Editorial Style Guide

Avoid mentioning a person’s age unless it’s specifically relevant to the content. University language and policies must not discriminate based on a person’s age.  

Use the term older adult only when referring to adults ages 65 and older—as long as age is relevant to the story.  

Example:

• Older adults registered through the Lifelong Learning Program can take university classes without paying tuition.  

Avoid:

• Senior: Senior or senior citizen may be considered offensive because it labels people based primarily on their age.  

   

For more information on digital accessibility, please visit this campus resource. 

When writing about historically underserved groups, you should use the university’s preferred terminology provided in this section of the CU Denver Style Guide. Whenever possible, avoid defining people by the problems they face. Instead, represent people in positive terms while also acknowledging the systemic issues that have historically served as barriers.   
 
Use people-first language and be specific about the groups and the systems that affected them. Blacks, Native Americans, and other groups of people do not self-identify as one large, underrepresented group or underrepresented minority.

To communicate in a way that is true to and respectful of a person's lived experiences, it is important that language accurately reflects a person's gender. When writing about someone, use the pronouns they prefer. If you are unsure which pronouns a person prefers, then ask. If a person's preferred pronouns remain unknown, then use gender-neutral pronouns. 

Gender and sex are not the same. Gender is social whereas sex is biological. A person's gender can align with their sex, or it can differ. Both gender and sex can exist on spectrums, neither entirely male nor entirely female. Some individuals may use multiple pronoun sets interchangeably. 

Use Gender-Neutral Terms (Graduates, Alums, Alumni, First-Year Students) 

Gender-neutral terms are more inclusive and representative than gendered terms. For this reason, it is preferable to use terms such as first-year students and first-year instead of freshmen or freshman. Gendered Latin nouns such as alumnus and alumna are not commonly understood in modern English. Graduates, alum, and alums (or alumni) are easily understood by most audiences. 

Do not reference gender unless it is relevant. Unnecessary or excessive references to gender can indicate bias. Historically, such usage has suggested a person’s gender is unusual in a given context, which perpetuates exclusionary practices. Examples of unnecessary, irrelevant references to gender include female doctor and male nurse.  

Examples: 

• First-year, first-years, first-year students (use a hyphen when used alone or as an adjective, but not when referring to a period of time) 
• We welcome this year’s first-year students to campus.  
• During your first year, you will adjust to campus life. 
• Use anticipated graduation year if you are referring to a returning student (Example: “[Student’s name] is expected to graduate in [year]”) 
• Alum, graduate 
• As an accomplished alum, she inspires current students. 
• Doctor 
• Actor
• Chairperson 
• Workforce, employees 
  

Do Not Use:

• Freshman, freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior (instead, refer to their anticipated graduation date to showcase student success)  
• Alumna, alumnus 
• Woman doctor  
• Actress 
• Chairman 
• Manpower 
  

Refrain from Using His/Her or He/She 

When gender is unknown or irrelevant, do not use his/her or he/she. Using a slash this way is no longer preferred in formal writing. Use the third-person singular, or use plural to avoid this altogether. 

Examples:

• A student should contact their advisor for assistance. 
• Students should contact their advisors for assistance. 
  

Do Not Use:

• He/she should apply for the internship. 
  

Third-Person Singular 

Since 2017, AP has allowed the use of the third-person singular. Use the singular they, them, and their when referring to a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant. 

Examples:

• A person should enjoy their vacation. 
• Each student shared their perspective. 

They, Them as Nonbinary or Transgender Pronouns 

It is appropriate to use they, them, and their if these are the subject’s preferred pronouns. It is best practice to ask the subject what their preferred pronouns are, rather than assume, even if it seems obvious. Describe the person the way they want to be described. Some people use male and female pronouns interchangeably. Some people do not use pronouns at all and use only their names. 

Do not use gendered pronouns that contradict a person’s gender identity, particularly when writing about a transgender person’s experience prior to their transition. To avoid outing someone, ask for their permission before identifying them as transgender. Trans is acceptable on second reference. 

