Names and terms

Check official sources for correct names and terms. Use consistent capitalisation and punctuation.

  • Australian place names

    Spell official place names correctly. Follow style rules so people recognise names for other public places. Use standard shortened forms in addresses.

  • Commercial terms

    Brands and model names are protected by law. Unless using common names, write trade mark names and use symbols so people can understand legal status.

  • Government terms

    Use the correct term and follow the rules for capitalising government terms. People find it easier to understand content that has a consistent style.

  • Medical terms

    Medical terms have specific meanings. Introduce scientific terms and common names if that helps users, but always use the correct spelling and style.

  • Nationalities, peoples and places outside Australia

    Refer to peoples and places outside Australia based on current information. Correct spelling and style avoids causing confusion or offence among users.

  • Natural phenomena

    Treat terms for climate and weather events with consistent style. It helps users scan content for keywords and supports readability.

  • Organisation names

    Spell and punctuate organisation names correctly. This helps people to understand your content.

  • Personal names

    Getting personal names right is respectful. It also helps users avoid any confusion. Check that you’ve used the correct spelling, punctuation and capitalisation.

  • Plants and animals

    Names for plants and animals come from classification systems. The right style for the classification conveys meaning to people reading the content.

  • Ships, aircraft and other vehicles

    Names of ships, aircraft and other vehicles follow a set style. Using the correct style helps people identify the names of vehicles in text.

  • Topographic terms

    Correct capitalisation helps people identify topographic and geographic terms in your content. Refer to landmark features, regions and compass points correctly.

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