. Do not use as a verb; use send instead.

Enter

Do not use as a synonym for the verb type except to indicate that a user can either type or click a selection from, say, a list in a combo box.

Execute, run

 Do not use execute in content for home users or information workers except to follow the user interface. Use run instead.

Expand, collapse

Pertains to a folder or outline. The user can expand or collapse these structures to see more or fewer subentries.

Far-left, far-right

Avoid; use leftmost or rightmost instead. If possible, however, avoid directional cues for reasons of accessibility.

Field

Do not use to refer to a box or option in a dialog box. Okay to use to refer to Word field codes and for other technically accurate uses.

File

Okay to use generically to refer to documents and programs as well as to units of storage or file management. However, be more specific if possible in referring to a type of file—for example, the Word document, your worksheet, the WordPad program, and so on.

File name

Two words. File name can be used as an adjective or noun.

Find and replace

Use find and replace as standard names for search and substitution features. Do not use search and replace.

Gallery

A gallery is a collection of pictures, charts, or other graphics that the user can select

from. Refer to the items in a gallery in the same way you refer to options in a dialog box— that is, use the verb click or select.

Half inch

Not half an inch or one-half inch. Hyphenate as an adjective: “a half-inch margin.”

Handheld

One word, no hyphen.

Hard copy

Two words. Acceptable as a noun referring to a paper version of a software document. Avoid as an adjective.

Header

Do not use header as a synonym for heading.

Heading

Do not refer to a topic heading or chapter heading as a head or a header.

He/she

Do not use.

Highlight

 In general, avoid using highlight, unless you are specifically referring to the highlighter feature in some products that users can apply to emphasize selections. Use select instead.

Hint

Do not use hint as a heading for a type of note; use tip instead.

Hi-res

Do not use for high-resolution.

Hover, mouse over

 Avoid these terms, especially in end-user documentation, to refer to the action of briefly resting the mouse pointer on a button, link, and so on to see a definition or description. Instead, use rest on, pause on, or a similar word or phrase.

Do not use mouse over as a verb phrase. To describe the action of moving the mouse to a button, use a phrase such as “move the pointer over the button.”

Hyperlink

Use hyperlink to describe text or a graphic that users can click to go to another document or another place within the same document. It is all right to use link once context has been established.

Icon

Use only to describe a graphic representation of an object that a user can select and open, such as a drive, disk, folder, document, or program. Within programs, do not use icon for graphical dialog box options or options that appear on ribbons, toolbars, toolboxes, or other areas of a window.

For user interface elements that are identified by a graphic rather than label text, use the most descriptive term available, such as button, box, or check box. To refer to the graphic itself if there is no other identifying label, use symbol, as in “warning symbol.”

Iconize

Do not use; instead, use shrink to an icon or minimize.

i.e.

Means id est, “that is.” Do not use; use that is instead.

Illegal

Do not use to mean invalid or not valid.

Indent, indentation

Use indent, not indentation, to refer to a single instance of indentation—

for example, hanging indent, nested indent, negative indent (do not use outdent), positive indent. Do not use indention. Use indentation to refer to the general concept.

Index, indexes

In general use, form the plural of index as indexes. Use indices only in the context of mathematical expressions.

Initialize

Technical term usually referring to preparing a disk or computer for use or to set a

variable to an initial value. Do not use to mean start a program or turn on a computer.

Inline

One word, no hyphen.

Input

Avoid in all content as a verb; use type or another appropriate verb instead.

Insertion point

The point at which text or graphics will be inserted when the user begins working with the program. It’s usually shown as a blinking line or, in character-based applications, a blinking rectangle. Use instead of cursor except in character-based applications, where cursor is acceptable. Always use the article the, as in “the insertion point.”

Jump

Do not use as a noun to refer to cross-references to other Help topics or to hyperlinks. Do not use as a verb to refer to the action that follows clicking a hyperlink; use go to instead.

justified

Do not use as a synonym for aligned. Justified text is text that is both left-aligned and right-aligned. To describe alignment on one margin only, use left-aligned or right-aligned,not left-justified or right-justified.

Keyboard shortcut

Use to describe any combination of keystrokes that can be used to perform a task that would otherwise require a mouse or other pointing device.

Keypad

Always use numeric keypad on first mention.

Keypress

Do not use; use keystroke instead.

Later

Use instead of below in cross-references—for example, “later in this section.” Use instead of higher for product version numbers—for example, “Windows version 3.0 or later.”

