View source for Wiki143:Writing better articles

{{Short description|Explanatory supplement to the Wikipedia Manual of Style guideline}}
{{Redirect|Wikipedia:Topic|information about topic bans|Wikipedia:Banning policy#Topic ban}}
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{{Supplement|pages=[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style]] guideline|shortcut=WP:BETTER|shortcut2=WP:WBA}}
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This page advises on article layout and style, and on making an article clear, precise and relevant to the reader.

* You can post questions about English grammar and usage at [[Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language]].
* If you want to read some of Wikipedia's finest articles, have a look at [[Wikipedia:Featured articles]].
* For information on how to cite sources, see [[Wikipedia:Citing sources]].
* For our guidelines on style, see the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style]] and its subsidiary pages, listed in its template.
* To learn about markup in Wikipedia articles, see [[Help:Editing]].
* To learn about lists, disambiguation pages, and images, see [[Help:List]], [[Wikipedia:Disambiguation]], and [[Help:Pictures]].

{{toc limit|3}}

== Structure of the article ==
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout}}
Good articles start with introductions, continue with a clear structure, and end with standard appendices such as references and related articles.

===Introductory material / Lead===
{{More|#Lead section|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section}}

Articles start with a [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section|lead section]] ([[WP:CREATELEAD]]) summarising the most important points of the topic. The lead section is the first part of the article; it comes above the first header, and may contain a [[MOS:LEADIMAGE|lead image]] which is representative of the topic, and/or an [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Infoboxes|infobox]] that provides a few key facts, often statistical, such as dates and measurements.

The lead should stand on its own as a concise overview of the article's topic, identifying the topic, establishing context, and explaining why the topic is [[Wikipedia:Notability|notable]]. The first few sentences should mention the most notable features of the article's subject – the essential facts that every reader should know. Significant information should not appear in the lead if it is not covered in the remainder of the article; the article should provide further details on all the things mentioned in the lead. Each major section in the article should be represented with an appropriate summary in the lead, including any prominent controversies; but be careful not to violate [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|WP:Neutral point of view]] by giving undue attention to less important controversies, information, or praise in the lead section. As in the body of the article itself, the emphasis given to material in the lead should roughly [[WP:DUE|reflect its importance to the topic]], according to [[Wikipedia:Verifiability#Reliable sources|reliable, published sources]].

Lead sections generally contain no more than about 400 words. Citations are usually but not always optional; see [[WP:CITELEAD]].

=== Paragraphs ===
{{shortcut|WP:PARAGRAPH}}
{{seealso|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#Paragraphs}}

Paragraphs should be short enough to be readable, but long enough to develop an idea. Paragraphs should deal with a particular point or idea, and all the sentences within that paragraph should revolve around the same topic. When the topic changes, a new paragraph should be started. Overly long paragraphs should usually be split up.

Some paragraphs are really [[Help:table|tables]] or [[Help:List|lists]] in disguise. They should be rewritten as prose or converted to their unmasked form. [[Wikipedia:When to use tables]] and [[Wikipedia:Embedded list]] offer guidance on the proper use of these elements.

=== Headings ===
Headings help clarify articles and create a structure shown in the table of contents. To learn about how the MediaWiki software uses sections, see [[Help:Section]].

Headings are hierarchical. The article's title uses a level 1 heading, so you should start with a level 2 heading (<code><nowiki>==Heading==</nowiki></code>) and follow it with lower levels: <code><nowiki>===Subheading===</nowiki></code>, <code><nowiki>====Subsubheading====</nowiki></code>, and so forth. Whether extensive subtopics should be kept on one page or moved to individual pages is a matter of personal judgment. See also below under [[#Summary style|§&nbsp;Summary style]].

Headings should not contain [[help:link#Wikilinks|links]]. This is because headings in themselves introduce information and let the reader know what subtopics will be presented; links to other articles should be incorporated in the text of the section.

=== Images ===
If the article can be illustrated with pictures, find an appropriate place to position these images, where they relate closely to text they illustrate. For more information on using pictures, see {{section link|Wikipedia:Layout|Images}} and [[Wikipedia:Picture tutorial]].

=== Standard appendices ===
<!-- The following language tracks the language at [[wp:layout]], the main article covering this subject. If you change this language you should be sure that your change reflects the text at Layout. -->
As explained in more detail at {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout|Standard appendices and footers}}, optional appendix sections containing the following information may appear after the body of the article in the following order:
# A list of books or other works created by the subject of the article ([[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#works|works]])
# A list of internal "[[wp:wikilinks#Internal links|wikilinks]]" to related Wikipedia articles ([[Wikipedia:Layout#See also section|see also]])
# Notes and references ([[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#Notes and references|notes, footnotes, or references]])
# A list of recommended relevant books, articles, or other publications that have not been used as sources ([[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#Further reading|further reading]])
# A list of recommended relevant websites that have not been used as sources ([[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#External links|external links]]).
With some exceptions, any [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#Links to sister projects|links to sister projects]] appear in further reading or external links sections. [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#Navigation templates|Succession boxes and navigational footers]] go at the end of the article, following the last appendix section, but preceding the category and interwiki templates.

== Size ==
{{anchor|SIZE}}{{shortcut|WP:BETTER#SIZE}}
{{seealso|Wikipedia:Article size}}

Well-developed articles typically contain between 2,000 and 5,000 words, though some need to be larger. Excessively large articles can be [[WP:SPLIT|split]] into smaller articles to improve readability and ease of editing, or may require trimming to remain [[WP:CONCISE|concise]]. The headed sub-section should be retained, with a concise version of what has been removed under an italicized header, such as ''Main article: [[Ruritania|History of Ruritania]]'' (a list of templates used to create these headers is available at [[:Category:Wikipedia page-section templates]]). Otherwise, context is lost and the general treatment suffers. Each article on a subtopic should be written as a stand-alone article—that is, it should make sense without reading the main article.

