Punctuation

Hyphens - vs. en dashes – vs. em dashes —

Hyphens (-) (shortest length) join words together. En dashes (–) (medium length) (Mac: Option, -] are for ranges, and em dashes (—) (longest) (Mac: Shift, Option, -) are for introducing a pause in a sentence. Don’t use spaces before or after any of these.

Propel is a broadly-used app

October 5–9, 2024

Everyone deserves to get through each month with dignity—and a little extra.

October 5 - 9, 2024

Everyone deserves to get through each month with dignity - and a little extra.

Periods

We use periods to finish thoughts or create a sense of “solid ground”. This is why we don’t use periods in headline copy, but we do use them in subhead copy. This is also why we use them in empty states.

Use periods on:

• Multiple sentences
• Body and subhead copy
• Empty states

Avoid using periods to end single sentences in:

• Labels & toasts
• Bulleted lists
• Dialog body text & hyperlinked text

Commas

Use the Oxford comma. Use commas in larger numbers. Don’t use commas to string two complete clauses together (comma splice).

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Exclamation points

Use sparingly to show something exciting or important. Don’t use exclamation points in ads or buttons.

Cash loads typically cost up to $5. Our cash loads are only $3.50!

Welcome to Propel! We’re so glad you’re using the app! Sign up for push notifications!

Ampersands (&)

Use ampersands in headlines (Grenette). You can also use them when you’re short on space.

Manage your EBT & WIC

Manage your EBT + WIC

Quotation marks

Quotation marks are for directly quoting someone or something. Do not use quotation marks for emphasis.

According to usa.gov, “the REAL ID Act is a law that sets higher security standards for state-issued driver's licenses”.

Your Providers Card is “not” an EBT card

Colons and semicolons

Don’t capitalize the first word after a colon if it’s a dependent clause.

Use colons when introducing a list. Don’t use semicolons.

How EBT works: the ultimate beginner’s guide

Certain fruits are WIC-eligible. They include:

• bananas
• avocados
• grapes

How EBT works: The ultimate beginner’s guide

Certain fruits are WIC-eligible; they include bananas, avocados, and grapes.