Launch

Do not use to mean start, as in “launch a program” or “launch a form.” Use start instead.

Less vs. fewer vs. under

Use less to refer to a mass amount, value, or degree. Use fewer to refer to a countable number of items. Do not use under to refer to a quantity or number.

Let, lets

Avoid in the sense of software permitting a user to do something. Use you can instead.

List box

Two words. List box is a generic term for any type of dialog box option containing a list of items the user can select. In text and procedures, refer to a list box by its label and the word list, not list box.

Log on, log off, logon, logoff

 Use log on or log on to (not log onto) to refer to creating a user session on a computer or a network. Use log off or log off from to refer to ending a user session on a computer or a network. Use sign in and sign out to refer to creating and ending a user session on the Internet.

Do not use log in, login, log onto, log off of, logout, sign off, or sign on unless these terms appear in the user interface.

The verb form is two words, log on or log off. As a noun or adjective, use one word, no hyphen: logon or logoff.

Lo-res

Do not use; use low-resolution instead.

Lower

Do not use to indicate product version numbers. Use earlier instead, as in “Word version 3.0 or earlier.”

Manual

In general, avoid manual as a synonym for book, guide, or other specific terms referring to product documentation. Use the title of the book itself if possible.

Maximize button

Refers to the button with an open square (Windows 95 and later) that is located in the upper-right corner of a window that has not been maximized. Do not use Maximize box or Maximize icon. Use the phrase “Maximize button” to refer to the button, not just Maximize. It is acceptable to use maximize as a verb, however.

Meg

Do not use as an abbreviation for megabyte. Use MB instead.

Megahertz

Abbreviate as MHz. At first mention, spell out and use the abbreviation in parentheses if your audience may not be familiar with the abbreviation.

Leave a space between the numeral and MHz except when the measurement is used as an adjective preceding a noun. In that case, use a hyphen.

memory

To avoid confusing users, refer to a specific kind of memory rather than use the generic term memory, which usually refers to random access memory (RAM).

message box

In end-user documentation, use message.

Message (e-mail)

In the context of e-mail, use message or e-mail message to refer to an item sent or received. Do not refer to a single message as an e-mail.

mice

Avoid. Use mouse devices instead.

Microsoft

Do not use MS as an abbreviation for Microsoft.

minimize

Acceptable as a verb.

Minimize button

Refers to the button containing a short line (Windows 95 and later) located in the upper-right corner of a window that has not been minimized. Do not use Minimize box or Minimize icon. Use the phrase “Minimize button” to refer to the button, not just Minimize. It is acceptable to use minimize as a verb, however.

Minus sign (–)

Use an en dash for a minus sign except for user input when the user must type a hyphen. In that case, the correct key should be clearly noted.

More than vs. over

Use more than to refer to quantifiable figures and amounts. Use over to refer to a spatial relationship or position or in a comparison in which more is already used.

MS-DOS prompt

Avoid; use command prompt instead.

Multiple selection

Use to refer to a selection that includes multiple items. Do not use disjoint selection or noncontiguous selection. It is all right to use adjacent selection or nonadjacent selection to emphasize that the selected items are or are not adjacent to each other.

My Computer

An icon that represents a user’s private, local system. To refer to the icon in printed documents, use just My Computer if the icon is shown; otherwise, use the My Computer

icon. In procedures, apply bold formatting to My Computer.

Navigate

Do not use to refer to the act of going from place to place on the World Wide Web or

on an intranet Web. Use browse instead.

Normal, normally

 Implies “in a normal manner,” which may not be possible for everyone. Do not use to mean “often,” “usual,” or “typical.” Instead, use usually, ordinarily, generally, or a similar term.

Notification area

The area on the right side of the taskbar formerly called the system tray or status area.

number sign (#)

Use number sign, not pound sign, to refer to the # symbol. It is acceptable, however, to use pound key (#), including the symbol in parentheses, when referring specifically to telephones or telephone numbers.

Of:

Do not use of after another preposition, for example, “off of” or “outside of.” It is colloquial and can be confusing for worldwide readers.

Offline

One word in all instances. Use in the sense of not being connected to or part of a system or network. Do not use in the slang sense of “outside the present context.”

okay, OK

Use OK only to match the user interface; otherwise, use okay. When referring to the OK button in procedures, do not use the and button.