When a subject is large (e.g., [[World War II]]) and has many sub articles, try to balance the main article. Do not put undue weight into one part of an article at the cost of other parts. In shorter articles, if one subtopic has much more text than another subtopic, that may be an indication the subtopic should have its own page, with only a summary presented on the main page.

=== Articles covering subtopics ===
Wikipedia articles tend to grow in a way that leads to the natural creation of new articles. The text of any article consists of a sequence of related but distinct subtopics. When there is enough text in a given subtopic to merit its own article, that text can be [[WP:Summary style|summarized]] in the present article and a link provided to the more detailed article.<!--note:nearly verbatim from [[WP:SS]]<ref>A similar approach is an [[WP:Article series|article series]], in which related articles are connected to each other with a special-purpose index box. An example of this is [[Isaac Newton#Biography]], where articles on various periods of his life are listed in {{tl|IsaacNewtonSegments}}.</ref> Note: commenting out this footnote because [[WP:Article series]] needs some work.--> [[Cricket]] is an example of an article covering subtopics: it is divided into subsections that give an overview of the sport, with each subsection leading to one or more subtopic articles.

== Information style and tone ==
{{shortcut|WP:ENCSTYLE|WP:INFSTYLE}}
Two styles, closely related and not mutually exclusive, tend to be used for Wikipedia articles. The [[Tone (literature)|tone]], however, should always remain [[:wiktionary:formal|formal]], [[:wiktionary:impersonal|impersonal]], and [[:wiktionary:dispassionate|dispassionate]].

These styles are 

* ''Summary style'', which is the arrangement of a broad topic into a main article and side articles, each with subtopical sections, and 
* ''Inverted pyramid style'' (or ''news style''), which places key information at the top, followed by supporting material and details, with background information at the bottom.

A feature of both styles, and of all Wikipedia articles, is the presence of the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section|lead section]], a summarizing overview of the most important facts about the topic. The [[Wikipedia:Infobox|infobox]] template found at the top of many articles is a further distillation of key points.

=== Summary style ===
{{Main|Wikipedia:Summary style}}
Summary style may apply both across a category of articles and within an article. Material is grouped and divided into sections that logically form discrete subtopics, and which over time may [[WP:SPINOFF|spin off]] to separate articles in order to prevent excessive [[WP:Article length|article length]] as the main article grows. As each subtopic is spun off, a concise summary of it is left behind with a pointer (usually using the {{tlx|Main}} template) to the new side article.

There are three main advantages to using summary style:
* Different readers want varying amounts of detail, and this style permits them to choose how much they are exposed to. Some readers need just a quick summary and are satisfied by the lead section; others seek a moderate amount of info, and will find the main article suitable to their needs; yet others want a lot of detail, and will be interested in reading the side articles.
* An article that is too long becomes tedious to read. Progressively summarizing and spinning off material avoids overwhelming the reader with too much text at once.
* An excessively detailed article is often one that repeats itself or exhibits writing that could be more concise. The development of summary-style articles tends to naturally clear out redundancy and bloat, though in a multi-article topic this comes at the cost of some necessary cross-article redundancy (i.e., a summary of one article in another).

The exact organizing principle of a particular summary-style article is highly context-dependent, with various options, such as chronological, geographical, and alphabetical (primarily in lists), among others.

Some examples of summary style are the former featured articles ''[[Association football]]'' and ''[[Music of the Lesser Antilles]]''.

=== Inverted pyramid ===
{{anchor|News style|Inverted pyramid (news style)|reason=Old section headings that contradict [[WP:NOT#NEWS]]; probably have incoming links.}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Too long; didn't read}}
{{shortcut|WP:PYRAMID}}
Some articles follow the ''[[Inverted pyramid (journalism)|inverted pyramid]]'' structure of [[journalism]], which can be seen in news articles that get directly to the point. The main feature of the inverted pyramid is placement of important information first, with a decreasing importance as the article advances. Originally developed so that the editors could cut from the bottom to fit an item into the available layout space, this style encourages brevity and prioritizes information, because many people expect to find important material early, and less important information later, where interest decreases.

Encyclopedia articles {{em|are not required}} to be in inverted pyramid order and often are not, especially if a chronological, geographical, or other structure is a better fit. However, a familiarity with this convention may help in planning the style and layout of an article for which this approach is a good fit.  Common examples are short-term events, concise biographies of persons notable for only one thing, and other articles where there are not likely to be many logical subtopics, but a number of facts to prioritize for the reader.

The lead section and many [[WP:Stub|stub]] articles use the inverted pyramid approach at least in part. Consequently, many articles begin as inverted-pyramid pieces and add features of summary style later as the article develops.  Individual sections of an article can also use the inverted pyramid structure so that readers skimming the sections get the most important information first before moving to the next section.

=== Tone<span id="WPMOSTONE"></span><span id="WPSLANG"></span> ===
{{Shortcut|WP:TONE|WP:SLANG}}
{{Redirect|WP:SLANG|the policy that covers writing Wikipedia articles about slang terms|WP:Wikipedia is not a dictionary{{!}}WP:NOTSLANG}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Neutral point of view#Impartial tone|Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons#Tone}}

[[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal]]. Articles and other encyclopedic content should be written in a formal [[Tone (literature)|tone]]. Standards for formal tone vary depending upon the subject matter but should usually match the style used in [[Wikipedia:Featured articles|Featured]]- and [[Wikipedia:Good articles|Good]]-class articles in the same category. Encyclopedic writing has a fairly academic approach, while remaining clear and understandable. Formal tone means that the article should not be written using [[argot]], [[slang]], [[colloquialism]]s, [[doublespeak]], [[legalese]], or [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Technical language|jargon]] that is unintelligible to an average reader; it means that the English language should be used in a [[:Wiktionary:businesslike|businesslike]] manner (e.g. use "{{xt|feel}}" or "{{xt|atmosphere}}" instead of "{{!xt|vibes}}").

