Mechanics and formatting

ALEX uses the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster Dictionary, unless indicated otherwise. For a comprehensive list of preferred vocabulary, see the “Vocabulary” tab under this Grammar and Mechanics section. 

General Mechanics 

Contractions like “don’t” or “isn’t” are fine, because ALEX uses a conversational tone. If you need to write out both words for clarity, that’s fine too.

Be thoughtful about pronouns. We should try to keep our language as inclusive as possible. When a third-person pronoun is required to ask a question or provide an example, ALEX uses the gender-neutral they/them rather than he/him/she/her. Whenever possible, rewrite the sentence/question to remove the need for a pronoun entirely. For example: 

  • Original question: “Now, since you’re covering your kid… does he or she happen to live somewhere else? Maybe away at college?”
  • Question rewritten for inclusivity: “Now, does your kid live somewhere else? Maybe away at college?” OR “Now, since you’re covering your kid….do they happen to live somewhere else? Maybe away at college?”

Input buttons in interactive conversation content are typically punctuated. For example: “Do you know what a network is?” I sure do. / No, I don’t. This is the case even with single word answers (Yes. and No.) but it’s better to write button text so it’s longer than a single word (ex. “Yes, I will.”) However, inputs that are not part of the “dialogue” between ALEX and a user should not be punctuated (ex. Submit, Continue, Log In, etc.).   

Specific Formatting 

Benefit names should be capitalized when used in a title or as a proper noun, but lowercase when used in a sentence. Some examples: 

  • “Let’s move on to the next module, Hospital Indemnity Insurance.” Because this is the title of a module, each word should be capitalized. 
  • “Let’s talk about hospital indemnity insurance.” Because we’re speaking about a benefit generally, we do not capitalize. 
  • “One of your plans is the Aetna High Deductible Health Plan.” Because we’re referring to a specific plan, the name is a proper noun and should be capitalized. 
  • “One of your plans is a high deductible health plan.” Because we’re referring to the plan type generally and not a specific plan, the words should be lowercase. 
  • Also pay special attention to “health savings account (HSA)” et al. It can be tempting to capitalize words in an acronym (or initialism, since we’re being pedantic), but the same rules still apply. 

Capitalization of hyphenated words: When used as a title or proper noun, every part of the hyphenated word should be capitalized (ex. The “Short-Term Disability” module). If the hyphenated word is the first word of a sentence, only the first part should be capitalized (ex. “Short-term disability provides 60% of your pay…”). When used anywhere else in a sentence, everything should be lowercase (ex. “Your short-term disability pays 60% for 10 weeks.”). 

Hyphens and dashes: 

  • Hyphen (-): used in compound words (ex. short-term disability) and as number separators in phone numbers (ex. 312-123-4567) 
  • En dash (–): mainly signifies “to” in number ranges (see “Number ranges” below) 
  • Em dash (—): used to set off an amplifying or explanatory element (ex. “A health savings account—or HSA—can also be used to save for retirement.”). Not to be used in place of bullet points in a list.

ALEX uses the Oxford comma (or serial comma). Ex. “You have access to medical, dental, and vision insurance.” NOT “You have access to medical, dental and vision insurance.” 

ALEX uses one space after a period, not two. 

ALEX is always styled in all caps, except when it appears in a logo. 

When writing a bulleted list: 

  • Always capitalize the first letter of each bullet item. If the bullet item is two words, capitalize only the first word. 
  • Put a colon at the end of the stem (the part above the bullets). 
  • Don’t use periods at the end of each bullet point unless the bullets are full sentences on their own. 
  • Don’t use two levels of bullets. If you’re tempted to, you’re probably trying to do too much in one list. 
  • Always use a hanging indent for each bullet point—the second line of a bullet should line up with the first letter of the first line, not the bullet.

When writing numbers: Spell out whole numbers from zero through one hundred and round multiples of those numbers (ex. Three thousand, fourteen million, ten billion). However, in contexts where character count should be minimized (ex. buttons, webforms, interactive conversations), use the CMOS alternative rule: spell out numbers zero through nine and use numerals for 10 and up. Some specific cases and exceptions: 

  • Ordinals: follow the same rule (ex. first or 1st, 122nd). The letters in ordinal numbers should not appear as superscripts.
  • When a number begins a sentence, it is always spelled out. If the number would not usually be spelled out, it is best practice to reword the sentence so that it does not begin with a number. (Ex. “One hundred ten candidates were accepted.” —> “In all, 110 candidates were accepted.”) 
  • When there are multiple numbers in the same sentence, maintain consistency. If you would use numerals for one of the numbers, use them for all. If there are many numbers in the same sentence, use your best judgment in order to maintain clarity. (Ex. “Though most of the test subjects were between 13 and 18, two were 11 and one was 9.”) 
  • Percentages: Usually expressed in numerals. The symbol % is more common, but the word “percent” may also be used. (Ex. 20%, two percent)
  • Fractions: Simple fractions are typically spelled out and hyphenated (Ex. two-thirds, three-fourths, etc.), but may use numerals if necessary to save screen space. Whole numbers plus fractions are generally expressed in numerals, but may be spelled out if short (ex. 6 7/8, three and a quarter).
  • Commas for large numbers: For numerals of one thousand or more, commas are used between groups of three digits, counting from the right. Commas are not used for figures to the right of the decimal marker. Commas are not used for addresses or years. (Ex. 1,848; 525,600; 3.14159)  
  • Number ranges: An en dash used between two numbers implies up to and including, or through. The en dash should not be used if from or between is used before the first of a pair of numbers; instead, from should be followed by to or through (or until), and between should be followed by and. (Ex. 75–100, from 75 to 100, between 75 and 100)
  • Salary increments. Salary increments should be styled with numerals sans space: 1x, 2x, 3x, etc. If there is a range, use an en dash: 1–5x.
  • 24/7 or 24/7/365. Numerals with slashes, not hyphens or en dashes as in 24-7.

When writing phone numbers: style them with all dashes, no parentheses, and no country code before the area code. (i.e. 312-123-4567)

When writing dates and times: use numerals, not ordinals for dates (i.e. “March 6,” not “March 6th”). Spell out the month, followed by the day and year in numerals (March 6, 2023) if there’s room. For times of day, use a numeral with “a.m.” or “p.m.” (lowercase, with periods and no spaces). 

When writing state names: Use two-letter postal code abbreviations when together with a city, but spell out when used alone. Ex. “The state of Illinois,” “Chicago, IL” 

When dealing with trademarked brands (™ or ®): The trademark symbols need to appear the first time the name appears in text, and doesn’t need to be used in subsequent mentions.