     In the 'Save As' dialog box, click 'OK.'

Online

One word in all instances.

On-screen

Hyphenate as both an adjective and adverb in all instances.

Onto, on to

Use two words (on to) for the action of connecting to a network, as in “log on to the network.”

Option, option button

 In general, refer to items in a dialog box only by their labels. If youmust provide a descriptor, use option. Capitalize the name of an option, following the interface style, but do not capitalize the word option itself.

Radio button is a problem term for the worldwide audience. Do not use radio button except in content for software developers in which the application programming interface includes the term. In that case, refer to the button as an option button, “also known as a radio button.”

Outdent

Do not use. Use negative indent instead.

Output

 Use as an noun and adjective. Do not use as a verb; instead, use a term specific to the

kind of output referred to, such as write to, display on, or print to, not output to.

Over

To avoid ambiguity, use over to refer to a position or location above something. For quantities, use more than. Do not use to refer to version numbers; instead, use later.

Pane

Use only to refer to the separate areas of a split or single window. For example, in Windows Explorer, the names of all the folders can appear in one pane and the contents of a selected folder in the other pane.

Parenthesis, parentheses

Parentheses is the plural form. Use the term opening parenthesis or closing parenthesis for an individual parenthesis, not open parenthesis, close parenthesis, beginning parenthesis, ending parenthesis, left parenthesis, or right parenthesis.

Path

Use path, not pathname, both in general reference and in syntax.

Percent, percentage

 One word. In general, spell out; do not use the percent sign (%), except in tables and as a technical symbol. When spelling out percent, put a space between the number and the word. Always use a numeral with percent, no matter how small.

   Only 1 percent of the test group was unable to complete the task.

Platform

Refers to hardware architecture and is sometimes used interchangeably with operating environment or environment. But because it can be ambiguous, avoid platform, particularly in content for home users and information workers.

Point to

Use point to in procedures involving submenus that do not need to be clicked.

Pointer

Use pointer to refer to the arrow or other shape that moves when the user moves the mouse or other pointing device.

Pop-up

Do not use as a noun. Avoid as a verb; instead, use a term that more accurately describes the action, such as open or appear.

Pop-up window is acceptable in references to windows that pop up in context-sensitive Help. Do not use pop-up window as a synonym for dialog box.

Power down, power up; power off, power on

Do not use; use turn off and turn on instead. Do not use shut down to refer to turning off a computer.

Preceding

Use preceding, previous, or earlier instead of above to mean earlier in a book or Help topic.

Print, printout

 Use print, not print out, as a verb. It is all right to use printout as the result of a print job, if necessary, but try to be more specific.

Privileges

Do not use as a synonym for permissions or rights.

Prompt

Do not use prompt as a synonym for message. A prompt is a signal, which may or may not be a message, that a program or the operating system is waiting for the user to take some action. In general, restrict the use of prompt as a noun to the command prompt.

Properties

Outside a programming context, property can be a vague term. Avoid using it except for a specific reference to something named as a property. Use value or setting instead to refer to a specific characteristic a user can set (such as the specific color of a font) or attribute for the general characteristic (such as “color is an attribute of fonts”).

Pull-down

 Do not use as a noun. Avoid in describing menus except in content for software

developers.

purge

Do not use because of negative associations in ordinary English usage. Use delete, clear, or remove instead.

Quality

Do not use quality alone as an adjective.

Quarter inch

 In general, use a quarter inch, not quarter of an inch or one-quarter inch.

Quit

Avoid. Use exit instead to refer to the user action of closing a program. Use close to refer to the user action of closing a document or a window. Use close to refer to the action a program takes to close itself. Use log off to refer to ending a user session on a computer or on a network or Internet connection.

Radio button

For globalization reasons, do not use in content for home users, information workers, or information technology professionals. Refer to the option button by its label or use option instead. If necessary to avoid ambiguity, use option button.

Ragged right

Acceptable to refer to the uneven right edge in documents. Opposite of right-aligned.

Range selection

Avoid. In content for home users and information workers, use a phrase such as “a range of items” to refer to a selection of adjoining pages, cells, and so on. Use the same type of phrasing in content for software developers and information technology professionals, but if you are describing the feature, use adjacent selection. The selection of more than one nonadjacent item is called a multiple selection.

Re-

In general, do not hyphenate words beginning with the prefix re- unless it is necessary to avoid confusion or re- is followed by a word that is ordinarily capitalized.