==== Use of pronouns<span id="Use of pronouns"></span><span id="Pronouns"></span><span id="WPPRONOUN"></span><span id="WPPRONOUNS"></span><span id="WPNARRATOR"></span><span id="WPDONTNARRATE"></span> ====
{{redirect|WP:PRONOUNS|information on the usage of pronouns in relation to gender identity|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography#Gender identity}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Pronouns}}
{{shortcut|WP:PRONOUN|WP:PRONOUNS|WP:NARRATOR}}

Articles should not be written from a [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#First-person pronouns|first-person]] (''I/me/my'' and ''we/us/our'') or [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Second-person pronouns|second-person]] (''you'' and ''your'') point of view. The first person often inappropriately implies a point of view inconsistent with the [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|neutrality policy]], while the second person is associated with the step-by-step instructions of a how-to guide, which [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal|Wikipedia is not]]. First- and second-person pronouns should ordinarily be used only in attributed direct quotations relevant to the subject of the article.

There can be exceptions to these guidelines. For instance, the "[[Clusivity|inclusive ''we'']]" widely used in professional mathematics writing is sometimes used to present and explain examples in articles, although discouraged on Wikipedia [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Mathematics#Writing style in mathematics|even for that subject]].

Avoid gendered language when possible.  For example, write {{Xt|the children}} or {{Xt|the actors}} rather than {{!xt|the boys and girls}} or {{!xt|the actors and actresses}}.  Use the [[Singular they|singular ''they'']] instead of the [[Generic he|generic ''he'']], or write sentences in plural. {{Crossref|See {{slink|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Identity}} and [[Wikipedia:Gender-neutral language]] for further advice.}}

==== News style or persuasive writing<span id="WPNEWSSTYLE"></span><span id="WPPERSUASIVE"></span><span id="WP:NOPERSUASIVE"></span> ====
{{shortcut|WP:NEWSSTYLE|WP:PERSUASIVE}}

A Wikipedia article should not [[news style|sound like a news article]]. Especially avoid [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view|bombastic wording]], attempts at humor or cleverness, over-reliance on [[WP:Identifying reliable sources|primary sources]], [[Wikipedia:No original research|editorializing]], [[WP:Recentism|recentism]], [[pull quotes]], [[journalese]], and [[headlinese]].

Similarly, avoid [[persuasive writing]], which has many of those faults and more of its own, most often various kinds of [[appeals to emotion]] and related [[List of fallacies|fallacies]]. This style is used in press releases, advertising, [[editorial writing]], activism, propaganda, proposals, formal debate, reviews, and much tabloid and sometimes investigative journalism. It is not Wikipedia's role to try to convince the reader of anything, only to provide the salient facts as best they can be determined, and the reliable sources for them.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Comparison of styles
!{{No|}} News style
!{{No|}} Persuasive style
!{{Yes|}} Encyclopedic style
|-
|At a press conference on Monday evening, Sue Speaker, the spokesperson for the agency, announced that the investigation would officially be closed the next day.
|The recently closed investigation demonstrates again why everyone should support restrictions on social media use by children and teenagers, since it harms their privacy, safety, finances, and mental health.
|The investigation was closed.
|}

==== Colloquial, emphatic or poetic language<span id="WPCOLLOQUIAL"></span><span id="WPCONVERSATIONAL"></span><span id="WPEMPHATIC"></span><span id="WPFORMAL"></span><span id="WPINFORMAL"></span><span id="WPPOETIC"></span> ====
{{shortcut|WP:COLLOQUIAL|WP:COLLOQUIALISM|WP:EMPHATIC|WP:FORMAL|WP:INFORMAL|WP:POETIC}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Puffery|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Editorializing|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Euphemisms}}

Another error of writing approach is attempting to make bits of material "pop" (an [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view#Due and undue weight|undue weight]] problem), such as with excessive [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Text formatting#Emphasis|emphasis]], over-[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Capital letters|capitalization]], use of [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Contractions|contractions]], unnecessary [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Abbreviations|acronyms and other abbreviations]], the inclusion of [[Hyperbole|hyperbolic]] adjectives and adverbs, or the use of unusual synonyms or [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch|loaded words]]. Just present the sourced information without embellishment, agenda, fanfare, cleverness, or conversational tone.

An extreme example of hyperbole and emphatic language taken from [[Special:Permalink/932854447|Star Canopus diving accident]] as of 28 December 2019 (fixed in the next two revisions) read:

:{{!xt|Miraculously both divers survived the 294-foot fall, but now they faced a harrowing predicament. ... Helplessly trapped, with nothing to keep them warm, ... all they could do was huddle together and pray that rescuers would find them in time. ... But time was not on their side.}}

This was fixed to:

:{{xt|Both divers survived the 294-foot fall.}}

See [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch]] for other examples. Avoid using words and phrases like ''{{!xt|terrible}}'', ''{{!xt|rising star}}'', ''{{!xt|curiously}}'', ''{{!xt|championed the likes of}}'' or ''{{!xt|on the other side of the pond}}'', unless part of a quotation or stated as an external viewpoint.

Punctuation marks that appear in the article should be used only per generally accepted practice. [[Exclamation mark]]s (!) should be used only if they occur in direct quotations.

==== Rhetorical questions<span id="WPRHETORICAL"></span> ====
{{shortcut|WP:RHETORICAL}}
{{See also|MOS:SOCRATIC}}

As with exclamation marks, [[question mark]]s (?) should also generally only be used if they occur in direct quotations; do not pose [[rhetorical question]]s for the reader.

For example, do not write:

:{{!xt|There are many environmental concerns when it comes to [[industrial effluent]]. How can these be solved? Well, one solution involves ...}}

Rhetorical questions can occasionally be used, when appropriate, in the presentation of material, but only when the question is asked by the material under consideration, not being asked in Wikipedia's own voice.

