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H5N1 bird flu virus

Häagen-Dazs the ice cream invented in America

Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree and Lewisham

Habsburg (not Hapsburg)

haemorrhage means heavy and potentially dangerous bleeding, not simply bleeding. Beware of misuse in metaphor

Hague, Ffion

Hague, The

hairbrush, haircut, hairdresser, hairdressing, hairdryer, hairpin, hairstyle

Haiti, Haitian note that Haiti must never be described as an island; it is joined to the Dominican Republic and together they constitute the island of Hispaniola. The Haitian capital is Port-au-Prince (hyphens); note also Gonaïves (diaeresis), the northern city

haj pilgrimage to Mecca (l/c and roman). See Eid al-Adha

haka the Maori war dance (l/c and roman)

half-mast (hyphenate)

half-time in a football match etc; the half time in business context (but half-time results)

halfway (no hyphen), but half-hearted

Halley's comet see heavenly bodies

Halliwell, Keith the former drugs czar

Halliwell, Kenneth the mentor, partner and murderer of the playwright Joe Orton

handheld (computers etc), as desktop, laptop, palmtop etc

Hallowe'en

Hamas is an acronym in Arabic for the Islamic Resistance Movement; the Arabic word hamas means zeal, courage. Note the following preferred transliterations: Khaled Mashal, Mr Mashal at second mention, supreme leader, head of political bureau in exile in Damascus; Mahmoud al-Zahar, Dr al-Zahar at second mention, a surgeon, leader of Hamas on the ground in Gaza; Ismail Haniya, Mr Haniya at second mention, No 1 on the parliamentary list; the (rumoured) No 3, Said Siyam (Mr Siyam); and Hassan Yousef (Mr Yousef), the leader in the West Bank

handmade, handbuilt (no hyphen)

handout as a noun, no hyphen; likewise hangout

hangar (aircraft), hanger (clothes)

hanged “The murderer was hanged at dawn” - never hung. Clothes are hung on a washing line or a hanger

Hansard

"happy slapping" always quote this euphemism for gratuitous, recorded violence

hara-kiri

harass, harassment

hardcore (one word as adjective, eg, hardcore pornography); but the hard core of the rebels (two words as noun); similarly, hard core (rubble)

hardline (adjective), but taking a hard line

harebrained

harem

Haringey is a London borough and council,

Harringay a London neighbourhood

Harley-Davidson (hyphenate)

HarperCollins, or HarperCollins Publishers, is owned by News Corporation. See News International

Harpers & Queen

Harrods (no apostrophe). See Al Fayed

harvest festival (l/c)

Hasidic prefer to Hassidic, Chassidic etc

Hattersley, Lord (not "of Sparkbrook"). See House of Lords

Havisham, Miss (not Miss Haversham) in Dickens's Great Expectations

Hawaiian

hay fever no hyphen

headache avoid as a synonym of difficulty

head-butt noun or verb; this is preferable to butt, although it may appear tautologous. While butt can mean to strike or push (something) with head or horns, its variety of other definitions, including the anatomical, means that head-butt is allowed for clarity, in line with reputable dictionaries

headcount (no hyphen)

headed avoid the Americanism he is headed, she was headed etc; write he is heading, she was heading etc

headhunt, headhunting etc (no hyphens)

headlines avoid the worst clichés and hyperboles such as bash, crash, shock, slam etc; but words such as bid (for attempt), crisis, hit (adversely affect), row (clash or dispute) - all of which should appear only sparingly in text - are permissible in headlines, provided they are not overworked.