Commonly Misused Gender Terms:

• cisgender: A person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.
• gender fluid: Gender fluid refers to a person who does not have a fixed gender.
• intersex: Use people-first language (people with intersex, people born with intersex traits). Do not use hermaphrodite.
• LGBTQ+: CU Denver’s preferred term is LGBTQ+. Use the plural LGBTQ communities rather than the singular LGBTQ community to accurately reflect the plurality of experiences and identities encompassed. Do not use LGBT. Investigate whether a more specific term is appropriate, particularly for individuals who may feel doubly minoritized within LGBTQ+ communities.
• nonbinary: No hyphen in nonbinary. Use third-person pronouns or the pronouns the person prefers. You can use both male and female pronouns interchangeably if that is how the person prefers their pronouns to be used.
• queer: Not all members of LGBTQ+ communities accept the term queer, which prior to its reclamation was largely used as a pejorative. It is important to ensure that it is applicable to the individual or group to which you are referring. If you are unsure, then ask.
• transgender: Avoid phrases like “she identifies as transgender” (or “he identifies as queer” or “they identify as nonbinary”). Also, avoid the term transgender status. This language implies these identities are a choice. Instead, use “she is transgender.” Trans is acceptable on second reference. Do not use transgendered with an ed at the end (people are transgender, similar to being gay or lesbian—not gayed or lesbianed). 
  

Example:

• Demi is a nonbinary person, and they appreciate your use of their pronouns.  
  

Do Not Use:

• transsexual
• transvestite
• hermaphrodite
• sexual preference
• sex change (use sex reassignment or gender transition)
  

Language is constantly changing to more accurately reflect the reality of all our experiences. If you encounter an issue which is not addressed above, refer to resources such as the GLAAD Media Reference Guide for further guidance.

Use people-first language: People who are unhoused or experiencing homelessness. 

Examples:

• The anti-camping law discriminates against people who are unhoused.
• The coalition works to help people experiencing homelessness.
  

Use people-first language (example: people with xyz). Do not indicate a person’s disability or illness unless it’s relevant. Make sure to gain consent from the source. Do not indicate if a person has a disability or illness unless it’s relevant to the story. 

Examples:

• The student, who is visually impaired, listens to audio recordings of textbooks.
• The professor with Parkinson’s disease prefers to teach online. 
  

Do Not Use:

• differently abled: This term is considered condescending or offensive. 

The words we use about a person's identity are important. Below are some commonly used phrases for you to reference.

• African American: No hyphen; may be used for Black people who live in the U.S. Follow an individual’s preference if known.
• Asian: Use national origin if known for people who reside in Asian countries; Asian may be used if national origin is unknown or for people of multiple countries. Example: The delegation included three ambassadors from Asian countries.
• Asian American: No hyphen. May be used for Americans of Asian descent. Use national origin when possible or follow an individual’s presence. Example: The Asian Student Union organized events for students from more than 22 countries, including Filipino American and Indian American students.
• biracial: No hyphen; may be used for people who identify as biracial. Example: Jennifer Montrose, who calls herself a biracial artist, exhibited at Emmanuel Gallery.
• Black: Capitalize Black when referring to people. Example: The Black students wanted more diverse authors represented in the syllabus.
• Chicano, Chicana: Refers to Mexican Americans, primarily in the Southwestern U.S. Use only when it’s a person’s preference. Chicana is the feminine form. Example: John Hernandez, a Chicano graduate student from Texas, found a home at CU Denver. Maria Martinez and Ana Romano founded Chicanas in Denver, a student affinity group.
• Chicanx: A gender-neutral alternative to Chicano and Chicana. Follow an individual’s preference. Example: Chicanx artist Josefina Mestas graduated from CU Denver.
• Filipino, Filipina: Refers to people from the Philippines. Filipino is the masculine form; Filipina is the feminine form. Example: Filipino student Juan Luna visited his family in the Philippines over spring break. Rosemary Rodriguez, a Filipina American musician, plays guitar and drums.
• Filipinx: A gender-neutral alternative to Filipino and Filipina. Follow an individual’s preference. Example: Garcia, a Filipinx biologist, is studying how disease affects marmots.
• First Nation: The preferred term for Indigenous people of Canada. Example: First Nations people are original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada.
• Hispanic, Latine, Latinx, Latina, and Latino: According to AP style, Latino, Latina, Latinx, and Latine are often the preferred noun or adjective for a person from, or whose ancestors were from, a Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America. CU Denver’s preferred term is either Hispanic, Latinx, Latina, or Latino. Hispanic refers to people whose ancestors are from a Spanish-speaking area or country (may exclude Brazil and Portugal). Latinx is gender-neutral. Latina and Latino are gendered terms that are widely used in spoken Spanish, and some people may prefer them. When writing about individuals, use national origin when possible or follow an individual’s preference. 
  • Examples:  
    • Hispanic student enrollment has increased since CU Denver was officially designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
    • Guatemalan student Juan Robles was a member of the Latinx Student Alliance. Men and women from the Latinx community requested the meeting.
• The Columbian American student had difficulty getting her student visa.
• Indigenous (adj.): Capitalize when referring to original inhabitants of a place. Example: The Indigenous students drafted a land acknowledgment statement.
• Indigenous nations: When referring to an Indigenous person’s national identity, it is best practice to ask the subject what nation they belong to and to confirm its correct spelling with them. Because not all Indigenous nations are officially recognized, you might not be able to check this information against government sources for all nations, but it is OK to do so when it is available.
• Intersectionality: Intersectionality is a theoretical approach based on the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. Consideration of one’s intersectionality is important to communicating with respect and appropriateness.
• minoritized: May be used to describe historically underserved groups. Example: Minoritized faculty are having a meeting to discuss their representation on the board.
• multiracial: No hyphen. May be used for people who identify as multiracial. The multiracial assistant professor taught Latin American Literature and Afro-Caribbean Literature.
• Native American: Acceptable for an Indigenous person of different tribal affiliations living in the U.S. Follow an individual’s preference, if known. When possible, specify the person’s tribal affiliation. Avoid Indian when referring to Indigenous people.
  • Examples:
    • She is a Diné student representative.
    • He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
    • The Native American students formed their own affinity group.
• people of color: May be used to describe people of races other than white in the U.S. Do not capitalize. Be specific whenever possible to avoid lumping together anyone who isn’t white into one group.
• white: Do not capitalize when referring to people, per AP style. Example: Some white students said they disagreed with the policy. 
  