For example:

:{{xt|One model of policy analysis is the "five-E approach", which consists of examining a policy in terms of:}}
:{{xt|'''Effectiveness'''}}
::{{xt|How well does it work (or how well will it be predicted to work)?}}
:{{xt|'''Efficiency'''}}
::{{xt|How much work does or will it entail? Are there significant costs associated with this solution, and are they worth it? ...}}<ref>Taken from [[Special:Permalink/799273526|Policy analysis]] as of 6 September 2017.</ref>

==== Inappropriate lists ====
{{See also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lists#Use prose where understood easily}}

A related presentation problem is "info-dumping" by presenting information in the form of a long, bulleted list when it would be [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Embedded lists|better as normal prose paragraphs]]. This is especially true when the items in the list are not of equal importance, or are not really comparable in some other way, and need context. Using explanatory prose also helps identify and remove [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Trivia sections|trivia]]; if we cannot explain to readers why something is [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information|important]], then it is not important.

== Provide context for the reader ==
{{shortcut|WP:AUDIENCE}}
{{redirect|WP:AUDIENCE|guideline on notability of companies with regards to reach of sources|Wikipedia:Notability (organizations and companies)#Audience}}
{{For|context and linking|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Linking}}

{{For|articles without context|:Category:Wikipedia articles needing context}}
{{About||article context notice |Template:Context|inline template for a general context problem|Template:Context inline}}

Wikipedia is an international encyclopedia. People who read Wikipedia have different backgrounds, education and opinions. Make your article accessible and understandable for as many readers as possible. Assume readers are reading the article to learn. It is possible that the reader knows nothing about the subject, so the article needs to explain the subject fully.

[[MOS:JARGON|Avoid using jargon]] whenever possible. Consider the reader. An article entitled "Use of chromatic scales in early Baroque music" is likely to be read by musicians, and technical details and terms are appropriate, linking to articles explaining the technical terms. On the other hand, an article entitled "Baroque music" is likely to be read by laypersons who want a brief and plainly written overview, with links to available detailed information. When jargon is used in an article, a brief explanation should be given within the article. Aim for a balance between comprehensibility and detail so that readers can gain information from the article.

=== Evaluating context ===
Here are some [[thought experiment]]s to help you test whether you are setting enough context:

* Does the article make sense if the reader gets to it [[Special:Random|as a random page]]? 
* Imagine yourself as a [[wikt:layperson|layperson]] in another English-speaking country. Can you figure out what or who the article is about?  Can you figure out whether a particular place or time is relevant?
* Can people tell what the article is about if the first page is printed out and passed around?
* Would a reader want to follow some of the links? Do sentences still make sense if they can't?

=== Build the web ===
{{Main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Linking}}

Remember that every Wikipedia article is tightly connected to a network of other topics. Establishing such connections via wikilink is a good way to establish context. Because Wikipedia is not a long, ordered sequence of carefully categorized articles like a paper encyclopedia, but a collection of randomly accessible, highly interlinked ones, each article should contain links to more ''general'' subjects that serve to [[Wikipedia:Categorization|categorize]] the article. When creating links, do not go overboard, and be careful to make your links relevant. It is not necessary to link the same term twelve times (although if it appears in the lead, then near the end, it might be a good idea to link it twice).

Avoid making your articles [[Wikipedia:Orphan|orphans]]. When you write a new article, make sure that one or more other pages link to it, to lessen the chances that your article will be orphaned through someone else's [[refactoring]]. Otherwise, when it falls off the bottom of the [[Special:Recentchanges|Recent Changes]] page, it will disappear into the [[Mariana Trench]]. There should always be an unbroken chain of links leading from the [[Main Page]] to every article in Wikipedia; following the path you would expect to use to find your article may give you some hints as to which articles should link to your article.

=== State the obvious ===
{{shortcut|WP:OBVIOUS}}
{{redirect|WP:OBVIOUS|the essay about over-citing obvious things|Wikipedia:You don't need to cite that the sky is blue}}
State facts that may be obvious to you, but are not necessarily obvious to the reader. Usually, such a statement will be in the first sentence or two of the article. For example, consider this sentence:
<blockquote>{{!xt|The '''[[Ford Thunderbird]]''' was conceived as a response to the [[Chevrolet Corvette]] and entered production for the 1955 model year.}}</blockquote>

Here no mention is made of the Ford Thunderbird's fundamental nature: it is an [[automobile]]. It assumes that the reader already knows this—an assumption that may not be correct, especially if the reader is not familiar with [[Ford Motors|Ford]] or [[Chevrolet]]. Perhaps instead:
<blockquote>{{xt|The '''[[Ford Thunderbird]]''' was a [[automobile|car]] manufactured in the United States by the [[Ford Motor Company]].}}</blockquote>

However, there is no need to go overboard. There is no need to explain a common word like "car". Repetition is usually unnecessary, for example:
<blockquote>{{xt|[[Shoichi Yokoi]] was [[conscription|conscripted]] into the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] in 1941.}}</blockquote>

conveys enough information (although it is not a good first sentence). However, the following is not only [[Prolixity|verbose]] but [[Redundancy (linguistics)|redundant]]:
<blockquote>{{!xt|[[Shoichi Yokoi]] was a Japanese soldier in Japan who was [[conscription|drafted]] into the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] in 1941.}}</blockquote>

== Lead section ==
{{:Wikipedia:Lead section TT text}}<!-- TEMPORARY editorial note: To learn more about this edit please go to Wikipedia:Lead section TT text -->
=== Opening paragraph ===
{{shortcut|WP:BETTER/GRAF1}}
Normally, the opening paragraph summarizes the most important points of the article. It should clearly explain the subject so that the reader is prepared for the greater level of detail that follows. If further introductory material is appropriate before the first section, it can be covered in subsequent paragraphs in the lead. Introductions to biographical articles commonly double as summaries, listing the best-known achievements of the subject. Because some readers will read only the opening of an article, the most vital information should be included.
{{:Wikipedia:Lead section TT first sentence content}}{{:Wikipedia:Lead section TT first sentence format}}<!-- for more about this edit see WP:Transclude text -->

=== The rest of the opening paragraph ===
After the first sentence, proceed with a description. Remember, the basic significance of a topic may not be obvious to nonspecialist readers, even if they understand the basic characterization or definition. Tell them. For instance:

:'''Peer review''', known as ''refereeing'' in some academic fields, is a scholarly process used in the publication of manuscripts and in the awarding of money for research. Publishers and agencies use peer review to select and to screen submissions. At the same time, the process assists authors in meeting the standards of their discipline. Publications and awards that have not undergone peer review are liable to be regarded with suspicion by scholars and professionals in many fields.