Inverted commas must always be single in headlines, straps and display panels on News, Sport and Business pages. See quotation marks

headmaster, headmistress one word and l/c except in the formal, official title (and then cap at first mention only). Some schools have variants on the usual style; Eton, Harrow, Rugby and Westminster have a Head Master; St Paul's School and Manchester Grammar School have a High Master; King Edward's School, Birmingham, has a Chief Master; Dulwich, Haileybury and Marlborough have a Master. The correct form is given in the Independent Schools Yearbook or on schools' websites. Use the colloquial head only in headlines; and note that head teacher is two words except when part of the designated title

headroom (one word), as elbowroom, legroom

heads of state when these are royal, such as King Abdullah of Jordan, after the first mention refer to them as the King (cap). The cap at subsequent mentions applies only to overseas heads of state and the British Royal Family; ie, Prince B. of Thailand (a minor royal) would become the prince thereafter. Write, eg, President Yushchenko of Ukraine (simply President and surname and country) at first mention, then the President or simply Mr Yushchenko. See Royal Family , Titles special section

head up (an organisation etc) avoid; write simply, eg, "she will head the organisation"

healthcare (one word)

heartbroken, heartbreaking, heartfelt, heartstrings, but hyphenate heart-rending, heart-throb

-hearted hyphenate, eg, light-hearted

Heathrow sufficiently well known not to need airport in title. See airports, Gatwick

heatstroke one word. A condition resulting from prolonged exposure to intense heat, cf sunstroke, which is heatstroke caused by prolonged exposure to intensely hot sunlight

heat wave two words

Heaven, Hell cap in religious context only. See Devil

heavenly bodies cap the proper names of planets, stars, constellations etc: Venus, Arcturus, the Plough, Aries; for comets, l/c the word comet in, for example, Halley's comet; the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, the Universe are capped in their planetary or astronomical sense (see Earth). Use l/c for the adjectives lunar and solar, and phases, eg, full moon, new moon; but cap Martian both adjectivally and as a noun. See Earth , Moon , Sun , Universe

Heep, Uriah (not Heap) character in David Copperfield or the rock band

hellhole one word

Hell's Angels apostrophe, despite evidence on jackets to the contrary

help to (plus verb), eg, “he helped to make the cake” (not “he helped make the cake”)

helping the police with their inquiries avoid this phrase - suspects rarely willingly help the police. Say "were being interviewed" instead

helpline (one word). See hotline

Hemingway, Ernest

hemisphere northern, southern, eastern, western

Heraklion

heraldry do not confuse crests with coats of arms. Most arms consist of a shield and a crest; crests are the topmost part of the coat of arms (think of the crest of a bird or a wave)

Hereford and Worcester abolished on April 1, 1998. It was replaced by Worcestershire County Council and a new unitary authority for Herefordshire. See unitary authorities

Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh

Her Majesty's pleasure (detained at)

Hersh, Seymour journalist

Herzegovina (as in Bosnia-Herzegovina), not Hercegovina. See Yugoslav

Hewitt, Lleyton the Australian tennis player. See Tennis special section

Heyhoe Flint, Rachael (no hyphen, not Rachel)

Hezbollah (Party of God) in Iran and Lebanon; soft-hyphenate (on a line break) as Hezb-ollah

Hibernian means of or concerning Ireland, not Scotland - despite the Edinburgh football club of that name

hiccup (not hiccough)

hi-fi is an acceptable abbreviation (noun or adjective) of high fidelity, as wi-fi

high acceptable usage as a noun, eg, “she was on a high”. But avoid clichés such as all-time high and hits new high

highbrow, lowbrow

high command avoid its clichéd use, as in “Tory high command”. See Politics special section

High Commissioner (with caps) when specific, eg, the Indian High Commissioner; thereafter, the high commissioner. Remember that Commonwealth countries and the UK have high commissioners serving in high commissions in each other's countries, not ambassadors serving in embassies. See ambassador

High Court See Courts special section

highfalutin

high-flyer see also flyer

high jinks

high-profile one of many clichés to be avoided

High Sheriff (caps) when specific

high street is l/c and no hyphen in general sense, as in high street prices. But cap in specifics, eg, Putney High Street

high-tech (adjective); spell out in text, but hi-tech is acceptable in headlines

hike never use in the American sense of a rise or to raise (rates etc); permissible only in direct quotes, or in the context of walking (hitch-hike etc)