Read-only

Always hyphenate.

Read/write

Use read/write, not read-write, as in “read/write permission.”

Real time, real-time

Two words as a noun. Hyphenate as an adjective.

Reboot

Do not use; use restart instead, and take care to establish that it is the computer, not a program, that is restarting.

Refresh

Use refresh to refer to updating a Web page. Avoid using in documentation to describe the action of an image being restored on the screen or data being updated; instead, use redraw or update. To refer to the Refresh command, use language such as: “To update the screen, click Refresh.”

Remove

Do not use remove to mean delete. Remove is correct in the following contexts:

• As a preferred synonym for uninstall

• As a synonym for unload

• To refer to taking an item off a list in a dialog box that has Add and Remove buttons

• To refer to taking a toolbar button off a toolbar, or hiding displayed data without deleting the data, such as columns in Windows Explorer.

Replace

Do not use as a noun.

Restore

Use to refer to restoring an item that was deleted. Do not use undelete.

Right

Not right-hand. Use upper right or lower right, rightmost, and so on. Include a hyphen if modifying a noun, as in upper-right corner.

Right align, right-aligned

Use to refer to text that is aligned at the right margin. Hyphenate right-aligned in all positions in the sentence. Do not use right-justified.

Right mouse button

In most content, use this term rather than secondary mouse button, mouse button 2, or other terms. Even though a user can program a mouse to switch buttons, usability studies show that most users understand this commonly used term.

Right-click

Acceptable to describe clicking the secondary (normally right) mouse button.

Right-hand

Do not use; use just right instead.

Rights

Use rights only in a nonspecific way to refer to system actions that are authorized by the system administrator. For specific references, use user rights.

Do not confuse rights, which apply to system operations, with permissions, which apply to specific system resources such as files or printers.

Do not use privileges as a synonym for rights.

Run vs. execute

Avoid using execute to refer to running a program or macro. Use run instead.

(s)

Do not add (s) to a singular noun to indicate that it can be singular or plural. In general, use plural, but be guided by meaning. Alternatively, if it’s important to indicate both, use one

or more.

Sample vs. preview

A sample is a graphic representation of something that might show up on screen, not an exact representation of what is in the file the user is working on. A preview is a graphic representation of exactly what the user will see on screen.

Save

Do not use as a noun.

Screen resolution

Use number×number, not number by number, as in “640×480,” not “640 by 480.” Use the multiplication sign, not an x.

ScreenTip

Generic term for any on-screen tip, such as a ToolTip. Used especially in end-user

documentation in Office.

Scroll

Scroll does not take a direct object. Use directional signals or prepositions with scroll, for example. scroll up, "scroll through the document."

Search, search and replace

Do not use for the search and substitution features; use find and replace instead.

Use search, find, and replace as verbs, not nouns. Avoid search your document; use search through your document instead.

Select

Use select to refer to marking text, cells, and similar items that will be subject to a user action, such as copying text. Items so marked are called the selection, selected text, selected cells, or whatever.

Use select to refer to adding a check to a check box, or to clicking an item in a list box or a combo box. Do not use select as a general term for clicking options in a dialog box.

Do not use highlight as a synonym for select.

Do not use pick as a synonym for select.

Set up, setup, Setup (the program)

Two words as a verb, one word as an adjective or a noun. Capitalize the Setup (one word) program. Do not hyphenate.

Setting

Use setting or value in content for home users and information workers to refer to a specific

value that the user can set, such as the specific color of a font.

Shortcut

One word, lowercase, as a noun or an adjective. Exception: Capitalize for the Outlook Shortcuts that appear on the Office Shortcut Bar.

Do not use as a synonym for hyperlink.

Shortcut key

Do not use in content for home users or information workers. Use keyboard shortcut instead.

Shortcut menu

The shortcut menu appears when the user right-clicks an item. It lists commands pertaining only to the item that the user clicked.

In general, it should not be necessary outside a programming context to use a term for the shortcut menu. If you must, use shortcut menu, not context menu or pop-up menu.

Should vs. must

Use should only to describe a user action that is recommended but optional.

Use must only to describe a user action that is required.

Shut down, shutdown, Shut Down

Two words as a verb, one word as a noun or an adjective. The Shut Down command on the Start menu of some versions of Windows is two words, capitalized.