=== The rest of the lead section ===
If the article is long enough for the lead section to contain several paragraphs, then the first paragraph should be short and to the point, with a clear explanation of what the subject of the page is. The following paragraphs should give a summary of the article. They should provide an overview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons for the subject matter being interesting or notable, including its more important controversies, if there are any.

=== "Lead follows body" ===
{{shortcut|WP:LEADFOLLOWSBODY|WP:LFB}}{{further|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section#Relative emphasis}}

The sequence in which you edit should usually be: first change the body, then update the lead to summarize the body. Several editors might add or improve some information in the body of the article, and then another editor might update the lead once the new information has stabilized. Don't try to update the lead first, hoping to provide direction for future changes to the body. There are three reasons why editing the body first and then making the lead reflect it leads to improvement of articles.

First, it keeps the lead in sync with the body. The lead, being a summary of the article, promises that the body will deliver fuller treatment of each point. Generally, wiki pages are imperfect at all times, but they should be complete, useful articles at all times. They should not contain "under construction" sections or refer to features and information that editors hope they will contain in the future. It's much worse for the lead to promise information that the body does not deliver than for the body to deliver information that the lead does not promise.

Second, good ways to summarize material usually only become clear after that material has been written. If you add a new point to the lead before it's covered in the body, you only think you know what the body ''will'' eventually contain. When the material is actually covered in the body, and checked and improved, usually by multiple editors, then you ''know.'' (If having a rough, tentative summary helps you write the body, keep your own private summary, either on your computer or in your User space.)

Third, on contentious pages, people often get into edit wars over the lead because the lead is the most prominent part of the article. It's much harder to argue constructively over high-level statements when you don't share common understanding of the lower-level information that they summarize. Space is scarce in the lead, so people are tempted to cram too much into one sentence, or pile on lots of references, in order to fully state and prove their case—resulting in an unreadable lead. In the body, you have all the space you need to cover subtleties and to cover opposing ideas fairly and in depth, separately, one at a time. Once the opposing ideas have been shaken out and covered well in the body, editing the lead without warring often becomes much easier. Instead of arguing about what is true or what all the competing sources say, now you are just arguing over whether the lead fairly summarizes what's currently in the body.

== Use other languages sparingly ==
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Foreign terms}}

It is fine to include foreign terms as extra information, but avoid writing articles that can only be understood if the reader understands the foreign terms. Such words are equivalent to [[jargon]], which should be [[Wikipedia:Explain jargon|explained]] somehow. In the English-language Wikipedia, the English form does not always have to come first: sometimes the non-English word is better as the main text, with the English in parentheses or set off by commas after it, and sometimes not. For example, see [[Perestroika]].

{{shortcut|WP:NONENGLISHTITLE}}
Non-English words in the English-language Wikipedia should be written in ''italics'', with the exception of non-Latin scripts such as Greek, Cyrillic, and Chinese. Non-English words should be used as titles for entries [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use English)|only as a last resort]]. Again, see [[Perestroika]].

English title terms taken from a language that does not use the Roman alphabet can include the native spelling in parentheses. See, for example, [[I Ching]] ({{zh|t=易經|s=易经|p=Yìjīng}}) or [[Sophocles]] ({{langx|grc|Σοφοκλῆς}}). The native spelling is useful for precisely identifying foreign words, since transliterations may be inaccurate or ambiguous. Foreign terms within the article body do not need native spellings if they can be specified as title terms in separate articles; just link to the appropriate article on first occurrence.

== Use color sparingly ==
{{see also|Help:Using colors}}
If possible, avoid presenting information with color only within the article's text and in tables.

Color should only be used sparingly, as a secondary visual aid. Computers and browsers vary, and you cannot know how much color, if any, is visible on the recipient's machine. Wikipedia is international: colors have different meaning in different cultures. Too many colors on one page look cluttered and unencyclopedic. Specifically, use the color red only for alerts and warnings.

Awareness of color should be allowed for low-vision viewers: poor lighting, color blindness, [[screen reader]] software, dark or overbright screens, monochrome screens, and the wrong contrast/color settings on the display screen.

== Use clear, precise and accurate terms ==
=== Be concise ===
{{see also|WP:DETAIL|WP:BECONCISE}}
{{shortcut|WP:TERSE}}
Articles should use only necessary words. This does not mean using fewer words is always better; rather, when considering equivalent expressions, choose the more concise.
{{quote|Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.|[[William Strunk, Jr.]] from the 1918 work, ''[[The Elements of Style]]''}}

Reduce sentences to the essentials. Wordiness does not add credibility to Wikipedia articles. Avoid circumlocutions like "due to the fact that" in place of "because", or "at the present time" for "currently". Ongoing events should be qualified with "as of {{CURRENTYEAR}}". 

Conciseness alone does not justify removing information from an article.

=== Principle of least astonishment ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Wikipedia:Redirect]] -->
{{selfref|For the principle of least astonishment as applied to potentially offensive content, see [[WP:Offensive material#least astonishment]] and [[wmf:Resolution:Controversial content]].}}
{{seealso|WP:NOTWHATFIRSTCOMESTOMIND|MOS:BOLDREDIRECT|WP:R#ASTONISH|WP:Principle of Some Astonishment}}
{{shortcut|WP:PLA|WP:LEAST|WP:ASTONISH|WP:SURPRISE}}
When the [[principle of least astonishment]] is successfully employed, information is understood by the reader without struggle. The average reader should not be shocked, surprised, or confused by what they read. Do not use provocative language. Instead, offer information gently. Use consistent vocabulary in parts that are technical and difficult. To work out which parts of the sentence are going to be difficult for the reader, try to put yourself in the position of a reader hitherto uninformed on the subject.

