Test your basic knowledge |

AP Style Vocab

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. artillery
A carriage-mounted cannon
Wastebasket
In second reference: the America Exchange - Amex - or the exchange
Salable

2. take over (v.) takeover (n. and adj.)
Take over (v.) takeover (n. and adj)
This organization is limited to the five boroughs of New York City and neighboring Suffolk County in providing animal adoption services - although it has offices elsewhere that offer legal advice and other services to other animal welfare organizatio
Yep.
A unit of power - mostly associated with electricity. Electrical energy is measured in watt-hours (or kilowatt-hours or mega-watt hours). Do not use 'megawatts Per hours.' Abbrev.: W - kW - MW.

3. farther
Physical distance
Saboteur
Use K in references to modern transmission speeds - in keeping with standard usage: a 56K modem (no space after numeral). The abbreviation should not be used to mean 1000 or $1000
Twice a year

4. ICBM - ICBMs
Americorps
Use it to mean one or the other - not both
Acceptable on first reference for intercontinental ballistic missile(s) - but the term should be defines in the body of a story. Avoid the redundant ICBM missiles
Always use figures. Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or substitute as a noun

5. kilometer
Use Saudi as the adjective in referring to the people or culture of Saudi Arabia. It's Saudi diplomacy - not Saudi Arabian diplomacy. For the Saudi monarchy - follow the syle on British and other monarchies. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal wou
The metric term for 1000 meters. (Abbrev.: km) A kilometer is equal to approximately 3 -281 feet - or five-eighths (0.62) of a mile. To convert to miles - multiply by 0.62 (5 kilometers x 0.62 equals 3.1 miles).
A trademark for a brand of hot pepper sauce
Action word lay - laid - laying

6. IED
Preferred to persons as the plural
No hyphen when it means not: inaccurate - insufferable Other uses without a hyphen: inbound - indoor - infield - infighting - inpatient A few combinations take a hyphen - however: in-depth - in-group - in-house - in-law Follow Webster's New World Col
A firearm that reloads automatically after each shot. Note there are differences between fully automatic and semi-automatic firearms. Be specific in usage. The form: a .22-caliber automatic
Acronym for improvised explosive device. IED is acceptable on second reference. Roadside bomb is preferable

7. insure
Used to describe those who have entered the country illegally - it is the preferred term - rather than illegal alien or undocumented worker. Do not use the shortened term illegals
Insurance
?
Describes money - do not capitalize - city where a seat of government is located

8. lay
A device used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit - ready for insertion into the magazine of a repeating firearm
Two Words.
Telecast (n.) televise (v.)
Action word lay - laid - laying

9. take out (v.) take out (n. and adj.)
Formerly Safeway Stores. Headquarters is in Pleasanton - Calif.
See AT&T Inc.
Take out (v.) take out (n. and adj)
Do no abbreviate in datelines or stories. Postal code: ID

10. ampersand (&)

11. pour
Santa Claus
To flow in a continuous stream
Insurance
Kindergarten

12. Kelvin scale
A scale of temperature based on - but different from - the Celsius scale. It is used primarily in science to record very high and very low temperatures. The Kelvin scale starts at zero and indicates the total absence of heat (absolute zero). Zero on
See pardon - parole - probation
A heavy - large-caliber shoulder firearm fired by means of a matchlock - a wheel lock - a flintlock or a percussion lock. Its ammunition is a musket ball
Use illegal only to mean a violation of the law. Be especially careful in labor management disputes - where one side often calls an action by the other side illegal. Usually it is a charge that a contract or rule - not a law - has been violated

13. All right
An aviator or handbill; pass out those fliers
Bad should not be used as an adverb only exceptation is I feel bad.
Never alright; sometimes all-right as a compound modifier
The collection of writings that constitute the Jewish civil and religious law

14. Saturday night special
Capitalize teamster only if the intended meaning is that the individual is a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters - Chauffeurs - Warehousemen and Helpers of America
Sandwich
A compact - relatively inexpensive handgun
Lowercase the common noun elements in plural uses

15. San'a

16. refute

17. impeachment
Extension of time or degree
The constitutional process accusing an elected official of a crime in an attempt to remove the official from office. Do not use as a synonym for convicted or removed from office
A semi-automatic firearm similar in appearance to a fully automatic firearm or military weapon. Not synonymous with assault rifle - which can be used in fully automatic mode. Wherever possible - be specific about the type of weapon: semi-automatic ri
Extremist Islamic movement that ruled Afghanistan until driven out by U.S.-led coalition after the Sept. 11 - 2001 - attacks. It continues to operate as insugent force with adherents in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The name derives from the Arabic word