Do Not Use:

• Aborigine: This term is considered offensive by some Indigenous Australians.
• Brown: When referring to skin color, this term is imprecise and interpretations vary.
• Caucasian: This term is imprecise, as it originally was used for people for the Caucasus mountain range (mostly Russia and Georgia). It is no longer appropriate to use this term as a synonym for white. If referring to the collective group of people from the Caucasus region, it is appropriate to use this term and it is capitalized in this context. Example: The Caucasian peoples are diverse.
• minority: When referring to people of color or underrepresented groups, avoid minority for two reasons: 1. minority may connote unimportance or less importance than the majority and 2. people of color may be in the majority.
• native: This term is overused to describe people who were born and raised in Colorado. Do not use. Instead, use specific biographical information (Example: She was born and raised in Denver.)
• Orient, Oriental: When referring to people of Asian descent, avoid Orient and Oriental, as it originated at a time when people from Asian countries were considered to have subordinate status in the United States.
• slave: Enslaved people is preferred. Slave is dehumanizing. Slave may be used in a quote.
• transracial: Do not use for people who have adopted a different racial identity; it may be considered offensive.
• tribe: It is best practice to refer to Indigenous nations as nations rather than tribes. This shows respect for their sovereignty and avoids trivializing connotations. However, it is OK to use the word Tribe when it is a part of a nation’s official name. Always ask the subject what the name of their nation is and confirm the correct spelling with them. Because not all Indigenous nations are officially recognized, you might not be able to check nation’s names against government sources.
  

When marking possession with a word that ends in s, use an apostrophe after the s consistently. Do not add an extra s after the apostrophe. 

Examples:

• Lewis’ class
• Descartes’ theory

Commas

For the sake of consistency and simplicity, always use the serial comma (also called an Oxford comma) in a series or list. This is a break from AP style, which advises using it only when necessary for clarity. 

Examples:

• Attendees included students, faculty, and staff.
• I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast. 
  

Quotations 

When quoting verbatim, always place periods and commas within the closing quotation mark. Dashes, colons, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation marks go inside the closing mark.  

Examples:

• “What did Simon Say?” was the name of the song.
• “Did you hear what the teacher said?” she asked her classmate.
• Have you heard the song “Twist and Shout?”