You should plan your page structure and links so that everything appears reasonable and makes sense.  A link should not take readers to somewhere other than where they thought it would go.

Avoid [[WP:EASTEREGG|Easter-egg links]], which require the reader to open them before understanding what's going on. Instead, use a [[appositive|short phrase or a few words]] to describe what the link will refer to once it's opened.

Similarly, make sure that concepts being used as the basis for further discussion have already been defined or linked to a proper article. Explain causes before consequences and make sure your logical sequence is clear and sound, especially to the layperson.

Ensure that [[Wikipedia:Redirect|redirects]] and [[Wikipedia:Hatnote|hatnotes]] that are likely to be useful are in place. 

We cannot control all astonishment – the point of an encyclopedia is to learn things, after all. But limiting the surprises our readers find within our articles' text will encourage rather than frustrate our readers.

=== Use of "refers to" ===
{{see also|Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not a dictionary#Fixing the introductory sentence: removing "refers to"|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section#First sentence}}
{{shortcut|WP:REFERS|WP:UMD}}

Phrases such as '''''refers to''''', ''is the name of'', ''describes'', or ''is a term for'' are sometimes used inappropriately in the first sentence of Wikipedia articles. 
For most articles, the introduction is ''using'' a term, rather than ''mentioning'' it. This is known as the ''[[use–mention distinction]]''.

For example, the article [[Computer architecture]] once began with the sentence, "{{!xt|'''Computer architecture''' refers to the theory behind the design of a computer.}}"
That is not true: Computer architecture {{em|is}} the theory. The {{em|words}} "computer architecture" refer to the theory, but the article is not about the words; it is about the theory.
Thus it is better to say, "{{xt|'''Computer architecture''' is the theory behind the design of a computer.}}"

To speak easily of the scope of a [[hyponymy and hypernymy|hyponym]] without confusing the term for the thing, one can simply say that "[hyponym] is any of various [hypernym]" or "any of a class of [hypernym] with trait X", such as "A pine is any conifer in the genus ''Pinus'' of the family Pinaceae" (not "Pine refers to any tree in the genus ''Pinus'' of the family Pinaceae").

[[WP:Disambiguation|Disambiguation pages]] ''mention'' the term, so in such cases it is correct to write "{{xt|'''Great Schism''' may refer to either of two schisms in the history of Christianity: ...}}". However, a [[WP:What is an article?|content article]] should read "{{xt|There have been two '''Great Schisms''' in the history of Christianity}}".

=== Check your facts === <!-- This section is linked from [[Wikipedia:Check your facts]] -->
{{seealso|Wikipedia:Verifiability}}
{{shortcut|WP:FACTCHECK}}
Write material that is true: check your facts. Do not write material that is false. This might require that you verify your alleged facts.

This is a crucial part of [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|citing good sources]]: even if you think you know something, you have to provide references anyway to prove to the reader that the fact is true. Material that seems to naturally stem from sourced claims might not have been actually claimed. In searching for good references to cite, you might even learn something new.

Be careful about deleting material that may be factual. If you are inclined to delete something from an entry, first consider checking whether it is true. If material ''is'' apparently factual, in other words substantiated and cited, be extra careful about deleting. An encyclopedia is a collection of facts. If another editor provided a fact, there was probably a reason for it that should not be overlooked. Therefore, consider each fact provided as potentially precious. Is the context or overall presentation the issue? If the fact does not belong in one particular article, maybe it belongs in another.

Examine entries you have worked on subsequent to revision by others. Have facts been omitted or deleted? It may be the case that you failed to provide sufficient substantiation for the facts, or that the facts you incorporated may need a clearer relationship to the entry. Protect your facts, but also be sure that they are presented meaningfully.

==== Check your fiction ====<!-- This section is linked from [[Wikipedia:Disambiguation]] -->
{{shortcut|WP:CYF}}
{{Main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (writing about fiction)}}

The advice about factual articles also applies to articles on fiction subjects. Further considerations apply when writing about fictional topics because they are ''inherently not real''. It is important to keep these articles verifiable and encyclopedic.

If you add fictional information, clearly distinguish fact and fiction. As with normal articles, establish context so that a reader unfamiliar with the subject can get an idea about the article's meaning without having to check several links. Instead of writing:

: {{!xt|'''Trillian''' is [[Arthur Dent]]'s girlfriend. She was taken away from Earth by [[Zaphod]] when he met her at a party. She meets Dent while travelling with Zaphod.}}

write:

: {{xt|'''Trillian''' is a [[fictional character]] from [[Douglas Adams]]'s radio, book and film series ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]''. In the first book, Trillian is introduced to the main character [[Arthur Dent]] on a spaceship. In her backstory, she was taken away from Earth when the space alien [[Zaphod Beeblebrox]] met her at a party.}}

==== Use of fictional tenses ====
{{shortcut|WP:FICTENSE}}{{anchor|Tense}}{{anchor|Tense in fiction}}
Works of fiction are generally considered to "come alive" for their audience. They therefore exist in a kind of perpetual present, regardless of when the fictional action is supposed to take place relative to the reader's "now". Thus, generally you should write about fiction using the ''[[Historical present#In describing fiction|historical present tense]]'', not the past tense. (See {{section link|WP:Manual of Style|Verb tense}} and {{section link|WP:Manual of Style/Writing about fiction|Contextual presentation}}.)
Examples:

: Homer ''{{xt|presents}}'', Achilles ''{{xt|rages}}'', Andromache ''{{xt|laments}}'', Priam ''{{xt|pleads}}''.
: {{xt|Holden Caulfield ''has'' a certain disdain for what he ''sees'' as 'phony'.}}
: {{xt|''Friends'' ''is'' an American sitcom that ''was'' aired on NBC.}}

Conversely, discussion of history is usually written in the past tense and thus "fictional history" may be presented in that way as well.

