UK Publication Style Guides Index
Links and access notes for the main UK and international style guides used by UK journalists — from the free BBC and Guardian guides to the PA StyleBook and OUP Hart's Rules.
Listings are illustrative, current at last review. Access arrangements and editions change; verify on each publisher's website before purchasing.
Last reviewed: Next review due:
Style guides set the conventions for spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, numbers and terminology within a publication or wire service. For UK journalists — especially freelancers working across multiple outlets — familiarity with more than one guide is a practical necessity. Most UK national titles maintain internal house styles that are not publicly available; the guides below represent those that are either freely accessible online or widely purchased as reference books.
We note access status for each guide: free online guides are the most practically useful for day-to-day reference, while purchased references are worth investing in for copy editors, long-form writers and subeditors.
Style Guide Directory
BBC News Style Guide
Publisher: BBC
- Scope
- UK English; spelling, punctuation, numbers, titles and broadcast-specific style. Extensively covers reporting sensitivity on race, religion, disability and more.
- Notes
- The most widely consulted free style reference for UK journalism. Regularly updated. The online version supersedes earlier print editions.
The Guardian and Observer Style Guide
Publisher: Guardian News & Media
- Scope
- A to Z style entries covering spelling, capitalisation, hyphenation, terminology and Guardian-specific usage. Strong on contemporary and contested language.
- Notes
- Available free online at theguardian.com. The book edition (published by Guardian Faber) covers additional editorial guidance not in the web version.
The Economist Style Guide
Publisher: The Economist
- Scope
- Global English style; clear writing principles, punctuation, numbers, titles and country names. Used widely in business and financial journalism.
- Notes
- The online guide is freely available. The print edition (published by Profile Books) is a standard reference in UK business journalism.
Reuters Handbook of Journalism
Publisher: Thomson Reuters
- Scope
- International wire service style; accuracy, sourcing, attribution, speed and sensitivity guidelines. Influential on news agency and digital journalism practice.
- Notes
- The Handbook covers editorial standards as well as style. Particularly useful for journalists working with international stories or wire copy.
PA StyleBook (Press Association / PA Media)
Publisher: PA Media
- Scope
- UK news agency style; punctuation, capitalisation, numbers, titles, legal terms and UK-specific terminology. Influential across UK regional and national press.
- Notes
- The PA StyleBook is the de facto standard for much of the UK regional press. Requires purchase; contact PA Media for current pricing and access options.
AP Stylebook
Publisher: The Associated Press
- Scope
- US English conventions; widely used by international wire services. Covers spelling, punctuation, numbers and a comprehensive A to Z of usage.
- Notes
- US-centric. UK journalists working for international outlets or US-owned digital publishers may encounter AP style requirements. Online edition requires annual subscription.
The Telegraph Style Guide
Publisher: Telegraph Media Group
- Scope
- Internal house style for Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. Specific entries on titles, political language and the Telegraph's preferred usages.
- Notes
- Not comprehensively published publicly. Some style notes have appeared in the paper; freelancers commissioned by the Telegraph are typically briefed by their commissioning editor.
New Hart's Rules (OUP)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
- Scope
- Comprehensive guide to editorial style, punctuation and typographic practice. Standard reference for book publishing; used in journalism for copy-editing and subbing.
- Notes
- Hart's Rules (now New Hart's Rules) is the OUP's authoritative reference for editors and writers. More encyclopaedic than a newspaper style guide; valuable for long-form and book-adjacent journalism.
How we keep this current
We review this index every six months, checking that online guides are still freely accessible and that edition and access notes are accurate. If a guide has moved behind a paywall or a new significant style resource has launched, please let us know.