Ontario.ca style guide

Overview

This style guide describes the rules we use to write English content for ontario.ca. It is based on research about how people:

• read online
• use search engines to find content
• use websites on many different types of devices

We aim to deliver the best possible experience across a single government website.

No matter who you are or what type of device you use, we want to make services and information easy to find, use and understand.

If something is not covered here, follow the Canadian Press style. For French-specific guidance, please visit the Ontario.ca — Guide de rédaction.

English and French

Language requirements

All content published on ontario.ca must be posted in English and French. This is set out in the French Language Services Act.

If you think you need an exemption for content that is very technical, contact your ministry’s French language services coordinator.

Before you begin

Look for similar content on ontario.ca

Before you begin writing a new page of content, search ontario.ca to check if a related page already exists. This is important because we want to:

• avoid publishing duplicate content which can frustrate and confuse people
• update existing content if it is out of date
• archive outdated content

Instead of creating a new page, you may be able to:

• add new content to an existing page
• combine 2 or more pages on the same topic

Know your audience

Identify the audience of your page and who you want to reach. You should think about:

• what your audience is interested in reading or doing
• what words they may use when they search online

Your ontario.ca audience could include:

• residents looking to perform a task, such as applying for an OHIP card or a hunting licence
• businesses looking for guidance about Ontario labour laws
• farmers looking for information about crops or business support
• parents looking for information about the school curriculum
• municipal employees looking for information about laws or regulations

Knowing your audience will help you write content that they will want to read. It will also help you figure out what information you need to include and what you can leave out.

Identify user needs

A user need is something a person needs to do on a website. On ontario.ca, some user needs include:

• applying for OSAP
• registering a birth
• learning about eligibility for a tax credit
• buying a hunting licence
• reading the Driver’s Handbook

To help you identify a user need, you can write a user story. Fill in the following:

• as a [person in a particular role…]
• I want to [perform an action or find something out…]
• so that I [can achieve my goal of...]

For example:

• as a new Ontarian
• I want to know how to get an OHIP card
• so that I have medical coverage when I go to the doctor

Once you identify a user need, you can figure out what information you need to give your user to achieve their goal. For example, to get an OHIP card, a user needs to know:

• if they’re eligible for a health card
• if there’s a fee
• what forms they must fill out
• how to apply
• what documents they need to submit
• when they will get their card

To get an OHIP card, a user does not need to know:

• which ministry or branch is responsible for OHIP
• which legislation supports OHIP coverage
• how much the government has invested in health care

If your user does not need the content to complete their goal, leave it out. Extra information can confuse people and make it harder for them to complete their task or find the information they need.

Consider how people read online

Website usability research shows that people do not read web pages word for word. Instead, they scan the page looking for individual words, sentences or headings.

People often read web content in an F pattern. This means people:

• look across the top of the page, then down the left side and continue across the page again in shorter movements
• read the first lines of text and first few words on the left side of a page the most

Because people read differently online, we need to:

• put the most important content first, including at the top of the page and at the beginning of a title, heading and bullets
• use common words, short sentences and paragraphs to help people scan our content
• chunk our content into headings, short paragraphs or bulleted lists so important information stands out

Think about screen sizes

More than half of ontario.ca visitors read our web content on a mobile device like a phone or tablet.

When writing for the web, remember that phone and tablet screens show content to people differently than desktop or laptop screens. This makes the title, lead and headings in the table of contents very important. They are the first pieces of content a person will read when they open an ontario.ca page on their phone.

To make sure your content works well on mobile devices, you can:

• use the inverted pyramid method to put the most important information at the top of the page so people on smaller screens do not have to scroll down too far to find it
• front-load the title and headings
• keep sentences and paragraphs short so they are easier to read on smaller screens
• reduce unnecessary content, including filler or “fluff” copy

Writing basics

Put the most important information first

Use the inverted pyramid method to organize content

Use the inverted pyramid writing method to help organize your content for an online audience. To do this:

• start with the most important information quickly
• answer people’s top questions early
• provide more details after the most important information is covered

For example, if your headings are:

• “Delivery”
• “Eligibility”
• “Cost”
• “How to apply”
• “Before you apply”

You can reorganize them from most to least important:

1. Eligibility
2. Before you apply
3. Cost
4. How to apply
5. Delivery

Front-load your content

Individual elements of the page should also give the most important information first. This is called “front-loading” your content.

You can front-load:

• page titles
• leads
• headings
• sentences
• bulleted lists
• links

To front-load a page title or heading, reduce words so that you only include the most essential information. For example:

• front-loaded: “Renew your health card”
• not front-loaded: “Options for you to renew your health card”

In this example, you can provide information about options to renew health cards in the paragraphs under the heading. This means you can remove “options” from the heading.

To front-load a sentence or lead, think about what you are trying to get people to do or understand and put those words first. You can end the sentence with supporting words if necessary. For example:

• front-loaded: “Develop a workplace safety plan for your business.”
• not front-loaded: “How you can get resources to help your business develop a workplace safety plan.”

