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- Edited most of non-Nordic mentions. - Edited line breaks to match Nordic Style. Signed-off-by: Francesco Domenico Servidio <[email protected]>
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--- | ||
title: Acronyms - Microsoft Style Guide | ||
author: pallep | ||
ms.author: pallep | ||
ms.date: 01/19/2018 | ||
ms.topic: article | ||
ms.prod: non-product-specific | ||
--- | ||
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# Acronyms | ||
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Acronyms | ||
and abbreviations can have an adverse effect on clarity, voice, and | ||
SEO. Although some acronyms are widely understood and preferred to the | ||
spelled-out term, others aren't well known or are familiar only to a | ||
specific group of customers. | ||
Acronyms and abbreviations can have an adverse effect on clarity, voice, and SEO. | ||
Although some acronyms are widely understood and preferred to the spelled-out term, others aren't well known or are familiar only to a specific group of customers. | ||
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## Don't create acronyms from product or feature names | ||
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Always | ||
spell out Microsoft product and feature names. | ||
Always spell out Nordic Semiconductor product and feature names. | ||
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## Only use acronyms that your audience is familiar with | ||
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The A–Z word list has guidelines for many common acronyms, and some acronyms are so widely used that they're in *[The American Heritage Dictionary](https://ahdictionary.com/).* | ||
The A–Z word list has guidelines for many common acronyms, and some acronyms are so widely used that they're in *[The American Heritage Dictionary](https://ahdictionary.com/).* | ||
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## If you have to use an acronym, also spell out the term for clarity | ||
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In | ||
general, include the acronym in parentheses following the spelled-out | ||
term. On subsequent mentions in the same article, page, or screen, you can | ||
use the acronym without spelling it out. | ||
In general, include the acronym in parentheses following the spelled-out term. | ||
On subsequent mentions in the same article, page, or screen, you can use the acronym without spelling it out. | ||
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Some acronyms, like *USB, FAQ,* and *URL,* are more well known than the spelled-out term. Don't spell out the term if the acronym is listed in *[The American Heritage Dictionary](https://ahdictionary.com/)* or if the A–Z word list | ||
says to use the acronym without spelling it out. If you're sure your | ||
audience is familiar with an acronym, it's OK to use it without spelling | ||
it out. | ||
Some acronyms, like *USB, FAQ,* and *URL,* are more well known than the spelled-out term. | ||
Don't spell out the term if the acronym is listed in *[The American Heritage Dictionary](https://ahdictionary.com/)* or if the A–Z word list says to use the acronym without spelling it out. | ||
If you're sure your audience is familiar with an acronym, it's OK to use it without spelling it out. | ||
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**Examples** | ||
Conversation as a platform (CaaP) has the potential to make booking a flight as easy as sending a text message. Developers are also looking to CaaP to make computing more accessible to users of all abilities. | ||
Learn how to connect a USB device to your Microsoft Surface. | ||
**Examples** | ||
Conversation as a platform (CaaP) has the potential to make booking a flight as easy as sending a text message. | ||
Developers are also looking to CaaP to make computing more accessible to users of all abilities. | ||
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TODO | ||
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## Don't introduce acronyms that are used just once | ||
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If | ||
an acronym will appear only once in your content, just spell out the | ||
term. Don't introduce it in parentheses after the spelled-out version. | ||
If an acronym will appear only once in your content, just spell out the term. | ||
Don't introduce it in parentheses after the spelled-out version. | ||
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**Exception** It's OK to use both the spelled-out term and the acronym if both are needed for SEO, even if the acronym is used only once. | ||
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## Be careful with acronyms in titles and headings | ||
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Avoid | ||
using an acronym for the first time in a title or heading, unless it's a | ||
keyword that you need to place in the title or heading for SEO. If the | ||
first use of the acronym is in a title or heading, introduce the acronym | ||
(in parentheses, following the spelled-out term) in the following body | ||
text. | ||
Avoid using an acronym for the first time in a title or heading, unless it's a keyword that you need to place in the title or heading for SEO. | ||
If the first use of the acronym is in a title or heading, introduce the acronym (in parentheses, following the spelled-out term) in the following body text. | ||
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## Lowercase the spelled-out term | ||
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Lowercase | ||
all words in the spelled-out form of an acronym except for proper | ||
nouns. The names of many protocols and specifications are considered | ||
proper nouns and are capitalized when spelled out. | ||
Lowercase all words in the spelled-out form of an acronym except for proper nouns. | ||
The names of many protocols and specifications are considered proper nouns and are capitalized when spelled out. | ||
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**Examples** | ||
infrastructure as a service (IaaS) | ||
dynamic-link library (DLL)<br>High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) | ||
**Examples** | ||
infrastructure as a service (IaaS) | ||
dynamic-link library (DLL) | ||
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) | ||
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## Use *a* or *an,* depending on pronunciation | ||
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Which article (*a* or *an*) you use depends on whether you pronounce the acronym like a word or pronounce each letter. | ||
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**Examples** | ||
a DLL | ||
an ISP | ||
a URL | ||
**Examples** | ||
a DLL | ||