18. Afterward/Forward/Toward
Spatial relationships
Capitalize them
A trademark for a type of nonstick coating
No s

19. more than
Means in a hopeful manner; never use
Singular criteria is the plural
Preferred with numerals
Use figures spell out inches - feet - yards hyphen adjectival forms before nouns

20. taps

21. amidships
?
The city in Texas stands alone in datelines
Create or put together
After a girl reach the age 18 use woman or young woman

22. fewer
Do no abbreviate in datelines or stories. Postal code: ID
Use Saudi as the adjective in referring to the people or culture of Saudi Arabia. It's Saudi diplomacy - not Saudi Arabian diplomacy. For the Saudi monarchy - follow the syle on British and other monarchies. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal wou
Individual items;fewer than 10 applicants called. I had fewer than 50 $1 bills in my pocket
Use instead of Italy in datelines on stories from communities on this island

23. fully automatic
A fundamental truth - law - doctrine or motivating force
Capitalize the proper names used for a sacramental rite that commemorates the life of Jesus Christ or signifies a belief in his presence: the Lord's Supper - Holy Communion - Holy Eucharist. Lowercase the names of other sacraments: baptism - confirma
A firearm that fires continuously as long as the trigger is depressed. Examples include machine guns and submachine guns
A rifle that is capable of being fired in fully automatic and semi-automatic modes - at the user's option. Designed for - and used by - military forces. Also used by some law enforcement agencies. The form: an M16 assault rifle.

24. San Marino
IED is acceptable on second reference. Roadside bomb is preferable
Follow the guidelines in composition titles. Put quotation marks around show only if it is part of the formal name. The word show may be dropped when it would be cumbersome - such as in a set of listings. In text or listing - treat programs named aft
Use alone in datelines on stories from the Republic of San Marino
Noun or verb denotes praise or expression of courtsey

25. dollars
DO NOT PLACE IN QUOTES
Lowercase the common noun elements in plural uses
A firearm that fires only once for each pull of the trigger. It reloads after each shot. The form: a semi-automatic rifle - a semi-automatic weapon - a semi-automatic pistol
Lowercase use figures and $ sign

26. Capitol
Capitalize building in Washington
The city in California stands alone in datelines
Use figures spell out inches - feet - yards hyphen adjectival forms before nouns
The metric term for 1000 grams. A kilogram is equal to approximately 2.2 pounds or 35 ounces. To convert to pounds - multiply by 2.2 (9 kilograms x 2.2 equals 19.8 pounds)

27. sanitarium - sanitariums
The spelling for the city in New Brunswick. To distinguish it from St. John's - Newfoundland
Used to describe those who have entered the country illegally - it is the preferred term - rather than illegal alien or undocumented worker. Do not use the shortened term illegals
No apostrophe
Sanitarium - sanitariums

28. less
Bulk or quantity; I had less than $50 in my pocket
Capitalize only when referring to the total collections of events
Abbreviation for the Latin id est or that is and is always followed by a comma
Tailspin

29. Keystone Kops
This acronym - drawn from the words American travel by track - may be used in all references to the National Railroad Passenger Corp. Do not use AMTRAK. The corporation was established by Congress in 1970 to take over intercity passenger operations f
Acceptable in all references for severe acute respiratory syndrome - but it should be spelled out somewhere in the story
Keystone Kops
A fully automatic gun that fires as long as the trigger is depressed. The form: a .50 caliber Browning machine gun.

30. either
Use Arabic figures - separated from letters by a hyphen: M-60 - plural: M-60s
Use it to mean one or the other - not both
ASCAP is acceptable on second reference. Headquarters is in New York
See Newspaper Association of America

31. compliment
Noun or verb denotes praise or expression of courtsey
Most significant word is made plural: daughters-in-law - assistant attorneys general - major generals
Anemia - anemic
IED is acceptable on second reference. Roadside bomb is preferable

32. assault rifle

33. satellite communications
Lowercase spell out numbers less than 10
It's = it is; its possessive form of neuter pronoun
The following are some generally used technical terms dealing with satellite communications. -uplink: The transmission from the ground to the satellite -downlink: The transmission from the satellite to the ground. -footprint: The area on the ground i
Trademark for an electronic control device or stun gun. (Acronym for Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle)

34. Talmud
A short - lightweight rifle - usually having a barrel length of less than 20 inches. The form: an M-3 carbine
The collection of writings that constitute the Jewish civil and religious law
An Israeli collective settlement. The plural is kibbutzim
Noun and verb denoting completeness or supplementing something

35. handgun
Handgun
The measure of the size of a shotgun. Gauge is expressed in terms of the number Per pound of round lead balls with a diameter equal to the size of the barrel. The bigger the number - the smaller the shotgun. The forms: a 12-gauge shotgun - a .410-gau
Tailspin
Capitalize in religious references; lowercase to mean a period of rest