Here is an example of a sentence with a link:

• front-loaded: “Use the interactive treaty map to find out which treaty applies to any location in Ontario.”
• not front-loaded: “To find out which treaty applies to any location in Ontario, use the interactive treaty map.”

In these examples, the most important information — developing a plan or using a map — is placed at the front of the heading or sentence. This means people scanning the page will read this information first and will not have to read the full sentence to understand the content.

Chunk your content

Organizing your content in chunks makes it easier for people to process, understand and remember.

A page with many long paragraphs and without headings or bulleted lists can overwhelm people.

Chunking your content means breaking it up into smaller sections of information.

To do this:

• include a short overview at the top of a page
• add headings to long sections of text
• group related paragraphs together under a heading
• use hierarchical headings to create nested sections
• use bulleted or numbered lists to break up lists within sentences
• use short paragraphs

Write for a Grade 6 reading level

Plain language helps everyone, including experts, understand content faster.

We write for a Grade 6 reading level on ontario.ca.

To do this:

• use short simple words:
  • “need” instead of “require”
  • “many” instead of “multiple”
• avoid using long sentences and paragraphs
• avoid using words or phrases that people do not use in everyday conversation, such as “therefore” or “as such”

Check the reading level of your content

There are several tools you can use to check whether your content meets the Grade 6 reading level standard:

Microsoft Word readability checker

The built-in readability checker in Microsoft Word uses the:

• Flesch Reading Ease test (score from 1 to 100 — higher is easier to read)
• Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test (shows the school grade level)

Copilot Chat

You can use Copilot Chat to help:

• simplify complex language to help meet the Grade 6 standard
• restructure content
• suggest edits to align with our style guide

Use active voice

Use active voice instead of passive voice. This means putting the subject of your sentence (the person who is “doing”) first.

Active voice:

• makes it clear who is doing the action
• makes our content clear, direct and conversational

In a passive sentence, it is not always clear who is doing the action.

Example 1:

• write: “We must approve your application.”
• instead of: “The application must be approved.”

Example 2:

• write: “We proposed new regulations.”
• instead of: “New regulations were proposed.”

Example 3:

• write: “You must submit the documents with your application.”
• instead of: “The documents must be submitted with your application.”

Use a friendly and direct tone

The tone of your web content should be:

• friendly
• direct
• informative
• authoritative

Ontario.ca content should be factual and neutral, with no partisan or political language.

To do this:

• use “we” to refer to the Ontario government or to a ministry
  • write: “We will review your application.”
  • instead of: “The ministry will review your application.”
• use gender-neutral language
  • write: “You can hire a supervisor if they are working towards their qualifications.”
  • instead of: “You can hire a supervisor who is not on the list if he/she is working towards his/her qualifications.”

If you’re not sure which gender-neutral term to use, check the Ontario government terminology guide.

Address the audience

Use “you” and “your” to speak directly to your audience. This makes it easier for people to understand:

• what applies to them
• what they have to do
• when they have to do it

Example 1:

• write: “If you are at least 16 years old, you can apply for a driver’s licence in Ontario.”
• instead of: “People who are at least 16 years old can apply for a driver’s licence in Ontario.”

Example 2:

• write: “Find out what documents you need to apply.
• instead of: “Find out what documents are needed to apply.”

If the information on your page is for more than 1 audience, you might need to be more specific instead of just using “you.” For example:

• “As a parent, you will need to register your child for school.”
• “Seniors are eligible for a fourth vaccination and children under the age of 12 are eligible for a second vaccination. You can book a vaccination appointment online.”

Write short, simple sentences and paragraphs

Write your sentences using simple, common words that most people use. If you need to use a complex word, explain what the word means.

For example, write:

• “we” instead of “the government”
• “do” instead of “implement”
• “use” instead of “utilize” or “employ”
• “because” instead of “the reason for”
• “if” instead of “in the event that”
• “about” instead of “in reference to” or “pertaining to”
• “must” or “need to” instead of “it is necessary that”
• “may” instead of “it is possible that”
• “before” instead of “prior to”
• “let you know” instead of “notify”
• “except” instead of “with the exception of”
• “by” instead of “no later than”

Use verbs

Use verbs when describing an action that people need to take. Do not use nouns that are formed from verbs.

Example 1:

• write: “Apply for OSAP.”
• instead of: “Send in your OSAP application.”

Example 2:

• write: “Replace your driver’s licence if it is damaged.”
• instead of: You can get a replacement if your driver’s licence is damaged.”

Example 3:

• write: “This policy will help us develop new hunting regulations.”
• instead of: “This policy will help in the development of new hunting regulations.”

Avoid jargon, idioms and expressions

Avoid using jargon, idioms and expressions in your writing. People who are not familiar with the terms or phrases may not understand them, and online translators may not translate them properly.

Example 1:

• write: “Complete all parts of the application.”
• instead of: “Do not cut corners in your application.”

Example 2:

• write: “Call 555-555-5555 to talk to someone on the intake team.”
• instead of: “Call 555-555-5555 to be put through to the intake team.”

Example 3:

• write: “You must accept the offer within 3 days.”
• instead of: “You cannot take a rain check.”

