---
title: "Punctuation"
source: 18F Guides
source_url: https://github.com/18F/guides
licence: CC0-1.0
domain: engineering
subdomain: 18f-guides
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

## Bulleted lists

Capitalize the first word of every bullet. Don't use semicolons after points in a bulleted list. Include a period at the end of the bullet only if that point is a complete sentence. For example:

*When you go to the store, please buy:*

-   *Apples*
-   *Bananas*
-   *Naan chips*

*When you leave the house:*

-   *Please buy apples, bananas, and naan chips.*
-   *Fill the car with gas.*

## Colons

Capitalize the first word after a colon, only if what follows is a complete sentence. For example:

> I have several favorite foods: apples, bananas, and naan chips.  

> I have several favorite foods: Apples were my first favorite snack, but naan chips
are a rising star in my life.

## Commas

We use the serial comma (sometimes called the Oxford comma). In a list of three or more, include a comma before the conjunction. For example: *Please buy apples, bananas, and naan chips.*

## Dashes

When offsetting a phrase with dashes you should use the longer em dash (—), which is `Option + Shift + -` on Macs, with a space on either side of the dash. For example:

> We emphasize open, digital record keeping, and — whenever possible — we illuminate our processes.

Although we advocate using words rather than symbols, in some contexts you may use an en dash to convey a range of numbers. For example,  both *10–20 students* and *10 to 20 students* are acceptable options.  En dash is `Option + -` on Macs.

> We assign 2–3 people to each development team.

## Quotes

These quotations are correctly punctuated:

> “Would you like a banana?” he asked.  

> “I hate bananas,” she said. “You know I hate bananas.”  

> He paused before saying “bananas are not something people should hate.”

## Spaces

Sentences should always be separated by a single space. Never two spaces.

## Ampersands or plus signs

Use _and_ instead of an ampersand or plus sign, unless they’re part of an official title or company name. For example, *D.C. Tech Lady Hackathon + Training Day*

## Slashes

Avoid using the slash `/` symbol. Replace it with words or commas as appropriate.