Shut down refers to the orderly closing of the operating system. Do not use shut down to refer to turning off the power to a computer. Do not use shut down as a synonym for close or exit.

Simply

Avoid. It is generally unnecessary and can sound condescending if the user does not find the task as simple as the writer does.

Slider

Control that lets users set a value on a continuous range of possible values, such as

screen brightness, mouse-click speed, or volume.

Soft copy

Avoid; it is jargon formed by analogy with hard copy. Use a more specific term, such as electronic document or file, instead.

Spam

Spam is a problem for the global audience, and not all readers interpret it in the same way. Nevertheless, it is in wide use and is acceptable in certain circumstances.

Use spam only to refer to unsolicited commercial e-mail. Do not use spam to refer generally to commercial e-mail, such as bulk e-mail sent to a customer list. Do not use spam to refer to an inappropriate posting to a large distribution list, newsgroup, or listserv.

Do not use spam as a verb.

Spelling checker

 Refer to the tool as the spelling checker, not spell checker or Spell Checker. Do not use spell check as a verb or noun.

Spin box

 Use only in content for software developers to describe a control that users can move (“spin”) through a fixed set of values, such as dates. In general content, refer to a spin box by its label, for example, the Start time box.

Split bar

Refers to the horizontal or vertical double line that separates a window into two panes.

Split box

 Refers to the control at the top right of the vertical scroll bar (for horizontal splitting)

or far right of the horizontal scroll bar (for vertical splitting). Users point to the split box

to drag the split bar.

Spreadsheet

Do not use as a synonym for worksheet. A spreadsheet is a computer accounting program, such as Microsoft Excel; a worksheet is the document produced by a spreadsheet program.

Start page

Do not use to refer to the Web page that appears when the user starts the browser.

Use home page instead.

Start, Start (the menu)

In general, use start, as in “start a program,” instead of boot; initiate; initialize; issue; launch; turn on, turn off; and similar words and phrases.

Capitalize references to the Start menu and the Start button on the taskbar, and always specify which one you are referring to.

Startup, start up

Avoid start up as a verb. Use start instead.

Status bar

Not status line or message area. Refers to the area at the bottom of a document window that lists the status of a document and gives other information, such as the meaning of a command. Messages appear on, not in, the status bar.

Stop

Acceptable to use to refer to hardware operations, as in “stop a print job.” Use exit with programs.

Strike

Do not use to refer to keyboard input; use press or type instead.

Sub-

 In general, do not hyphenate words beginning with sub-, such as subheading and subsection, unless it is necessary to avoid confusion or if sub is followed by a proper noun, as in sub-Saharan.

Submenu

Describes the secondary menu that appears when the user selects a command that includes a small arrow on the right. Avoid in end-user documentation if possible, for example, by referring only to what appears on the screen.

Avoid the terms cascading menu, hierarchical menu, and secondary menu.

Switch

Acceptable to use as a verb, as in “switch to another window.” Use instead of activate or toggle.

Symbol

Use the word symbol to refer to a graphic or special character that represents something else, but differentiate a symbol from an icon.

Write out the name of the symbol in text and, if the symbol itself is important, enclose the

symbol in parentheses. Use symbols alone only in tables and lists where space is at a premium

or in mathematical expressions.

System tray

 Do not use. Use notification area instead.

Tab

Do not use as a verb.

Because multiple uses can be ambiguous, especially for the worldwide audience, use the noun tab alone to refer only to a tab in a property sheet or a Windows 2007 screen.. For other uses, clarify the meaning with a descriptor: the TAB key, a tab stop, or a tab mark on the ruler.

that vs. which

Do not use that or which to refer to a person; instead use who. That and which are often confused. Be sure to use the appropriate word.

Correct

You will need to supply information about applications that you want to run with Windows.

Incorrect

You will need to supply information about applications which you want to run with Windows.

You will need to supply information about applications you want to run with Windows.

Correct

Your package contains the subsidiary information card, which you can use to obtain device drivers or local technical support.

Time-out, time out

Always hyphenate as an adjective or noun. Do not hyphenate as a verbal phrase.

Title bar

The horizontal bar at the top of a window that shows the name of the document or program.

toggle

Use as an adjective, as in toggle key. A toggle key turns a particular mode on or off.

Do not use toggle as a verb; instead, use switch, click, or turn on and turn off to describe the action.