Include only information your audience needs

When people read online, they scan the content instead of reading each sentence 1 word at a time.

To help people get to the information they need quickly, do not include extra background information that people do not need to complete a task or understand a sentence.

Example 1:

• write: “Bring 3 pieces of ID with you when you apply.”
• instead of: “According to Regulation 745, you are required to provide 3 pieces of identification when you come in person to apply for the program.”

Example 2:

• write: “You may qualify for the program if you have no debts.”
• instead of: “A person may claim support from the program if they meet the financial qualifications, including not being indebted.”

Create accessible content

Ontario.ca must meet the standards set out in the:

• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

Meeting the standards includes:

• providing:
  • text alternatives for images
  • data or text equivalents for images of graphs and visualizations if they cannot be created in logical and accessible HTML
  • text captions, transcripts and descriptive audio for videos
• making sure:
  • images or any coloured elements have enough colour contrast for text or figures
  • people can navigate web pages with just a keyboard and not a mouse
• avoiding:
  • tables for content that can be laid out using paragraphs, headings or bullets
  • colour or visuals as the only way to convey information or order without a text equivalent (for example, using yellow as the only way to highlight the importance of an item)

Accessibility beyond the standards

Accessibility also means making sure people of all abilities or reading comprehension levels can read and understand your web copy. To make sure your writing is accessible:

• write for a Grade 6 reading level
• use headings to describe the sections of your page — this helps people using screen readers scan page headings to quickly understand what your page is about
• use descriptive link text instead of writing “click here” — “click here” links do not give people who use screen readers enough information to decide which links they need to click
• use bulleted or numbered lists instead of long sentences
• provide the full form of all abbreviations and acronyms
• avoid directional language, such as “in the chart below” — screen readers may not read page elements in the same order that they appear on the screen
• avoid ableist language, such as “see” or “heard”

Avoid legal language

We do not use legal language on ontario.ca. Our goal is to capture the spirit of the law and not the letter of the law.

Legal language can be confusing or difficult for people to understand. Instead of quoting the law, explain the law in plain language.

You can include a link to the law, act or regulation you are writing about.

If you must include a legal term in your writing, make sure you explain what the term means in a simple way or provide an example of what the term means.

For example, explain the law by writing:

Instead of writing:

If you are writing a page of content that is a guide for an act or regulation, you can use a disclaimer to let your audience know that the page is not a legal document.

Here’s an example of a disclaimer used in Your guide to the Employment Standards Act:

Specialist and technical language guidance

There is a place for specialist or technical language on ontario.ca. If your audience needs technical language, use plain language content to complement it.

Just like a general audience, specialists and experts:

• scan content when they read
• may not be tech-savvy
• prefer clear headings and lead statements to help them find information

If you’re writing for experts in a field, use technical terms with plain language around the terms to help the non-expert audience understand your content.

For example, general audiences understand “dumpster” even though the technical term is “mobile waste container.”

Official reports and publications

When possible, official reports and technical publications should be written in plain language.

We know that sometimes you cannot change a report or technical publication to be in plain language. For example:

• a report written by a third party, such as an advisory group or external organization
• a report intended for a highly specialized audience, such as guides for people who manage Crown forests or people who are responsible for building plumbing
• a guide for pork farmers describing how to build fencing for pig production

If you cannot write the report in plain language, write a plain-language summary to describe the content of the report or publication. Examples of official reports or guides with plain-language summaries:

• Chief Medical Officer of Health 2024 Annual Report
• Farm Succession Planning Guide

Use inclusive language

Always aim for inclusive and unbiased language when you write about age, mental illness, ability, disability, addiction, race and gender identity. For example, use:

• “diagnosed with dementia” instead of “suffering from Alzheimer’s”
• “person with cancer” instead of “battling cancer”
• “diagnosed with alcoholism” instead of “drunk”
• “uses a wheelchair” instead of “wheelchair-bound”
• “engaging performance” instead of “schizophrenic performance”
• “man with autism” instead of “autistic man”
• “transgender woman” instead of “trans woman”

For more guidance on inclusive language, read the federal government’s Inclusive writing — Guidelines and resources.

Indigenous terminology guidance

Use the term “Indigenous” instead of “Aboriginal.” Aboriginal should only be used when referencing:

• the Constitution
• the Duty to Consult
• Aboriginal treaty rights

Always capitalize “Indigenous” and “First Nation(s).”

Do not use frequently asked questions (FAQs)

We do not use frequently asked questions on ontario.ca because research and feedback shows FAQs:

• make it harder for people to find information
• can lead to content duplication

You might find that some pages on ontario.ca still have FAQs. This is because they are being phased out gradually.

Ontario.ca page structure

Page titles

Page titles describe the page content and appear at the top of the page.

Page titles should be short and direct. People should know right away if they are on the right page by reading the title and lead.

On ontario.ca, heading 1 (H1) is only used for the page title.

