Nuance content ascribes to the Chicago Manual of Style, with certain exceptions made for online copy and visual impact. Below is a living library of guidelines you can consult whenever you have a question about usage, punctuation, capitalization, acronyms, grammar, and other basics of the content you are creating.
Numerals
Spelling vs. writing out numbers
Spell out only single-digit numbers (one through ten): one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13….
This rule can be adjusted situationally when numbers under and above ten are referenced in close proximity:
DO:
This is a complication found in 9 out of 10 patients.
Don't:
This is a complication found in nine out of 10 patients.
Use x instead of / when formatting a shortcut as below:
DO:
24x7x365
Don't:
24/7/365
Multipliers with numbers
Use a capital X when using a multiplication symbol in a graphic, as below:
DO:
3X (no spaces between number and X)
Don't:
3x or 3 x or 3 X
Pricing format
Round numbers do not need decimals and cents are only superscripted in graphics and pricing widgets.
- If a price is a round number, do not display the cents (.00)
- If a price is not a round number, the cents should be superscripted when displayed in pricing lineups or widgets ($1,02535)
- If a price is not a round number, the cents should not be superscripted when displayed in body copy
Percentage sign
- Percentage signs should be superscripted when used in stat bricks
- In body copy, percentage signs should not be superscripted for legibility
Formatting statistics
See examples below on how to format number modifiers for statistics on nuance.com:
50%
more fun
Correct
Do use a superscript for the percentages in a stat.
50%
more fun
Incorrect
10K
healthcare organizations
Correct
M, K, or B should always be uppercase when used with a stat number.
10k
healthcare organizations
Incorrect
5X
overall improvement
Correct
An X multiplier should always be uppercase.
5x
overall improvement
Incorrect
3 of 4
overall improvement
Correct
for "X of X" stats, superscript the "of", and use the special character for a half-space between the numbers and "of": #8201;
3 of 4
overall improvement
Incorrect
Capitalization
Sentence vs. title case
We use sentence case, both in our headers and our body copy.
Why? Because title case has an academic, analog feel that does not suit the dynamism of our brand and the friendly, conversational tone of our content. It also helps to differentiate product or solution names that are named in headlines.
DO:
Automatically document care with the Dragon Ambient eXperience™
Don't:
Automatically Document Care with the Dragon Ambient EXperience
Exceptions:
Title case is still standard in news articles.
Occasionally title case is used for visual emphasis in event collateral. Please be judicious and discerning in your choices, asking:
- Is this emphatic or just busy?
- Is the inconsistent use of title caps merited by the message I am emphasizing?
- Will this title case content be seen in a setting that contains predominantly sentence case content?
DO:
We offer a comprehensive portfolio of services to help healthcare organizations like yours maximize investment, improve adoption, and enhance user satisfaction.
Don't:
We offer a comprehensive portfolio of services to help healthcare organizations like yours maximize investment, improve adoption and enhance user satisfaction.
Oxford comma
Yes, we do use the Oxford comma in all Nuance content and communication. Also known as a serial comma or Harvard comma, this is the comma placed immediately after the penultimate term in a series or list of three or more words. As such, it comes before the coordinating conjunction (usually “and” or “or”).
DO:
We offer a comprehensive portfolio of services to help healthcare organizations like yours maximize investment, improve adoption, and enhance user satisfaction.
Don't:
We offer a comprehensive portfolio of services to help healthcare organizations like yours maximize investment, improve adoption and enhance user satisfaction.
Exclamation points
Avoid using exclamation points. Use words that communicate enthusiasm and excitement instead.
Punctuation
Headlines
Do not use a period after a headline, with the following exceptions:
- If the headline is a question, a question mark is appropriate:
Can smarter lung cancer screening lower mortality rates? - If you are punctuating for emphasis or graphic impact:
It’s more than omni-channel. It’s EoT.
Your data is your business. Full stop.
Subheads or subtitles
Use punctuation in subheads or subtitles that are full sentences or for emphasis.
- Providing training and guidance for long-term success
Accelerate care teams’ EHR adoption and utilization with Epic Training Services. - Apple Watch SE
Heavy on features. Light on price.
Sentence fragments
When a subhead is a sentence fragment, is not positioned before another sentence or sentence fragment, and is not a question, do not use a period.
- It’s a brave new world
Siloed experiences no more
Acronyms
Acronyms
Spell out at first mention in body copy, and just use the acronym in subsequent mentions:
Nuance Computer-Assisted Physician Documentation (CAPD) solutions offer physicians in-workflow guidance to drive better data outcomes across care settings. Our CAPD solutions apply workflow and knowledge automation, proven clinical content, and point-of-care advice to capture complete and accurate documentation while improving productivity and satisfaction.
Dashes
Hyphens
A hyphen is used to combine words (short-staffed, a 50-year wait) or to link numbers that are related but not inclusive (as in Social Security numbers and phone numbers). It is the shortest of the three marks and is displayed on the keyboard on a tab to the right of the 0 key (the hyphen doubles as a minus sign).
To hyphenate or not to hyphenate?
Setup as a noun is not hyphenated; it is one word:
DO:
Professional Nuance trainers will help you with setup and implementation
Don't:
Professional Nuance trainers will help with set-up and implementation
Set up as a verb is not hyphenated; it is two words:
DO:
When you set up your
Don't:
When you set-up your
En-dash
The en-dash is slightly longer than the hyphen and marginally shorter than the em-dash. The en-dash is used to connote “through” and is usually used to link ranges of dates or numbers:
January, 1918–March, 2020 or Chapters 1–3.
Do not use a space on either side of the en-dash.
On a Windows computer, the en-dash is created when you:
- Call up the symbols/emoji keyboard by typing the Win key and the dot (.) at the same time. Navigate to the symbols keyboard by choosing the Omega icon. You will see the en- and em-dashes toward the left of the second row from the bottom.
On a Mac, the en-dash is created when you:
- Press the Option key and the Minus key at the same time: –
Em-dash
The em-dash is used to connote a pause or break in the rhythm of a complex sentence. The em-dash provides a stronger pause than a comma or pair of commas. It is distinct from parenthesis in that it does not connote an aside or supportive information but rather highlights or emphasizes the information it demarcates.
Do not use a space on either side of an em-dash:
Exceeding expectations is a baseline for us—so much so that our customers have come to expect it.
Our solutions don’t just make life easier; they make it easy to achieve—and exceed—your goals.
On a Windows computer, the em-dash is created when you:
- Call up the symbols/emoji keyboard by typing the Win key and the dot (.) at the same time. Navigate to the symbols keyboard by choosing the Omega icon. You will see the en- and em-dashes toward the left of the second row from the bottom.
On a Mac, the em-dash is created when you:
- Hold down the Option + Shift + Minus keys: —
Dates
Long format
Tuesday, October 23, 2023
Abbreviated format
Oct. 23, 2023
Short format
10/23/2023
Time formatting
AM/PM formatting
Format times by writing the time, a single space, then AM or PM in uppercase with no punctuation.
DO:
10:30 AM
10:00 PM
12:15 PM
Don't
10:30 pm
10:00 P.M.
12:15 p.m.
Noon and midnight
Noon and midnight do not need clarification.
DO:
Noon
Midnight
Don't
12:00 noon
12:00 midnight
Currency
US-English
Currency symbol
- $250.30
- $250
Currency words
- 250 dollars
Phone numbers
US-English
Local format
- (123) 456 7890
International format
- +1 (123) 456 7890