an ISP | ||
a URL | ||
an SQL database | ||
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**Add *s* to make an acronym plural** | ||
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Form the plural of an acronym like you would any other noun. If the acronym stands for a singular noun, add a lowercase *s* to make it plural. If an acronym stands for a plural noun, don’t add an *s.* | ||
Form the plural of an acronym like you would any other noun. | ||
If the acronym stands for a singular noun, add a lowercase *s* to make it plural. | ||
If an acronym stands for a plural noun, don’t add an *s.* | ||
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**Examples** | ||
three APIs | ||
Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) | ||
**Examples** | ||
three APIs | ||
TODO | ||
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## Avoid the possessive form | ||
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Unless an acronym refers to a person or an organization, avoid using the possessive form. | ||
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**Examples** | ||
the IDE enhancements | ||
the purpose of the FAQ | ||
**Examples** | ||
the IDE enhancements | ||
the purpose of the FAQ | ||
the CEO’s blog | ||
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**Global tip** In machine-translated content, be careful with acronyms that form common English words, like *RAM.* If the acronym appears outside of the parentheses and without the spelled-out version, it might be translated incorrectly. | ||
**Global tip** In machine-translated content, be careful with acronyms that form common English words, like *RAM*. | ||
If the acronym appears outside of the parentheses and without the spelled-out version, it might be translated incorrectly. | ||
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**See also** [Bits and bytes term collection](~/a-z-word-list-term-collections/term-collections/bits-bytes-terms.md), [Units of measure term collection](~/a-z-word-list-term-collections/term-collections/units-of-measure-terms.md) |
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--- | ||
title: Microsoft's brand voice : above all, simple and human - Microsoft Style Guide | ||
author: pallep | ||
ms.author: pallep | ||
ms.date: 01/19/2018 | ||
ms.topic: article | ||
ms.prod: non-product-specific | ||
--- | ||
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# Microsoft's brand voice: Above all, simple and human | ||
# Nordic Semiconductor's brand voice: Above all, simple and human | ||
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There’s *what* we say, our message. And there’s *how* | ||
we say it, our voice. | ||
we say it, our voice. | ||
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## What do we mean by voice? | ||
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The Microsoft voice is how we talk to people. It’s the interplay of personality, substance, tone, and style. | ||
The Nordic Semiconductor voice is how we talk to people. It’s the interplay of personality, substance, tone, and style. | ||
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Though | ||
our voice is constant regardless of who we’re talking to or what we’re | ||
saying, we adapt our tone—from serious to empathetic to lighthearted—to | ||
fit the context and the customer's state of mind. | ||
fit the context and the customer's state of mind. | ||
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## Three voice principles | ||
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Our voice hinges on crisp simplicity. Bigger ideas and fewer words. Less head, more heart. | ||
Our voice hinges on crisp simplicity. Bigger ideas and fewer words. Less head, more heart. | ||
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Our voice is: | ||
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- **Warm and relaxed**—We’re | ||
natural. Less formal, more grounded in real, everyday conversations. | ||
Occasionally, we’re fun. (We know when to celebrate.) | ||
- **Crisp and clear**—We’re to the point. We write for scanning first, reading second. We make it simple above all. | ||
Occasionally, we’re fun. (We know when to celebrate.) | ||
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- **Crisp and clear**—We’re to the point. We write for scanning first, reading second. We make it simple above all. | ||
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- **Ready to lend a hand**—We show customers we’re on their side. We anticipate their real needs and offer great information at just the right time. | ||
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## A focus on the customer | ||
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Talking to our customers in a way | ||
that’s warm and relaxed, crisp and clear, and ready to lend a hand reflects our commitment to empowering | ||
that’s warm and relaxed, crisp and clear, and ready to lend a hand reflects our commitment to empowering | ||
people to achieve more. | ||
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**Style tips** | ||
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A few key elements of writing Microsoft’s voice: | ||
A few key elements of writing Nordic Semiconductor’s voice: | ||
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- **Get to the point fast.** Start | ||
with the key takeaway. Put the most important thing in the most | ||
noticeable spot. Make choices and next steps obvious. Give people | ||
just enough information to make decisions confidently. Don’t get in | ||
the way. | ||
the way. | ||
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- **Talk like a person.** Choose | ||
optimistic, conversational language. Use short everyday words, | ||
contractions, and sentence-style capitalization. Shun jargon and | ||
acronyms. And never miss an opportunity to find a better | ||
word. | ||
word. | ||
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- **Simpler is better.** Everyone | ||
likes clarity and getting to the point. Break it up. Step it out. | ||
Layer. Short sentences and fragments are easier to scan and read. | ||
Prune every excess word. | ||
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**Get started** | ||
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For more quick techniques, check out the [Top 10 tips for Microsoft style and voice](~/top-10-tips-style-voice.md). | ||
For more quick techniques, check out the [Top 10 tips for Nordic Semiconductor style and voice](~/top-10-tips-style-voice.md). | ||
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Remember that writing is a skill. If writing isn't a functional role your team has, consider bringing in expert help. |
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