Page titles should:

• use sentence case (not title case), and only capitalize the first word of the title, names, proper nouns and program names
• be statements, not questions
• be written in plain language, using the words your audience uses
• start with the most important information first
• be 70 characters or less, so that they are not cut-off in search engine results
• not include acronyms except in certain situations
• avoid including “Ontario” unless absolutely necessary

Example 1:

• write: “Wildlife and nature”
• instead of: “Everything you Need to Know About Wildlife and Nature in Ontario”

Example 2:

• write: “Reinstate a suspended driver’s licence”
• instead of: “How you can reinstate a driver’s licence that is suspended”

Example 3:

• write: “Find and pay for child care”
• instead of: “How parents can find and get assistance with paying for child care in Ontario”

If your title is an official program name or report title, follow the official term or title case. For example:

• write: “Ontario Autism Program”
• instead of: “Ontario autism program”

If your title is an annual or periodical, put the edition or year at the front of the heading. For example:

• write: 2024–2025 Annual Report on Forest Management
• instead of: Annual report on forest management 2024–2025

If your page title is part of a series of publications or a group of related pages with similar titles, you should:

• put the series name at the beginning of the title, followed by a colon
• not capitalize the first word after the colon, unless it is an official name
• not use dashes

Example 1:

• write: “Consultation: cannabis legalization in Ontario”
• instead of: “Cannabis legalization in Ontario: consultation”

Example 2:

• write: “State of the Resource Report: American eel”
• instead of: “American eel State of the Resource Report”

Leads

Leads describe the purpose of the page. They appear just below the page title.

Leads may show up in search engine results, just below the website URL and page title.

Leads should:

• be 1 or 2 short sentences
• be no more than 150 characters, including spaces, to make sure the lead does not get cut off when it appears in search engine results
• use sentence case unless the lead contains an official name
• be in plain language
• begin with an action word like “learn,” “get,” “find” or “read” when possible
• complement, but not repeat, the page title
• avoid introductory phrases like “The purpose of this page” or “This consultation is about”
• not be used as a page summary or introduction
• end in a period

Example 1:

• write: “Get information about road conditions, driver’s licences, vehicle registration and commercial vehicles.”
• instead of: “This page will give you information about Ontario road conditions, how to apply for a driver’s licence, how to register your vehicle, as well as commercial vehicles.”

Example 2:

• write: “Learn about your electricity bill, electricity rates, rebates and programs to keep your bill low.”
• instead of: “This page will give you information on electricity bills, Ontario’s electricity rates, rebates, and electricity support programs to help keep the cost of your electricity bill low.”

Example 3:

• write: “What you need to know if you plan to study at a college or university outside of Canada.”
• instead of: “Information about what you need to know if you plan to study college or university abroad. Includes information about transfer credits, loans and scholarships and adding a school to the OSAP approved list.”

Headings

Headings are section titles that describe the content that directly follows them.

Headings should:

• use sentence case, unless the heading includes an official name
• never be written as questions or frequently asked questions
• be short and direct, written in plain language without using filler words
• not be skipped (for example, do not put a Heading 4 under a Heading 2, without a Heading 3 in between)

For example, write:

• “Contact us” instead of “How do I contact someone if I have questions or need more information?”
• “Pay back OSAP” instead of “How Do I Pay Back my OSAP Loan?”
• “Manage invasive plants on your property” instead of “Information about how to manage invasive plants on private property”
• “Report illegal activity” instead of “How you can report any illegal activity you see”
• “Cost” instead of “How Much Does It Cost to Apply?”

Headings, including the page title, follow a hierarchy.

Heading 1

• Used only for the page title.
• Largest heading on the page.
• Only 1 “Heading 1” can appear on each page.
• Should be 70 characters or less.

Heading 2

• Use for the main sections of the page.
• Automatically populates the table of contents of an article page or book page.
• Should describe each distinct section of content.
• Can be used many times.

Heading 3, 4, 5 and 6

• Use for subsections of the page, under Heading 2 sections.
• Can be used many times.

Heading hierarchy also means that we use headings in order without skipping. For example, use Heading 3 under Heading 2, and use Heading 4 under Heading 3:

• Heading 1 (title)
  • Heading 2 (section heading)
  • Heading 2
    • Heading 3 (subsection heading)
  • Heading 2
    • Heading 3
      • Heading 4 (sub-sub section heading)
  • Heading 2

Find out how headings appear in the web editing guide.

Paragraphs and sentences

Paragraphs should be short and to the point. They should have 1 to 5 sentences.

Short paragraphs are important because they make your content easier to read on any device, especially mobile devices with smaller screens.

Do not use long sentences. Check sentences with more than 25 words to see if you can break them up into multiple smaller sentences or into bullets.

Do not use semi colons to break up ideas in a long sentence. Create shorter sentences instead.

Use neutral, factual language. Avoid adverbs and adjectives unless necessary.

Use only 1 space after each period, not 2.

Example 1:

• write: “Applications are due by 5 p.m. on January 2, 2023”
• instead of: “The deadline to apply for the program is Monday, January 2, 2023; please send in your application form by 5 p.m. on the due date”

Example 2:

• write: “We are launching a new soccer program in 2023. This program will give Ontario families tips, videos and links to help them learn to play soccer.”
• instead of: “This year, we are excited to launch a new soccer program. This new online experience will provide helpful tips, videos and links for Ontario residents and ensure more families and youth can access resources and learn how to play soccer.”

