AP Style Directions and Regions

This same idea goes for referring to individual states and cities. Lowercase is preferred unless it is in the state’s name (South Dakota but southern Illinois). The only exception to this is when you are referring to widely known sections such as the South Side of Chicago or West Philadelphia. If you are unsure, it is advised to use lowercase.

For a more full discussion on when to capitalize directions, check out our full page on the subject.

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A versus An
A lot versus Alot
Accent versus Ascent versus Assent
Accept versus Except
Access versus Excess
Accidently versus Accidentally
Acclimation versus Acclamation
Acknowledgement versus Acknowledgment
Acumen versus Acuity versus Acuteness
Acute versus Chronic
Ad versus Add
Adapter versus Adaptor
Addenda versus Addendum
Addicting versus Addictive
Adsorb versus Absorb
Advice versus Advise
Adviser versus Advisor
Aerobic versus Anaerobic
Affect versus Effect
Affect Change versus Effect Change
Affective versus Effective
Afflict versus Inflict
Afterward versus Afterwards
Ageing versus Aging
Ahold versus A hold
Aeroplane versus Airplane
Aisle versus Isle
Aka versus A.k.a.
All of a Sudden versus All of the Sudden
Allowed versus Aloud
Allude versus Elude
Aloud versus Out Loud
Alter versus Altar
Altogether versus All Together
Aluminum versus Aluminium
Alright versus All Right
Always versus All ways
Ambiance versus Ambience
Amend versus Emend
Among versus Amongst
Analog versus Analogue
Analyse versus Analyze
Analysis versus Analyses
Anime versus Manga
Anxious versus Eager
Anyone versus Any one
Anyplace versus Any Place
Anytime versus Any Time
Anyway versus Any way
Anyway versus Anyways
Apart versus A part
Assent versus Consent
Attorney versus Lawyer
Attain versus Obtain
Aural versus Oral
Autumn versus Fall
Avenge versus Revenge
Averse versus Adverse
Avocation versus Vocation
Awaiting versus Waiting
Award versus Reward
Awhile versus A While
Aww versus Awe
Backup versus Back up
Backward versus Backwards
Backyard versus Back Yard
Bad versus Badly
Bad rap versus Bad rep
Barbecue versus Barbeque
Bass versus Base
Bearing versus Baring
Because versus Since
Bedpost versus Bed Post
Behavior versus Behaviour
Believes versus Beliefs
Below versus Bellows
Bent versus Bended
Beside versus Besides
Between versus Among
Biannual versus Semiannual
Bi-weekly versus Semi-weekly
Binded versus Bound
Bingeing versus Binging
Bit versus Bitten
Blatant versus Flagrant
Blimp versus Zeppelin
Blond versus Blonde
Bourgeois versus Bourgeoisie
Breach versus Breech
Break versus Brake
Brief versus Debrief
Brick and Mortar versus Brick and Morter
Bring versus Take
Broach versus Brooch
Broth versus Stock
Brung versus Brought
Buck Naked versus Butt Naked
Buildup versus Build up
Bunny versus Rabbit
Burst versus Bursted
Buses versus Busses
Buy versus Bye versus By
By Accident versus On Accident
Cactuses versus Cacti
Caddie versus Caddy
Calvary versus Cavalry
Camaraderie versus Comradery
Can versus May
Canceled versus Cancelled
Canon vs. Cannon
Capability versus Ability
Capital versus Capitol
Cappuccino versus Latte
Cardinal Numbers versus Ordinal Numbers
Case in Point versus Case and Point
Cast versus Casted
Catalog versus Catalogue
Center versus Centre
Certificate versus Diploma versus Degree
Charley Horse versus Charlie Horse
Check in versus Check-in
Checkout versus Check out
Checkup versus Check up
Childcare versus Child Care
Choir versus Chorus
Choose vs. Chose
Cite versus Site versus Sight
Cleanup versus Clean up
Client versus Customer
Climatic versus Climactic
Cloth versus Clothes
Co-operate versus Cooperate
Co-Worker versus Coworker
Coca versus Cocoa
Cocoa versus Cacao
Cold versus Flu
Coleslaw versus Coldslaw
Coliseum versus Colosseum
Collaborate versus Corroborate
Collectable versus Collectible
College versus University
Competence versus Competency
Compliment versus Complement
Comprise versus Compose
Conscience versus Conscious
Consignor versus Consignee
Contagious versus Infectious
Contiguous versus Continuous
Continually versus Continuously
Convince versus Persuade
Copywritten versus Copyrighted
Cord versus Chord
Corn Flour versus Corn Meal
Correspondence versus Correspondance
Could Have versus Could Of
Could versus Would
Counselling versus Counseling
Counselor versus Councilor
Cozy versus Cosy
Crayfish versus Crawfish
Creek versus Crick
Criticise versus Criticize