Hyphens 

Use hyphens (-) in compound modifiers (two or more words that modify the same noun), to avoid ambiguity, or if the word that follows a prefix begins with a capital letter. For compound words or words with prefixes and suffixes, check the dictionary (AP uses Webster’s New World College Dictionary). Hyphens are also used when referencing a span of years, including the fiscal and academic years.  

Examples:

• world-class university, full-time student
• un-American, mid-March
• co-worker, coworking
• campuswide, nonresident
• during the 2025-26 academic year
• FY 2025-26 
  

En Dash 

Avoid the use of en dashes (–). The CU Denver style guide uses the words to or through to indicate a range. If an en dash is necessary (examples: on flyers or digital calendars), use an en dash with a space on either side to indicate a range.  

Examples:

• They rated the course on a scale of 1 to 10.
• The lecture is from 9 to 11 a.m.
• 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. (only use for flyers or digital calendars)
• Registration is available from Jan. 16 through Jan. 19 
  

Do Not Use:

• En dashes or hyphens without spaces on each side 
  

Em Dash 

Use an em dash (—) with no spaces on either side to mark a break in thought or to add emphasis. 

Examples:

• They will travel to Europe this summer—if they pass all of their classes.
• The space—including the student lounge—has been renovated to reflect a change in the way people work. 
  

Notes:

• Mac keyboard shortcut for en dash (–): Option + Minus key
• Mac keyboard shortcut for em dash (—): Shift + Option + Minus key 
• PC keyboard shortcut for en dash (–): Hold Alt, type 0150, and release Alt (on a keyboard with a numeric keypad) or hold the Windows key + period to open the emoji keyboard, navigate to the symbols menu (select the icon with four symbols in a square shape), and select the en dash from there (for laptops without a numeric keypad). For Microsoft Word, type two words or numbers with a single hyphen in between and it should automatically convert to an en dash.
• PC keyboard shortcut for em dash (—): Hold Alt, type 0151, and release Alt (on a keyboard with a numeric keypad) or hold the Windows key + period to open the emoji keyboard, navigate to the symbols menu (select the icon with four symbols in a square shape), and select the em dash from there (for laptops without a numeric keypad). For Microsoft Word, type two hyphens in a row (--) and it should automatically convert to an em dash.

Avoid the use of slashes between terms. Use and or other connecting language to create more readable text.  

Examples:

• he/she: They
• classes/coursework: Classes and coursework
• and/or: Pick one or rework phrasing 
  

Do Not Use:

• and/or
• when/where
• if/when
• he/she

Use hyphens in phone numbers with no spaces on either side. 

Example:

• 303-315-2154 
  

Do Not Use:

• 303.123.5653
• (303) 539-3429

Per AP style, spell out numbers under 10; use figures for numbers 10 and up. 

For percentages, use numerals and the percent sign with no space in between. 

Avoid beginning sentences with numerals. When a sentence does begin with a number, always spell the number out. Years are the only exception. 

When comparing quantities, numbers, or amounts, use the phrase more than instead of over. Use the word over when referring to time or distance. 

Examples:

• She had more than 100 miles to go.
• The car was worth more than $10,000.
• There were more than 100 students at the event.
• They decided to stay in the mountains for more than a month.
• That couch is more than 10 years old.   
  

For times, denote a.m. or p.m. (with lowercase, periods, and no spaces between). Use a colon to separate hours and minutes. Do not use a colon and zeros for on-the-hour times. 

In phone numbers, use hyphens with no spaces on either side. 

Always use numerals with street addresses, ages, dollars and cents, measurements, temperature, millions and billions, and congressional districts. 

Do not use superscript. 

Examples:

• She had five pennies, and he had 20.
• The difference was 20%.
• Twenty-five people joined.
• 2019 was the year of the Lynx.
• 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• 303-333-3333
• 1380 Lawrence St.
• He was 10 years old.
• The 10-year-old girl watched the younger children.
• The university is more than 50 years old.
• She was 5 years old.
• The ticket was $7.50.
• Sodas used to be 25 cents.
• He earned $25 an hour.
• He was 6-foot, 5-inches tall.
• The hole was 5 feet deep.
• The speed limit was 40 miles per hour.
• It was minus-5 degrees.
• It was a balmy 85 degrees.
• 5 million, 25 billion,100 million
• She was from the 4th Congressional District.
• The project cost $10 million.
• The soda was priced at $10.25.