Links

Use descriptive links, such as “get help navigating Ontario’s health care system,” instead of using the complete URL “https://www.ontario.ca/page/your-health.”

Front-load links by making your link text active.

Use keywords (short or vanity URLs) such as ontario.ca/OSAP, when needed.

Do not capitalize the letter “o” in “ontario.ca” unless it begins a title, heading or sentence.

Lists

Lists are used to group 2 or more pieces of information. Using lists can help people scan your content.

If you have a long paragraph with multiple sentences that group together 2 or more ideas, consider breaking it up into a bulleted or numbered list.

If possible, try to use 1 sentence in each list item. If your list items have multiple sentences, consider making them regular paragraphs instead.

Review the types of lists you can build on ontario.ca in the web editing guide.

Bulleted lists

Use bulleted lists to list 2 or more pieces of information.

They are most effective when listing necessary information, such as eligibility requirements.

When creating a bulleted list:

• introduce the list with a lead-in sentence and a colon
• use lowercase letters at the start of the bullets, unless the first word is an official name or there is a heading instead of a lead-in sentence
• do not put “or” or “and” after a bullet
• do not use a comma or semicolon at the end of a bullet

If the bulleted list follows a heading, or if the bullets consist of multiple sentences, use complete sentences for the bullets, capitalize first letters and include periods.

Bulleted items should ideally form a complete sentence with the lead-in sentence. They should be written in parallel with each other — for example, all nouns or all beginning with verbs in the same tense.

Bulleted lists with requirements

Be clear in your lead-in sentence if all or some bulleted items apply. For example, your lead-in sentence for eligibility requirements can be:

List all requirements and conditions.

For example, write:

Instead of:

Bulleted lists after headings

If the bulleted list immediately follows a heading and there is no lead-in sentence, capitalize the first letter of the words at the beginning of the bullets and end the bullets with periods.

For example, write:

Instead of:

Numbered bullets

Numbered bullets should only be used if you are listing information that needs to be in a certain order, such as:

• steps to apply for a program
• instructions that need to be followed in a sequence
• priority items, such as listing a program’s 5 priority actions

Numbered bullets always use full sentences beginning with a capital letter and ending with a period.

For example, write:

Instead of:

Nested bullets

Nested bullets are bullets that appear under bullets (also known as sub-bullets). Avoid nested bullets if possible because they can make reading and scanning difficult.

If you must use nested bullets, follow the same style rules for regular bulleted lists.

Alerts and content highlights

Alerts and highlights are sections of content that appear in coloured boxes on a page. They are used to either:

• draw attention to important information
• set information apart from the main content

Use alerts and content highlights only when necessary. Too many alerts on a page can disrupt the flow of the page and people’s attention.

Include a short descriptive heading with your page alerts so that the alert colour is not the only way to tell the section apart from the main content.

Check the ontario.ca web editing guide to learn about the different types of alerts, and when and how you should use them:

• asides and callouts
• blockquotes
• page alerts

Buttons

If you need to feature a call-to-action, application, report, file or link on a page, you can use a button.

Buttons can be placed anywhere on a page. If buttons are a major component of the content, you should place them as high up as possible. For example, if a page is about how to apply to a program, then the “Apply now” button should be in the lead or the top half of the page so people do not have to scroll down to read it.

Pages with a marketing banner should only have 1 button in the lead.

Keep the text in the button short. We recommend a maximum of 25 characters, including spaces. Button text should be sentence case and the copy should be clear and action-oriented.

For example, write:

• “Take the survey” instead of “Check out the options and provide your feedback”
• “Read the discussion paper” instead of “Read ‘Discussion paper: A model for internet gaming in Ontario’”
• “Apply for funding” instead of “Apply to Receive a Small Business Grant”

Use primary buttons for the main action users should take. Avoid using multiple primary buttons unless they have equal importance.

Use a secondary button for less important calls-to-action.

Find out what buttons look like on ontario.ca in the web editing guide.

Related links

Related links appear either:

• in the top right of an article page as a sidebar on large screens
• at the bottom of the page on smaller screens or full-width pages

Help your audience find related content by including links to:

• other related ontario.ca pages
• external resources from trusted government agencies or partners

For example, on a page that focuses on a federal-provincial program, you can provide a related link to a page on canada.ca that also talks about the program.

The text you use for your related links should be the title of the page you are linking to. Use sentence case for the text if the title does not follow ontario.ca style.

Do not include instructions or text that is not part of the page title. If it’s important, include it in the page content instead.

For example, on a page about hunting licences for Ontario residents, you can include the following related links:

• Hunting licence (Ontario residents)
• Hunting and fishing licence issuers
• ServiceOntario locations, hours and contact
• Apply to hunt big game
• Hunter education

Instead of:

• Learn how much it costs to get a hunting licence
• Participating ServiceOntario centres that sell tags
• How to apply to a big game draw

Footnotes

Avoid footnotes in web content. If the footnote content is important, include it in the body of the page. If the footnote is not important, leave it out.