Current versus Currant
Curricula versus Curriculum
Dairy versus Diary
Dam versus Damn
Deceased versus Diseased
Defendant versus Plaintiff
Depository versus Repository
Device versus Devise
Dialog versus Dialogue
Dice versus Die
Different From versus Different Than
Diner versus Dinner
Disc versus Disk
Discreet versus Discrete
Disinterested versus Uninterested
Disorganized versus Unorganized
Disperse versus Disburse
Dissatisfied versus Unsatisfied
DNA versus RNS
Do versus Due
Doughnut versus Donut
Drank versus Drunk
Draught versus Draft
Dreamed versus Dreamt
Drier versus Dryer
Drop off versus Drop-off
Duplicate versus Replicate
Dwarfs versus Dwarves
Dying versus Dieing
Eatable versus Edible
Effective versus Efficient
Efficacy versus Efficiency
Efficiency versus Effectiveness
Either versus Neither
Elder versus Older
Elegy versus Eulogy
Elfs versus Elves
Elicit versus Illicit
E-mail versus Email
Embed versus Imbed
Emigrate versus Immigrate
Eminent versus Imminent
Emoji versus Emoticon
Empathy versus Sympathy
Emphasise versus Emphasize
En route versus In route
Encase versus Incase
Enclosed versus Inclosed
Endeavors versus Endeavours
Endemic versus Epidemic
Endorsement versus Indorsement
Engrained versus Ingrained
Enrolment versus Enrollment
Ensure versus Insure versus Assure
Entitled versus Titled
Envelop versus Envelope
Envision versus Invision
Equal versus Equitable
Ethics versus Morals
Everyday vs Every Day
Everyone or Every One
Evoke versus Invoke
Excretion versus Secretion
Expiry versus Expiration
Expresso versus Espresso
Extortion versus Blackmail
Fair versus Fare
Favorite versus Favourite
Feed versus Fed
Fewer versus Less
Fiancé versus Fiancée
Fiber versus Fibre
Fillet versus Filet
Firsthand versus First-hand
Fit versus Fitted
Flair versus Flare
Flammable versus Inflammable
Flesh out versus Flush out
Flier versus Flyer
Founder versus Flounder
Flutist versus Flautist
Flys versus Flies
Followup versus Follow-up
Follow-up versus Follow up
Foolproof versus Fullproof
Forgo versus Forego
Former versus Latter
Formulas versus Formulae
Forth versus Fourth
Foul versus Fowl
Fulfil versus Fulfill
Further versus Farther
Glamor versus Glamour
Got versus Gotten
Grill versus Grille
Gross versus Net
Guarantee versus Guaranty
Gluing versus Glueing
Grey versus Gray
Hale versus Hail
Half-Mast versus Half-Staff
Hands-on versus Hands on
Hanged versus Hung
Hanger versus Hangar
Harbor versus Harbour
Hare versus Rabbit
Healthcare versus Health Care
Heard versus Herd
Hearty versus Hardy
Heel versus Heal
Height versus Heighth
Here versus Hear
Hers versus Her’s
Heyday versus Hayday
Hillbilly versus Redneck
Himself versus Him self
Himself versus Hisself
Historic versus Historical
Hoard versus Horde
Holistic versus Wholistic
Homogenous versus Homogeneous
Hoofs versus Hooves
Hopping versus Hoping
Humor versus Humour
Hurray versus Hooray
Hypo versus Hyper
Ignorant versus Stupid
In Regard To versus In Regards To
Illegal versus Illicit
Illegible versus Unreadable
Illusion versus Delusion
Imaginative versus Imaginary
Immanent versus Imminent
Implicit versus Explicit
Imply versus Infer
Impostor versus Imposter
In Process versus In Progress
Inalienable versus Unalienable
Incase versus In Case
Incident versus Incidence
Indexes versus Indices
Induce versus Deduce
Inquiry versus Enquiry
Instill versus Instil
Instillation versus Installation
Inter versus Intra
Into versus In to
Invaluable versus Valuable
Its versus It’s
Jail versus Gaol
Jealousy versus Envy
Jewelry versus Jewellery
Jibe versus Jive
Judgment versus Judgement
Jury-rigged versus Jerry-rigged
Kickoff versus Kick Off
Knight versus Night
Knitted versus Knit
Ladder versus Latter
Laid out versus Layed out
Lasagna versus Lasagne
Latitude versus Longitude
Layout versus Lay out
Lead versus Lede
Leant versus Leaned
Leery versus Leary
Led versus Lead
Leftover versus Left over
Lens versus Lense
Lent versus Lended
Lessee versus Lessor
Lie versus Lye
Lifes versus Lives
Lifetime versus Life time
Likable versus Likeable
Linchpin versus Lynchpin
Literally versus Figuratively
Loathe versus Loath
Log in versus Log on
Lose versus Loose versus Loosen
Lovable versus Loveable
Make Do versus Make Due
Makeup versus Make up
Material versus Materiel
Macro versus Micro
Master versus Mister
Math versus Maths
May versus Might
MD versus DO
Me versus Mine
Me versus Myself
Metal versus Medal
Miniscule versus Minuscule
Mischievous versus Mischievious
Miss versus Mrs.
