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

Below are rules for how we use common words and phrases. The bold term shows the accepted form (capitalization, hyphenation, punctuation), with accompanying text explaining usage.

- **18F employees**, **18F team members**, or **18F staffers**. Avoid all iterations of _18F-r_.
- **ages**, avoid hyphens in ages unless it clarifies the text. For example, _a group of 10 18-year-old White House tourists_.
- **agile**
- **a.m.**
- **back end**, **back-end development**
- **Congress** refers to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
- **congressional** is lowercase unless part of a proper name. For example, _Congressional Record_
- **DC**, not D.C.
- **DevOps**
- **digital coalition**
- **drop-down** when used as an adjective. For example, _drop-down menu._ **drop down** when used as a noun. For example, _an option from the drop down_. Never _dropdown_.
- **email**, not e-mail
- **executive branch**
- **federal**, unless part of a proper noun. For example, _Federal Bureau of Investigation_
- **federal government**, not Federal Government or Federal government
- **fiscal year** is lowercase. It’s okay to abbreviate as _FY_ on the second reference.
- **front end**, **front-end developer**
- **GitHub**
- **government**, unless part of a proper noun. For example, _Government Printing Office_
- **homepage**
- **human-centered design**, often used interchangeably with user-centered design. We prefer user-centered design to describe 18F's principles and work to emphasize our focus on those those who are _using_ a service/product (rather than those making it or humans in general)
- **info** is an acceptable shortening of _information_. In formal situations, use the full word.
- **internet**
- **JavaScript**
- **kanban**
- **login** when used as noun, for example, _I forgot my login name and password_, or when used as an adjective, for example _Make sure the login page is 508 complaint._ **log in** when used as a verb, for example, _Log in to access your calendar._
- **open source**, **open source software**
- **percent** is preferred more than the % symbol. For example, _10 percent of respondents_.
- **p.m.**
- **README**
- **Scrum** should be used to refer to the set of practices for the agile method. We don't use that term for the daily meetings and instead use _daily standup_.
- **single sign-on**
- **sitemap**
- **startup**
- **tech** is an acceptable shortening of _technology_. In formal situations, use the full word.
- **to do** (noun) and **to-do** (adjective). For example, _your to dos_ or _your to-do list_.
- **United States government** or **U.S. government**, not U.S. Government
- URLs should be lowercase, even when they appear at the start of a sentence. For example, _notalone.gov launched today._
- **U.S.**, not US or USA
- **user-centered design**, often used interchangeably with human-centered design. We prefer user-centered design to describe 18F's principles and work to emphasize our focus on those those who are _using_ a service/product (rather than those making it or humans in general)
- **U.S. Web Design System** on first use and **Design System** on subsequent references
- **Wi-Fi**