If there is a legal reason to use footnotes (for example, to match a print publication):

• embed links as text instead of writing the full URL
• use ordered numbers or letters instead of symbols such as “*” and “**” for notations
• use continuous ordering even if the content is being split up into multiple pages of an ontario.ca book
• reuse numbers for footnote references if the content is the same as a previous footnote — do not create repeating footnote references

Learn how ontario.ca footnotes work in the ontario.ca web editing guide.

Grammar and editing rules

Abbreviations

Do not use “e.g.” — instead, use “for example,” “meaning,” “such as” or “including.”

Do not use “i.e.” — instead, use “that is” or “meaning.”

Do not use “etc.” at the end of a sentence — instead, use “and more” or start your sentence with “for example” or “such as” and follow it with your examples.

Acronyms

Write out acronyms in full the first time you use them, followed by the acronym in round brackets. For example:

• Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF)
• Office of International Relations and Protocol (OIRP)

Do not use acronyms if you do not intend to use them again in your content.

Acronyms are spelled without periods unless they are part of the official name of an entity or a person’s name.

In some cases, acronyms are more commonly used than the complete word or phrase. For example, Google Trends show that people search for the “OSAP” acronym a lot more than “Ontario Student Assistance Program.” Other common acronyms can be written as-is without the full form the first time, such as “COVID‑19” and “OHIP.”

Common acronyms can be used in headings.

Plural acronyms are marked with a lowercase “s” with no apostrophe.

Content authors should give web editors the full version of all acronyms. Web editors need to incorporate the full version of almost all abbreviations and acronyms in HTML for ontario.ca web editing standards and accessibility.

Acts and regulations

Use title case and italicize the full names of laws, acts, bills and regulations, including the year. This rule also applies to page titles.

• Ontario Regulation 419/05: Air Pollution — Local Air Quality
• Ontario Energy Board Act
• Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7
• Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Do not italicize the acronym or abbreviated form of acts and regulations (for example, “AODA” or “O. Reg. 583/20”).

When referring to a specific regulation or act but not the official name, capitalize “Act” but do not capitalize “regulation.”

When using “Act” on its own, do not italicize it. For example:

• “The Act came into force in 1979.”
• “All executives designated under the Act are subject to the regulation.”

Addresses

Spell out addresses in full. Do not use abbreviations like St., Rd., Ave. or ON.

For addresses with a rural route (RR) identifier, do not use the # (number sign or hash) symbol.

For PO boxes, do not use periods.

Bold, italics and underlining

Bold

If you want to emphasize a word or phrase in a sentence, use bold font.

Use it effectively by being selective with what you bold. Using bold on full sentences or too many words can be distracting and reduce the effect of the emphasis.

Italics

Italics are only used for the titles of:

• laws
• acts
• regulations
• scientific names of species
• media such as books or films
• documents such as the Budget or Fall Economic Statement

Refer to “Acts and regulations” for more information on italics for laws, acts and regulations.

Underline

Do not underline to emphasize a word or a sentence. People expect underlined words on the web to be links, so underlined words that are not clickable can be frustrating.

Instead of underlining, use bold font for emphasis.

Capitalization

Use capital letters at the beginning of titles, headings, sentences and numbered bullets.

Use capital letters in acronyms, abbreviations and proper nouns.

Capital letters should not be used for emphasis. Do not use block capitals (all-caps) because they are difficult to read and are the equivalent of shouting online. Some screen reader software will read the all-caps content letter-by-letter.

Exceptions for block capitals include:

• brand and program names (for example, PRESTO or OHIP)
• text that is legally required to be in all-caps
• phonewords (for example, 1-855-554-HEAL (4325))

Capitalize all religions, languages and nations. “Black” is capitalized when referring to a person’s race and “Indigenous” is always capitalized.

Ontario government terminology

Capitalizing official Ontario government names:

• distinguishes them from common nouns
• indicates that translators should use official French terminology or contact the Terminology Unit for a term that is not in the database yet

For official Ontario government terminology, refer to ONTERM.

Use title case for official names of all levels of governments and their departments, agencies, commissions and boards, such as:

• Ministry of Finance
• Corporate Management Division
• Children and Youth at Risk Branch
• Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario

Use title case for the names of official reports, directives, strategies or action plans, including in page titles and headings:

• Far North Land Use Strategy
• Urban Indigenous Action Plan
• Ontario’s Forest Sector Strategy

Use title case for the names of programs or initiatives, including in page titles and headings:

• Ontario Builds
• Ontario Onwards
• Treaties Recognition Week
• Ontario Autism Program

Capitalize Ontario regions, following ONTERM. For example:

• Northern Ontario
• Northeastern Ontario
• Northwestern Ontario
• Eastern Ontario

When referring to Northern Ontario, capitalize North and Far North:

• the Far North covers 42% of Ontario’s land mass
• communities across the North

Do not capitalize

• minister, unless it used as part of the official job title, like the Minister of Health
• ministry, unless you’re using the official name, like the Ministry of Finance
• budget, unless referring to the name of the official budget, like “2025 Ontario Budget”
• sections or subsections of acts or regulations
• government, unless you’re using the phrase “Government of Ontario”

Cliches

Cliches are overly used phrases or expressions. Avoid all cliches. They can often be based in ableist or biased language.