Hinckley, Leicestershire; but Hinkley Point, Somerset

Hindi for language context (the Hindi language); but use Hindu for religious or ethnic contexts (an adherent to Hinduism, or relating to Hinduism)

hippopotamuses plural

hippy, hippies almost as old-fashioned as beatniks. See Gypsy, travellers

Hip(s) abbreviation for home information pack(s), more widely known as sellers' pack(s) for home sales

Hirst, Damien (not Damian), the artist

historic, historical prefer an historic event rather than a historic. See a, an. Also, take care with use of historical and historic; the former can refer only to past history, while the latter can refer to a contemporary event likely to be of long-term significance. But an historic building is now in common usage as a synonym of an old building

hit avoid in text in sense of affected, eg, “Homeowners were hit last night by an interest rate rise”, or in the sense of attack, eg, “The minister hit out at his critics”. Sparing use of the verb in headlines is permissible

hitchhike, hitchhiker, hitchhiking etc, no longer hyphenated. Note The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

Hitchin, Hertfordshire (not Hitchen)

hitlist, hitman no hyphens

HIV is a virus, not a disease. Do not write HIV virus (tautology), but use a phrase such as HIV-infected. Write HIV/Aids when appropriate regarding the virus and the condition together. See Aids

HMS italicise in a ship's name, eg, HMS Ark Royal, but roman when part of a shore-based establishment, eg, HMS Collingwood. See Armed Forces special section

hoards are stocks or stores (of treasure, for example); to hoard is to amass and store food, money etc; hordes are large groups or gangs (of wild beasts etc)

Hobbit cap; see Middle-earth , The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien

hobo prefer hoboes as plural

Hogmanay cap

hoi polloi do not use "the" (it means, literally, "the many"). Roman, not italic

holidaymaker (one word)

Holland use the Netherlands (no longer cap The) for all contexts except sports teams, historical uses, or when referring to the provinces of North and South Holland. The adjective is Dutch. See Netherlands

Holy Communion (caps). See Christian terms

Holy Grail (caps) when referring to the Last Supper; holy grail (l/c) when used figuratively (as mecca)

Holyroodhouse. See palace

homebuyers, homeowners (no hyphens)

Home Counties, the (caps)

home-made (hyphenate)

homeopathy (no longer homoeopathy). Similarly, for other words with the prefix homeo-, meaning like, similar, eg, homeobox, homeostasis, homeotherm

Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) see also Housing Corporation, Tenant Services Authority

home town (two words), but hyphenate in adjectival use, eg, home-town memories

homogeneous means having parts all of the same kind; homogenous means similar owing to common descent

Homo sapiens now italicise, as any other scientific names

homosexual see gay

Hon, the normally use this form of address (the Hon So-and-So) only on the Court Page

honeybee one word

honeytrap one word

Hong Kong, but Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). Until July 1, 1997, when Britain handed the colony back to China, Hong Kong had a Governor (cap); now it has a Chief Executive. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China; it may be referred to as the territory for variation. Its Government is capitalised. See Chinese names , Midland Bank

"honour" killing use quote marks in this euphemism at all mentions

honours people are appointed Privy Counsellor, Baronet, KBE, CBE, OBE, MBE etc; never say they were made, received, were awarded, or got the OBE etc. Peers and above (viscounts etc) are created, not appointed etc. At investitures, those honoured receive the insignia of the award, not the award itself. Normally (except on Court Page) omit honours and decorations after names, but the following can be used where relevant; KG, KT, VC, GC, OM, CH, MP, QC, RA, FRS etc. See Titles special section

honours lists See New Year Honours

hoody plural hoodies

hoof plural hoofs

Hoon, Geoff (prefer to Geoffrey)

Hoover is a trade name so must be capped as a noun; generically, use vacuum cleaner, or to vacuum. But as a verb use l/c, eg, he hoovered up his food. See Google , Twitter

hopefully try to avoid in the sense of it is hoped that, even though this usage is so widespread