Tone

Avoid; use beep as a noun to refer to a sound, as in “when you hear the beep,” unless the user can choose a particular sound.

tool

Use tool, not utility, to describe a feature that aids in accomplishing a task or set of tasks.

Toolbox

Generically, a toolbox is a collection of drawing or interface tools such as paintbrushes, lines, circles, scissors, and spray cans.

ToolTip

One word, with both Ts capitalized, to refer to the feature.

Top left, top right

Avoid; use upper left and upper right instead, which are hyphenated as adjectives.

Toward

Not towards.

Turn on, turn off

Use instead of power on, power off; start; or switch on, switch off to mean turning the computer on and off.

Type vs. enter

Use type, not type in or enter,

Un-

In general, do not hyphenate words beginning with un-, such as undo and unread, unless it is necessary to avoid confusion, as in un-ionized, or unless un- is followed by a proper noun, as in un-American

Unavailable

Use unavailable, not grayed or disabled, to refer to unusable commands and options on the interface. Use dimmed only if you have to describe their appearance.

Uncheck, unmark, unselect

Do not use for check boxes or selections; use clear the check box or cancel the selection instead.

Undelete

Do not use except to reflect the user interface or the application programming interface. Use restore instead.

Underline, underscore

Use underline to refer to text formatting with underlined characters or to formatting. Use underscore to refer to the underscore character ( _ ).

Undo

Do not use the command name Undo as a noun to refer to undoing an action, especially in the plural. Write around instead, as in “to undo multiple actions” or “select the actions that you want to undo.” It is acceptable to say that a command undoes an action.

Uninstall

Do not use except to match existing user interface or, in programmer documentation, to refer to a particular type of program. Use remove instead.

Uppercase

One word. Do not use uppercased. Avoid using as a verb.

User name

 Two words unless describing a label in the user interface. If the user interface uses

username, use the one-word form only to describe the interface element.

Uutilize

Do not use as a synonym for use. Use only to mean “to find a practical use for.”

Versus, vs.

In headings, use the abbreviation vs., all lowercase. In text, spell out as versus.

Via

Via implies a geographic context. Avoid using via as a synonym for by, through, or by means of. Use the most specific term instead.

Voice mail

Two words. Do not abbreviate as v-mail or vmail.

Web

Always capitalize Web, even if you are referring to an intranet Web.

Web web-

Words beginning with the prefix web- are common nouns and appear in lowercase. Normal rules of capitalization apply in titles and at the beginning of a sentence. Note the exceptions that follow.

Web page

Two words. Web is capitalized; page is not.

Web site

Two words. Web is capitalized; site is not.

While

Use to refer to something occurring in time. Avoid as a synonym for although, which can be ambiguous.

Wildcard character

Always use the word character with wildcard when referring to a keyboard character that can be used to represent one or many characters, such as the * or ? Wildcard is one word.

Window

Do not use as a verb.

Windows Explorer

Do not use as a synonym for Internet Explorer.

Windows, Windows-based

Do not use Windows to modify the names of programs, hardware, or development methods that are based on or run on the Windows operating system.

Instead, use Windows-based or running Windows. To avoid a ridiculous construction, the term Windows user is acceptable.

Wizard

Always use lowercase for the generic term wizard. Capitalize wizard if it is part of a feature name that appears in the user interface.

Word processing

Hyphenate word-processing words according to part of speech, as shown:

• Word-processed (adj.), word-processing (adj.)

• Word processor (n.), word processing (n.)

Avoid using word process as a verb. Use write, format, or another more specific term instead.

Wordwrap

One word. It’s acceptable to use wordwrapping, as in “turn off wordwrapping.”

Work area

Two words. Do not use work area unless the term has a specific meaning in a particular product. Use workspace to refer to the area within a window where the user interacts with the program.

Workgroup

One word.

Worksheet

Do not use as a synonym for spreadsheet. A spreadsheet is a computer accounting program, such as Microsoft Excel; a worksheet is the document produced by a spreadsheet program.

Workstation

One word. Use to refer to a personal computer used by an individual in a network. A workstation is the client in a client/server system.

World Wide Web

Spell on first mention in material for novices, and then use the Web.

Write-only

Always hyphenated.

Write-protect, write-protected

Always hyphenated. Use write-protect, not lock, to refer to

the action of protecting disks from being overwritten.

x

Use a lowercase italic x as a placeholder number or variable. Do not use to refer to a generic unspecified number; use n instead. Do not use to refer to a multiplication sign.