For example, write: “insensitive” or “shows a lack of awareness” instead of:

• “that’s lame”
• “turned a blind eye”
• “tone-deaf”

Also refer to “Avoid jargon, idioms and expressions.”

Contractions

Avoid negative contractions such as “don’t” and “can’t.” People may find them difficult to read or misread them.

Write “do not” or “cannot” instead.

Dates and time

Dates

Use the format month, day, year. Write out the month and year in full. For example, January 1, 2025.

If the day is not specified, do not use a comma. For example, January 2026.

When using date ranges, use “to” instead of an en dash when possible. For example:

• “tax year 2024 to 2025”
• “we are open from May to October every year”

Learn how this section applies to content in French.

Time

Write time using numbers and the lowercase “a.m.” and “p.m.” suffixes. Use periods to separate a.m. and p.m. Separate the suffix from the numbers with a single space. For example, “applications are due by 6 p.m.”

When writing a time range, use “to” to separate the times. Do not use dashes. For example, “the office is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

Use the 12-hour clock, not the 24-hour clock. For example, write “3:30 p.m.” instead of “15:30.”

When you need to write midnight as a deadline for an application, write “11:59 p.m.” to avoid confusion. For example, write “applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on November 21” instead of “…due by midnight on November 21.”

Learn how this section applies to content in French.

Email

Write email addresses out in full.

For example, write “email example@ontario.ca if you have questions” instead of “email us if you have questions.

Files and file types

Treat file types like acronyms. Use the proper name (such as JPEG) instead of their extensions (for example, “.JPG” or “.jpg”).

For example, use:

• “submit your proposal as a PDF” instead of “submit your proposal as a .pdf file”
• “include your expenses in a comma-separated values (CSV) file” instead of “include your expenses in a .csv file”

Numbers

• Ordinal numbers
• Percentages
• Money
• Math
• Degrees and temperature
• Units of measure
• Phone numbers
• Roman numerals

Use digits for numbers, unless:

• the sentence or heading begins with a number
• the number is part of figurative language (for example, “I hope it will be sunny one day”)

Spell out numbers that start a sentence or heading. For example:

• “During the workshop, 15 people used 9 pens.”
• “Two people agreed with the instructor.”

Use commas for numbers over 999. For example, “1,234 out of 100,450 people.”

Spell out millions, billions and above. For example, “5 million people watched the video today, compared to 15 million yesterday.”

For number ranges that appear in regular headings, sentences or paragraphs, use the word “to” to connect the range. Use an en dash in tables to separate numbers.

For example, use:

• “100 to 200 people” in regular sentences
• “100–200” in tables

Learn how this section applies to content in French.

Ordinal numbers

Spell out first to ninth. After that use 10^th, 11^th and so on.

Do not use ordinal numbers for dates. For example, write “June 5” instead of “June 5^th.”

Percentages

Use “%” (percentage symbol) to show percentages.

Do not spell out “per cent” unless it follows a spelled-out number at the beginning of a sentence.

Money

Money is written in digits with a dollar sign in the front ($5).

For service fees and costs, be as specific as needed. You can round budgets and other larger financial figures to the nearest dollar.

Foreign currencies that also use the dollar ($) sign should have the country initials before the dollar figure without spaces (for example, US$5). Use foreign currency codes if you need to for formal documents.

Learn how this section applies to content in French.

Math

Use mathematical symbols and signs. For example, use the multiplication sign “×” instead of the letter “x.”

Consider simplifying complicated math by:

• breaking components down
• showing step-by-step

For complicated formulas that cannot be expressed or displayed accurately in HTML, use clear images and provide accessible alternative text descriptions.

Degrees and temperature

Use the º (degree) symbol for degrees, instead of writing out “degrees.” Do not use a superscript letter “o.”

Use digits instead of words. Do not add a space between the number and degree symbol.

Write temperature in Celsius with the capital letter “C” and include Fahrenheit (“F”) equivalent if appropriate. For example:

• 20ºC (68ºF)
• 5º angle

Units of measure

Always lowercase the unit of measure. For example, write “mm, cm, km, ml” instead of “MM, CM, KM, ML.”

When using an abbreviated unit of measure, leave a space between the unit and the number. For example, write “10 km or 40 cm” instead of “10km or 40cm.”

If you do not have a number, spell out the unit of measure. For example:

• the event is a few kilometres away
• provide your measurement in metres or centimetres

For speed and distance, use the short form. For example, write “40 km/h” instead of “40 kilometres per hour.”

Phone numbers

Use hyphens between numbers without spaces. Do not use brackets for area codes.

If your phone number uses letters or words with corresponding numbers to make phone numbers easier to remember (also known as phonewords), write them in all-caps. For example, “1-866-554-HEAL (4325).”

