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Word List

The Yahoo! Word List

The Yahoo! word list covers terms related to communications, technology, branding, and other topics that our U.S. editors have encountered frequently. Following is a healthy sampling of the full Yahoo! word list. (We update the online list quarterly—see what’s new.)

These are the decisions that Yahoo! has come to after years of writing and editing for the Web. You may naturally make different choices and have different entries, but our word list can be useful as a springboard or as an additional reference.

  • .Net
    See “Microsoft .Net.”
    Added on July 22, 2011
  • nanogram
    An acceptable abbreviation for nanogram(s) is ng (no period).
  • nanometer
    An acceptable abbreviation for nanometer(s) is nm (no period).
  • NASCAR
    Note capitalization of this National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing trademark.
  • Nasdaq
    Note capitalization of this Nasdaq Stock Market trademark.
  • Native American (n., adj.)
    Two words, no hyphen. Can be used interchangeably with American Indian where appropriate, but follow the subject’s preference and use a more specific name (such as Lakota Sioux or Navajo) where possible.
  • natl.
    An acceptable abbreviation for national when space is limited.
    Added on May 12, 2011
  • Net
    Capitalize when referring to the Internet. Abbreviation is always OK.
  • news feed (n.)
  • newsreader
  • ng
    Acceptable abbreviation for nanogram(s). Include a space between the number and ng. For information about when it’s OK to use the abbreviation, see “Units of Measure.”
  • Ni-MH
    Acceptable abbreviation for nickel-metal hydride, a type of battery. Note capitalization, hyphen.
  • NIC
    Acronym for network interface card, pronounced “nick” (a NIC). Acronym OK to use after initial explanation. Plural: NICs.
  • nickel-metal hydride (n., adj.)
    Lowercase the written-out form of this battery type.
  • nm
    Acceptable abbreviation for nanometer(s). Include a space between the number and nm. For information about when it’s OK to use the abbreviation, see “Units of Measure.”
  • no-no (n.)
    Note hyphen. Plural: no-no’s (note apostrophe).
  • No. 1
    Abbreviation for number one. Note capitalization. See also “number one.”
    Added on October 22, 2010
  • non-
    Generally, close up this prefix with root words unless the root word starts with a capital letter—if it does, insert a hyphen. Examples: noncommercial, nonfiction, nonprofit, non-Darwinian.
  • number one (n., adj.)
    No hyphen as an adjective. Example: She is our number one sales rep by far. OK to abbreviate as No. 1.
    Added on October 22, 2010
  • NYC
    Abbreviation for New York City. All capitals, no periods, no spaces. Use only when space is tight.

Build your own word list

A word list is an important part of a site’s style guide. It tracks your decisions, helps you enforce them to maintain your site’s voice and editorial standards, and keeps editors from having to make the same kinds of decisions over and over again—possibly coming to contradictory conclusions each time.
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