Mistrust versus Distrust
Modeling versus Modelling
Mom versus Mum
Monies versus Moneys
Monologue versus Soliloquy
Movable versus Moveable
Ms. versus Mrs
Mute versus Moot
Naught versus Nought
Neigbors versus Neighbors
Nerve-Racking versus Nerve-Wracking
Nevermind versus Never Mind
Ninety versus Ninty
No Later Than versus No Later Then
Not Surprisingly versus Not Surprising
Obliged versus Obligated
Offence versus Offense
Oftentimes versus Often times
Old-Fashioned versus Old-Fashioned
Omelet versus Omelette
Onboard versus On Board
Oneself versus One’s Self
Online versus On-Line
Onto versus On to
Ordnance versus Ordinance
Organization versus Organisation
Oriented versus Orientated
Orthopedic versus Orthopaedic
Overnight versus Over Night
Over Time versus Overtime
Pajamas versus Pyjamas
Passed versus Past
Passersby versus Passerbys
Patience versus Patients
Payed versus Paid
Peak versus Peek versus Pique
Peal versus Peel
Personal versus Personnel
Phenomenon versus Phenomena
Piece of Mind versus Peace of Mind
Pickup versus Pick Up
Plain versus Plane
Plow versus Plough
Polygamy versus Polygyny
Port versus Starboard
Potatoes versus Potatos
Pray versus Prey
Precede versus Proceed
Precedence versus Precedent
Premier versus Premiere
Presume versus Assume
Pretense versus Pretence
Preventive versus Preventative
Prior versus Previous
Principal versus Principle
Prone versus Supine
Proof versus Prove
Protagonist versus Antagonist
Proved versus Proven
Psychology versus Psychiatry
Psychopath versus Sociopath
Purposefully versus Purposely
Race versus Ethnicity
Rational versus Rationale
Read versus Read
Recognise versus Recognize
Regimen versus Regiment
Remuneration versus Renumeration
Renounce versus Denounce
Repression versus Suppression
Resilience versus Resiliency
Rite versus Right
Road versus Rode
Role Call versus Roll Call
Roll Out versus Rollout
Roofs versus Rooves
Saviour versus Savior
Scared versus Scarred
Scissor versus Scissors
Seam versus Seem
Segway versus Segue
Sensuous versus Sensual
Setup versus Set up
Shelf versus Shelve
Shoo-in versus Shoe-in
Shudder versus Shutter
Sightseeing versus Site Seeing
Sign up versus Sign-up
Sizable versus Sizeable
Skeleton versus Luge
Skillset versus Skill Set
Smartphone versus Smart phone
Smooth versus Smoothe
Sneaked versus Snuck
Someone versus Somebody
Something versus Some Thing
Sometimes versus Some Times
Sore versus Soar
Spatter versus Splatter
Specialty versus Speciality
Spectre versus Specter
Spelling of Pillow
Spelt versus Spelled
Spoiled versus Spoilt
Spread versus Spreaded
Stayed versus Staid
Standalone versus Stand alone
Stank versus Stunk
State of the Art versus State-of-the-Art
Stationary versus Stationery
Steer Clear versus Stear Clear
Stent versus Stint
Summery versus Summary
Supersede versus Supercede
Suppose versus Supposed
Strove versus Strived
Supper versus Dinner
Supposedly versus Supposably
Sweeped versus Swept
Systemic versus Systematic
Talk to versus Talk with
Tee shirt versus T-Shirt
Tenants versus Tenets
Theatre versus Theater
Themselves versus Theirselves
Then versus Than
There versus Their versus They’re
Therefor versus Therefore
They versus Them
Threw versus Through
Thru versus Through
Tomatos versus Tomatoes
To versus Too versus Two
To Long versus Too Long
Too Hard versus To Hard
Too Much versus To Much
Too Much to Bear versus Too Much to Bare
Touch Base versus Touch Bases
Tire versus Tyre
Tough versus Tuff
Trainer versus Trainor
Travelling versus Traveling
Trawling versus Trolling
Truely versus Truly
Trust versus Mistrust
Underway versus Under way
Until versus Till
Up to Date versus Up-to-Date
Upmost versus Utmost
Valentines Day versus Valentine’s Day
Venomous versus Poisonous
Voicemail versus Voice mail
Wack versus Whack
Waive versus Waver
Ware versus Wear
Was versus Were
We versus Us
Webpage versus Website
Website versus Web Site
Wellbeing versus Well-being
Where versus Were versus Wear
Whether versus Weather
Which versus That
While versus Whilst