: {{xt|Chroniclers ''claimed'' that Thalestris, queen of the Amazons, ''seduced'' Alexander the Great.}}

Articles about fictional topics should not read like [[book report]]s; instead, they should explain the topic's significance to the work. After reading the article, the reader should be able to understand why a character, place, or event was included in the fictional work.

Editors are generally discouraged from adding fictional information from sources that cannot be verified or are limited to a very small number of readers, such as [[fan fiction]] and online role-playing games. In the latter case, if you absolutely have to write about the subject, please be especially careful to cite your sources.

If the subject, say a character in a television show, is too limited to be given a full article, then integrate information about that character into a larger article. It is better to write a larger article about the television show or a fictional universe itself than to create all sorts of stubs about its characters that nobody can find.

==== Stay on topic ====
{{Redirect|WP:TOPIC|information about the Topic namespace|Wikipedia:Flow}}
{{Redirect|WP:OFFTOPIC|the guideline on collapsing off-topic talk page discussions|Wikipedia:TALKOFFTOPIC}}
{{shortcut|WP:TOPIC|WP:OFFTOPIC}}
The most readable articles contain no irrelevant (nor only loosely relevant) information. While writing an article, you might find yourself digressing into a side subject. If you are wandering off-topic, consider placing the additional information into a different article, where it will fit more closely with that topic. If you provide a link to the other article, readers who are interested in the side topic have the option of digging into it, but readers who are not interested will not be distracted by it.

=== Pay attention to spelling ===
{{Main|Wikipedia:Spellchecking}}
'''Pay attention to spelling''', particularly of new page names. Articles with good spelling and proper grammar can help encourage further contributions of well-formed content. Proper spelling of an article name will also make it easier for other authors to link their articles to your article. Sloppiness begets sloppiness, so always do your best.
* Browsers have the native ability to highlight misspelled words in text boxes.
* Use free online dictionaries like [http://www.askoxford.com/ Ask Oxford], [http://www.dictionary.com/ Dictionary.com], [http://www.onelook.com/ Onelook.com], [//www.google.com/help/features.html#definitions Google Define] and a spell checker such as [http://www.spellcheck.net/ SpellCheck.net], [http://www.gingersoftware.com/spellcheck GingerSoftware], or your browser's built-in spell checker. See [[Wikipedia:Typo Team]] for tips on how to use these resources.
* Articles may also be spell-checked in a word processor before being saved. A free word processor may be obtained from [http://www.openoffice.org/ OpenOffice.org] or [https://www.libreoffice.org/ LibreOffice.org].
* A "draft" message on certain free email websites, such as [https://www.gmail.com/ Gmail], can also provide spell-check. This might be convenient, especially regarding email websites with which you are already familiar and use often.

=== Avoid peacock and weasel terms ===
[[Wikipedia:PEACOCK|Avoid peacock terms]] that show off the subject of the article without containing any real information. Similarly, [[Wikipedia:WEASEL|avoid weasel words]] that offer an opinion without really backing it up, and which are really used to express a non-neutral point of view.

{| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! colspan=3 style="border-right:0px;"; | Examples of '''peacock terms'''
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
|-
|an important...||one of the most prestigious...||one of the best...
|-
||the most influential...||a significant...||the great...
|-
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
! colspan=3 style="border-right:0px;"; | Examples of '''weasel words'''
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
|-
||Some people say...||...is widely regarded as...||..is widely considered...
|-
||...has been called...||It is believed that...||It has been suggested/noticed/decided...
|-
||Some people believe...||It has been said that...||Some would say...
|-
||Legend has it that...||Critics say that...||Many/some have claimed...
|}

Believe in your subject. Let the facts speak for themselves. If your [[ice hockey]] player, [[canton (administrative division)|canton]], or species of [[beetle]] is worth the reader's time, it will come out through the facts. However, in some cases (for example, history of graphic design) using superlative adjectives (in the "... ''one of the'' most important figures in the history of ..." format) in the description may help readers with no previous knowledge about the subject to learn about the importance or generally perceived status of the subject discussed. Note that to use this type of superlative adjective format, the most reputable experts in the relevant field must support the claim.

Avoid blanket terms unless you have verified them. For example, [[List of the most common U.S. county name etymologies#Montgomery County (18 counties)|this article]] states that of the 18 Montgomery Counties in the United States, '''most''' are named after Richard Montgomery. This is a blanket statement. It may very well be true, but is it reliable? In this instance, the editor had done the research to verify this. Without the research, the statement should not be made. It is always a good idea to describe the research done and sign it on the article's talk page.

If you wish to, or must refer to an opinion, first make sure someone who holds some standing in that subject gives it. A view on former American President [[Gerald Ford]] from [[Henry Kissinger]] is more interesting for the reader than one from your teacher from school. Then say who holds the opinion being given, preferably with a source or a quote for it. Compare the following:

:Some critics of [[George W. Bush]] have said he has low intelligence.

:Author [[Michael Moore]] in his book ''[[Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!]]'' wrote an open letter to George Bush. In it, he asked, "George, are you able to read and write on an adult level?"

==== Examples ====
Sometimes the way around using these terms is to replace the statements with the facts that back them up. Instead of:

:{{!xt|The Yankees are one of the greatest baseball teams in history.}}

Write:

:{{xt|The New York Yankees have won 27 World Series championships—almost three times as many as any other team.}}

By sticking to concrete and factual information, we can avoid the need to give any opinion at all. Doing so also makes for writing that is much more interesting, for example:

:{{!xt|'''William Peckenridge,''' eighth '''Duke of Omnium''' (1642? – May 8, 1691) is widely considered to be one of the most important men to carry that title.}}
:{{xt|'''William Peckenridge,''' eighth '''Duke of Omnium''' (1642? – May 8, 1691) was a personal counselor to [[James I|King James I]], general in the [[Wars of the Roses]], a chemist, bandleader, and the director of the secret society known as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He expanded the title of Omnium to include protectorship of Guiana and right of revocation for civil-service appointments in India.}}

[[Show, don't tell]]. The first example simply ''tells'' the reader that William Peckenridge was important. The second example ''shows'' the reader why he was important.

