Mechanical writing rules for formal standards documents. These apply across all SDOs -- the rules are SDO-agnostic even though the canonical source is the ITU English Language Style Guide.
For prose quality (specificity, fact discipline, anti-genericity, register),
see sdo-writing-style. This skill covers only mechanical correctness.
Quick reference -- most common rules
| Category | Rule |
|---|---|
| Spelling | UK Oxford spelling; prefer -ize (organize, standardize); use -ise only where removing -ise does not leave a recognizable English word or Latin root (e.g., surprise, comprise, advise, exercise). Note: some SDOs (e.g., ETSI) use -ise throughout; defer to the per-SDO drafting skill when it specifies a different convention. |
| telecommunication | Noun: "telecommunications"; Adjective: "telecommunication" |
| ICT | Full form: "information and communication technology" (NOT communications); adjective: "ICT" only |
| Hyphens | Minimum use; non-, self-, quasi-, ex- always hyphenated; cyber and tele not hyphenated; e- always hyphenated |
| Numbers | Spell out 0-9; figures for >=10, measurements, money, dates; use spaces not commas in large numbers |
| Dates | 17 January 1958; time 24h: 2100 hours; time 12h: 9 a.m., 1.15 p.m. |
| Ranges | "from ... to ..." or "13 360-13 410 kHz" -- never mix |
| Decimals | Precede with zero: 0.3; "per cent" in text, "%" in tables |
| Capitalization | General = lower case; specific reference with number = initial caps; "if in doubt, lower case" |
| Cross-references | In standards, use "clause" (not "section") for internal references; in meeting documents, "section" may be used where the template or SDO practice allows it |
| Abbreviations | Spell out on first use; no "the" before org abbreviations (ITU, not the ITU) |
| Lists | Format A (items < 1 sentence): lower case, full stop only on last item; Format B (longer items): semicolons between items, full stop on last; Format C (each item >= 1 sentence): capitals, full stops on all. Consistency within document; "etc." never with "e.g."/"including" |
| Gender | Use "chair" not "chairman"; "workforce" not "manpower"; avoid masculine-only pronouns |
| Disability | People-first: "persons with disabilities"; "wheelchair user" not "wheelchair-bound" |
Detailed conventions
Document class switch (important)
Before applying terminology rules, classify the target as one of:
- Standards document (specification/report/Recommendation/Norm): prefer "clause" terminology for internal structure and references.
- Meeting document (contribution/submission/TDoc/TD): "section" terminology is acceptable when aligned with SDO convention and the active template.
For the full rule set, see:
- references/writing-conventions.md -- 11-section extract from the ITU English Language Style Guide
Sections:
- Written style (clarity, simplicity)
- Spelling (-ize/-ise/-yse, telecommunication(s), ICT(s), compounds, plurals, foreign words)
- Hyphens (permanent, temporary, prefixes, compound adjectives)
- Punctuation (Oxford comma, spaces)
- Adjectives (position affecting meaning: concerned, involved, present, responsible)
- Numbers (spell-out rules, dates, ranges, decimals, ordinals, serial numbers)
- Proper names (countries, organizations, conferences)
- Capitalization (general vs specific, always/never capitalized lists)
- Abbreviations and acronyms (plurals, articles, common forms)
- Layout (paragraph numbering, headings, list formats A/B/C, neutral order)
- Non-discriminatory language (gender-neutral, disability-inclusive)
Cross-references
sdo-writing-style-- prose quality rules (complementary: this skill = HOW to write mechanically, that skill = WHAT makes good prose)sdo-docx-formatting-- .docx style rulessdo-docx-operations-- officecli guardrailsitut-basics-- ITU-T organization context for ITU-specific examples