Whiney versus Whiny
Who versus Whom
Widow versus Widower
Will versus Would
With Regard to versus With Regards to
Woe is Me versus Who is Me
Workout versus Work out
Work in Progress versus Work in Process
Worse versus Worst
Yay versus Nay
Your versus You’re
Youth versus Youths
Bail versus Bale
Breakdown versus Break Down
Borne versus Born
Photoshoot versus Photo Shoot
Armor versus Armour
Cannot versus Can not
Run Amok versus Run Amuck
Objective versus Subjective
Lets versus Let’s
New versus Knew
Root versus Route
Sank versus Sunk
Separate versus Seperate
Serigraph versus Lithograph
Sulfur versus Sulphur
Story versus Storey
Mucus versus Mucous
Nowadays versus Now a Days
Calfs versus Calves
Toward versus Towards
Is versus Are
Used to versus Use to
Quite versus Quiet
Mantel versus Mantle
Licence versus License
Leapt versus Leaped
Learned versus Learnt
Honor versus Honour
Foreword versus Forward
Tide versus Tied
Lier versus Liar
Council versus Counsel
Clip versus Magazine
Carmel versus Caramel
Prognosis versus Diagnosis
Benefited versus Benefitted
Mold versus Mould
Faze versus Phase
Suit versus Suite
Defuse versus Diffuse
Amoral versus Immoral
Home in versus Hone in
Already versus All ready
Compare to versus Compare with
Proscribe versus Prescribe
Rime versus Rhyme
Maybe versus May Be
Moral versus Morale
Sole versus Soul
Steal versus Steel
Stalactite versus Stalagmite
Lite versus Light
Loan versus Lend
Liquor versus Liqueur
Not-for-profit versus Nonprofit
Moslem versus Muslim
Course versus Coarse
Baptised versus Baptized
Practice versus Practise
Are versus Our
Much versus Many
Gases versus Gasses
Artefact versus Artifact
Grammar versus Grammer
Nobody versus No One
Reel versus Real
Smokey versus Smoky
Labeled versus Labelled
Totaled versus Totalled
Lath versus Lathe
Fish versus Fishes
Strait versus Straight
Scarfs versus Scarves
Coma versus Comma
Yogurt versus Yoghurt
Yoke versus Yolk
Waste versus Waist
Per cent versus Percent
Octopuses versus Octopi
Sherbet versus Sherbert
Cue versus Queue
Maize versus Maze
Vain versus Vein
Recur versus Reoccur
Empathic versus Empathetic
In Spite versus Despite
Labor versus Labour
Shined versus Shone
Spilled versus Spilt
Yea versus Yeah
Ton versus Tonne
Til versus Till
Alone versus Lonely
Presents versus Presence
Someday versus Some Day
Dependent versus Dependant
Weary versus Wary
Color versus Colour
Verbage versus Verbiage
Reckless versus Wreckless
Regime versus Regimen
Wonder versus Wander
Person versus People
Mustache versus Moustache
Role versus Roll
Persons versus People
Concave versus Convex
Allusion versus Illusion
Pleaded versus Pled
Prospective versus Perspective
Program versus Programme
Lighted versus Lit
Racket versus Racquet
Dragged versus Drug
Ax versus Axe
Gist versus Jist
Dual versus Duel
Dived versus Dove
Favor versus Favour
Forty versus Fourty
Sang versus Sung
Login versus Log in
Inequity versus Inequality
Noone versus No one
Translucent versus Transparent
Subconscious versus Unconscious
Apologise versus Apologize
Burnt versus Burned
Cheque versus Check
Free rein versus Free reign
Began versus Begun
Year Old versus Year-Old
Pass time versus Pastime
Is Is a Verb?
Angel versus Angle
Bear with me versus Bare with me
Deep-Seated versus Deep-Seeded
Criteria versus Criterion
Greatful versus Grateful
Breath versus Breathe
Nauseous versus Nauseated
Slander versus Libel
Bear versus Bare
Loss versus Lost
Lightning versus Lightening
Opossum versus Possum
Defence versus Defense
Brought versus Bought
Aid versus Aide
Has versus Have
How to Quote a Quote
Freshman versus Freshmen
Seen versus Saw
Smelled or Smelt
Sometime versus Some Time
I versus Me
Everything versus Every thing
Whose versus Who’s
Funner versus More Fun
Anymore versus Any more
Whoa versus Woah
Catsup versus Ketchup
Y’all versus Ya’ll
Gage versus Gauge
Whisky versus Whiskey
How You Can Teach English in China
Zee versus Zed
Zombi versus Zombie

AP Style Directions and Regions

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