The ontario.ca <onesite-phone> tag used by web contributors will automatically add the number equivalent in brackets after the phoneword.

Labels or indicators for extensions, TTY, tollfree and fax can also be added automatically using the <onesite-phone> tag by web contributors instead of writing it out.

Learn how ontario.ca phone numbers work in the ontario.ca web editing guide.

Learn how this section applies to content in French.

Roman numerals

Do not use roman numerals unless referring to:

• numbered names (for example, “King Charles III”)
• World Wars I or II
• legal documents

Use regular numbers instead. For example, use “Part 1” instead of “Part I.”

Punctuation

• Commas
• Semicolons
• Dashes
• Periods
• Brackets
• Quotation marks

Commas

Use commas to separate clauses in sentences. For example: “If you buy a 3-year fishing or small game licence at the same time you renew or buy an Outdoors Card, these licences will be printed on the back of the card.”

Use commas after introductory words or phrases. For example:

• In 1867, the British parliament passed the Constitution Act (formerly the British North America Act).
• However, if an employee has taken a full 17 weeks of leave but is still pregnant, they may continue on the pregnancy leave until the birth of the child.

When referring to acts and dates, use a comma before the year.

Do not use:

• commas at the end of items in a bulleted list
• Oxford commas (or serial commas)

For example, write “I’m cooking turkey, potatoes and carrots” with no comma after the word potatoes, instead of “I’m cooking turkey, potatoes, and carrots.”

Semicolons

Avoid using semicolons. Long sentences using semicolons should be broken up into separate sentences instead.

Dashes

Hyphens (-) are used to join words together. For example:

• long-term care
• mother-in-law
• off-campus

Do not add hyphens to:

• the end of adverbs ending in an “ly” (for example, brightly lit room)
• joint nationalities (for example, French Canadian, Chinese Canadian, Jamaican Canadian)
• the terms “antisemitism” and “antisemitic”

En dashes (–) are used for conflicts or connections. Screen readers read out en dashes as the word “to.” Do not use a space before or after en dashes. For example:

• “United States–Canada”
• “north–south railway”
• “2024–2025 report”
• “5–7 people” (in tables)

To include an en dash, copy this symbol (–) or hold Alt and type 0150 on the numeric keypad for Windows. For Macs, hold Option and hyphen.

Em dashes (—) are used like brackets or interruptions. Em dashes are interpreted as pauses by screen reading software. Use a space before and after em dashes. For example:

• “Five million users — including those using mobile devices — visited the page.”
• “We want to deliver information that is easy to find, use and understand — no matter who you are or what type of device you use.”

To include an em dash, copy this symbol (—) or press and hold Alt + Ctrl + minus key on the numeric keypad for Windows. For Macs, hold Option + Shift + hyphen.

Learn how this section applies to content in French.

Periods

Use periods at the end of sentences.

Do not use periods at the end of bullet points or lists, unless it is a numbered list.

Brackets

Round

Use round brackets (also known as parentheses) to add non-essential information.

Removing the content inside round brackets should not change the meaning of the sentence.

Square

Use square brackets — “[ ]” — for adding context or replacing information in quoted content or reported speech to help users understand the content. For example:

• “We now welcome [Director of the Operations Branch] Ms. Jones.”
• “[The part-time worker] received a compensation of …”

You can also use square brackets when you have to include brackets inside of (round) brackets if needed. Try to avoid doing this because people may have difficulty following the nesting of information.

Quotation marks

Only use quotation marks when you’re quoting a person directly or quoting instructional text, verbatim. Verbatim means using the exact words spoken or seen on the page.

In most cases, use double quotation marks. The only time you should use single quotation marks is for a quote within a quote.

For example:

• “Street” opioids
• Once you complete the application, select the “Submit” button.
• Her notes said, “Users commented that the text was ‘difficult to understand.’”

If you must use them, remember:

• periods and commas go inside quotation marks
• questions that end with a quote have the question mark outside the quote
• questions that are a part of the quotation have the question mark inside the quote

Learn how this section applies to content in French.

Symbols

Ampersands

Use “and” instead of ampersand (&). “And” is more likely to be read properly by screen reading tools and more people understand the word, rather than the symbol.

You should only use ampersands for:

• academic references
• official/branded names, such as a company name (for example, A&W)

Rules for writing specific words

For official Ontario government terminology, refer to ONTERM.

centimetres, metres, kilometres

Use the Canadian spelling for units based on “metres”, instead of “meters.”

child care

Two words, instead of “childcare” or “child-care.”

email

One word without a hyphen.

health care

Two words, instead of “healthcare.” Use a hyphen only when the word is an adjective, as in “health-care system.”

licence vs. license

“Licence” (with “c” at the end) is the noun: “I have a G1 licence.”

“License” (with “s” at the end) is the verb: “We license drivers.”

log in vs. login

Two words is the verb: “Log in to the platform.”

One word is the noun or adjective: “Your login was successful” or “check your login details.”

long-term care

Hyphenate “long” and “term”, instead of “longterm care” or “long term care.”

postsecondary

One word, instead of “post secondary” or “post-secondary.”

public health

Write as lowercase.