36. lie
An aviator or handbill; pass out those fliers
Untrue statement - lie -lied -lying
Acceptable on second reference for surface-to-air missile(s)
The city in California stands alone in datelines

37. cents
Lowercase spell out cents 5 cents or $2.50
Do NOT use teenaged
The '90s - 1920s
Sanitarium - sanitariums

38. Tabasco
Sanitarium - sanitariums
To introduce clauses Jim blocks the linebacker as he should
A trademark for a brand of hot pepper sauce
Equals 1000 hertz (1000 cycles Per second) - replacing kilocycles as the correct term in applications such as broadcast frequencies. Abbrev.: kHz.

39. Santa Claus
A trademark for a process of making color motion pictures
Only used in a direct quote or part of a title
Santa Claus
Keystone Kops

40. kilocycles
Lowercase use figures and $ sign
See John F. Kennedy Space Center
The word applies to military or naval ammunition and to shotgun ammunition
The new term is kilohertz

41. teen - teenager (n.) teenage (adj.)
Do NOT use teenaged
To introduce clauses Jim blocks the linebacker as he should
Acceptable on first reference for The Russian government's news agency that is officially ITAR-Tass. ITAR is an acronym for Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. Copy from other parts of the former Soviet Union should carry the logo of the local ag
Implausible

42. capital
A semi-automatic firearm similar in appearance to a fully automatic firearm or military weapon. Not synonymous with assault rifle - which can be used in fully automatic mode. Wherever possible - be specific about the type of weapon: semi-automatic ri
Telecast (n.) televise (v.)
A compact - relatively inexpensive handgun
Describes money - do not capitalize - city where a seat of government is located

43. caliber
Salvo - salvos
A prefix denoting 1000 units of a measure. Move a decimal point three places to the right - adding zeros if necessary to convert to the basic unit: 10.5 kilograms equals 10 -500 grams
ASCAP is acceptable on second reference. Headquarters is in New York
A measurement of the diameter of a gun barrel except for most shotguns. Measurement is in either millimeters or decimal fractions of an inch. The word caliber is not used when giving the metric measurement. The forms: a 9 mm pistol - a .22-caliber ri

44. improvised explosive device
Lowercase the common noun elements in plural uses
Is pronoun that is always a subject
IED is acceptable on second reference. Roadside bomb is preferable
Takes singluar verb two people look at each other

45. kiloton - kilotonnage
The city in California stands alone in datelines
Use it to mean one or the other - not both
Introduces two items; between him and her - between you and me
A unit used to measure the power of nuclear explosions. One kiloton has the explosive force of 1000 tons of TNT. The atomic bomb dropped Aug. 6 - 1945 - on Hiroshima - Japan - in the first use of the bomb as a weapon had an explosive force of 20 kilo

46. tanks
Abbreviate Kan. in datelines or stories. Postal code: KS
Use Arabic figures - separated from letters by a hyphen: M-60 - plural: M-60s
Use figures except for noon and midnight
DON'T USE IN PRINT

47. who
The name for the worldwide association of the 22 national Anglican churches. Each national church is independent. A special position of honor is accorded to the archbishop of Canterbury - as the pre-eminent officer in the original Anglican body - the
Not anchor or co-anchor
Is pronoun that is always a subject
Legal term for slaying or killing

48. Admit - admitted
Preferred spelling for the capital of Nepal
Spell out and capitalize first through ninth use figures for others Ave. Blvd. St. only ones allowed to be abbreviated when numbered address is present. Do Not abbreviate compass points if number is omitted
A scale of temperature based on - but different from - the Celsius scale. It is used primarily in science to record very high and very low temperatures. The Kelvin scale starts at zero and indicates the total absence of heat (absolute zero). Zero on
Connotation of wrongdoing use acknowledge or said instead of admitted

49. a.m. - p.m.
Lowercase when describing the leader of a prayer in a Muslim mosque. Capitalize before a name when used as the formal title for a Muslim leader or ruler
Lowercase spell out numbers less than 10
Lowercase with periods avoid the redundant 10 a.m. this morning
A scale of temperature based on - but different from - the Celsius scale. It is used primarily in science to record very high and very low temperatures. The Kelvin scale starts at zero and indicates the total absence of heat (absolute zero). Zero on

50. alumna
In indicates location: He was in the room. Into indicates motion: She walked into the room
Only when person prefers to be known that way; use quotation marks for Brandon 'Scoop' Carter; commonly used nicknames can be replaced for first names
Plural alumnae woman
An Israeli collective settlement. The plural is kibbutzim