Horse Guards Parade

horse race/racing two words, but racing alone is preferable. Note Horserace Betting Levy Board. See racecourse , Sports special section , Racing special section

horse trading two words

horsey

horticulturist not horticulturalist

Horwich a town five miles from Bolton, where the loyalist Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair has lived. Do not describe it as a suburb of Bolton

hospitalise, hospitalisation always avoid these Americanisms; say taken to hospital, treated in hospital etc

host avoid using as a verb as in “West Ham will host Aston Villa on Saturday”; use play host to instead. But a person can host an event

hotline (one word); similarly, helpline

hotpants (one word)

hotspot one word see spot

hot-water bottle (note hyphen)

hoummos note also taramasalata, tzatziki

hour and a half, an no hyphens as a noun; but hyphenate adjectivally, eg, an hour-and-a-half break. Similarly for two and a half years, two thirds. But note twenty-three etc

housebuilder, housebuilding; but note the Home Builders Federation (formerly the House Builders Federation)

House of Commons see Politics special section . For Members' names etc, see Commons parliamentary website

House of Lords see Politics special section . For Members' names etc, see Lords parliamentary website

Housing Corporation ceased operation on November 30, 2008, and was replaced by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA)

however when used in the sense of nevertheless, always needs a comma after it (and before, when in the middle of a sentence, eg, “It was said, however, that the agent ...”). Note also the comma in the extended clause: "However many times I say this, there are people who ignore it"

Howzat? the cricket appeal (from "How's that?")

Hubble Space Telescope (caps)

Hudson Bay, but Hudson's Bay Company; note also Hudson River

The Huffington Post cap The, not itals as it is a website

human acceptable as noun as well as adjective; alternatively, human being

Human Genome Project (initial caps)

human rights European Convention on Human Rights; European Court of Human Rights; both operate under the aegis of the Council of Europe, not the European Union (or EC). See Courts special section

humongous

humorist not humourist

Humphrys, John (radio and television); but Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everage etc) and Hubert Humphrey (US Democratic statesman)

Hundred Years' War, the note apostrophe

Hunt, Lord there are a few Hunts in the Lords, so it is especially essential that style is followed, as with all peers, and their respective full titles are given

Huntington's chorea - now properly known as Huntington's disease

hunting with hounds (not with dogs). Note the Hunting Act 2004. See foxhunt

hurricane cap as part of title, eg, Hurricane Andrew; similarly, Tropical Storm Linda (caps). See tropical storm

Hussein, the late King (of Jordan), not Husain; similarly, Saddam Hussein

Hutus, Tutsis, the plural of the Rwandan tribes (not simply Hutu, Tutsi). See Rwanda

hydroelectric (no hyphen)

hyena prefer to hyaena; but note that Hyaena is the scientific genus name

hyphens be sparing with hyphens and run together words where the sense suggests and where they look familiar and right; eg, blacklist, businessman, goldmine, knockout, intercontinental, motorcycle, takeover, and walkover. Unusual hyphenations will be listed separately in this Style Guide. However, a few guidelines can be specified:

usually run together prefixes except where the last letter of the prefix is the same as the first letter of the word to which it attaches: prearrange, postwar, prewar, nonconformist; but pre-empt, co-ordinate, co-operate, re-establish;

hyphenate generally in composites where the same two letters come together, eg, film-makers, but an exception should be made for double r in the middle: override, overrule (not over-ride etc), and note granddaughter and goddaughter;

generally do not use dangling hyphens - say full and part-time employment etc; but this does not apply to prefixes - pre- or post-match drinks;

for hyphenation when qualifying adjectives, see adverbs;

always use a hyphen rather than a slash (/) in dates etc - 1982-83 (not 1982/83)

hypothermia state of being too cold; hyperthermia too hot

Last edited: July 9, 2009