==== Exceptions ====
When repeating established views, it may be easier to simply state: "Before [[Nicolaus Copernicus]], most people thought the sun revolved round the earth", rather than sacrifice clarity with details and sources, particularly if the statement forms only a small part of your article. However, in general, everything should be [[Wikipedia:Citing sources|sourced]], whether within the text, with a footnote, or with a general reference.
<!-- Actually knowledge of the earth's spherical shape was well-disseminated in ancient Greece, and for the past 50 years historians have known survived into the Middle Ages among the educated classes more widely than was previously believed, so actually this IS a good area for checking your sources. See Jeffrey Russell's book on the myth of the flat earth. -->

=== Make omissions explicit for other editors ===
'''Make omissions explicit''' when creating or editing an article. When writing an article, always aim for completeness. If for some reason you cannot cover a point that should be explained, ''make that omission explicit''. You can do this either by leaving a note on the discussion page or by leaving [[WP:COMMENT|HTML comments]] within the text and adding a notice to the bottom about the omissions. This has two purposes: it entices others to contribute, and it alerts non-experts that the article they are reading does not yet give the full story.

That's why Wikipedia is a collaborative encyclopedia—we work together to achieve what we could not achieve individually. Every aspect that you cover means less work for someone else, plus you may cover something that someone else may not think of but which is nevertheless important to the subject. Add <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:todo|To do]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> to the top of the talk page of articles for which you can establish some goals, priorities or things to do.

== Other issues ==<!-- This section is linked from [[Wikipedia:Integrate changes]] -->
; Honorifics: Do not use [[honorific]]s or [[title]]s, such as Mr, Ms, Rev, Doctor, Professor, etc. See [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (royalty and nobility)]] and [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography]]
; Inappropriate subjects: If you are [[Wikipedia:Masking the lack of notability|trying to dress up]] something that doesn't belong in Wikipedia—your band, your Web site, your company's product—think twice about it. [[WP:NOTADVERTISING|Wikipedia is not an advertising medium]] or [[WP:NOTWEBHOST|home page service]]. Wikipedians are pretty clever, and if an article is really just [[Wikipedia:Conflict of interest#Self-promotion|personal gratification]] or [[Wikipedia:Spam|blatant advertising]], it's not going to last long—no matter how "[[Wikipedia:Wikipuffery|important]]" you say the subject is.
; Integrate changes: {{anchor|Integrate changes}}When you make a change to some text, rather than appending the new text you would like to see included at the bottom of the page, if you feel so motivated, please place and edit your comments so that they flow seamlessly with the present text. Wikipedia articles should not end up being a series of disjointed comments about a subject, but unified, seamless, and ever-expanding expositions of the subject.
; Avoiding common mistakes: It is easy to commit a Wikipedia ''[[wikt:faux pas|faux pas]]''. That is OK—everybody does it! Nevertheless, here are a few you might [[Wikipedia:Avoiding common mistakes|try to avoid]].
; Make a personal copy: Suppose you get into an [[Wikipedia:Edit war|edit war]]. Or worse, a [[Wikipedia:Reverting|revert]] war. Therefore, you try to [[Wikipedia:Staying cool when the editing gets hot|stay cool]]. This is good. Congratulations! However, what would be great is if you could carry on working on the article, even though there is an edit war going on, and even though the version on the top is the evil one favored by the other side in the dispute.
:So, '''make a temporary personal copy''' as a subpage of your user page. Just [[Help:Starting a new page|start a new page]] at [[Special:MyPage/Article name]] (it can be renamed in the [[URL]] address to start a page with a different article name), and copy and paste the wiki-source in there. Then you can carry on improving the article at your own pace! If you like, drop a note on the appropriate [[Wikipedia:talk page|talk page]] to let people know what you are doing.
:Some time later, at your leisure, once the fuss has died down, merge your improvements back in to the article proper. Maybe the other person has left Wikipedia, finding it not to their taste. Maybe they have gone on to other projects. Maybe they have changed their mind. Maybe someone else has made similar edits anyway (although they may not be as good as yours, as you have had more time to consider the matter). Alternative versions of pages [[WP:UP#COPIES|should be deleted]] once you are finished with them.

== See also ==
* [[Wikipedia:Article development]]
* [[Wikipedia:Basic copyediting]]
* [[Wikipedia:How to streamline a plot summary]]
* [[Wikipedia:Main article fixation]] (essay)
* [[Wikipedia:Make technical articles understandable]]
* [[Wikipedia:Principle of Some Astonishment]]
* [[Wikipedia:Peer review]], where experienced editors carefully go through an article, significantly helping it toward [[Wikipedia:Good articles|Good]] or [[Wikipedia:Featured articles|Featured]] article status
* [[Wikipedia:The perfect article]]
* "[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2010-10-18/Dispatches#Common issues seen in Peer review|Common issues seen in Peer review]]" from ''[[Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/About|The Signpost]]'', the online newspaper covering the [[English Wikipedia]] and the [[Wikimedia movement]]
* {{cite web |url= https://www.nngroup.com/topic/writing-web/ |title= Inverted Pyramid: Writing for Comprehension |author= Amy Schade |date= February 11, 2018 |work= Topic: Writing for the Web |publisher= [[Nielsen Norman Group]]}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

{{Writing guides}}
{{Help navigation}}
{{Essays on building Wikipedia}}

[[Category:Wikipedia how-to]]
[[Category:Wikipedia essays about building the encyclopedia]]
[[Category:Wikipedia essays and information pages about the Manual of Style]]
[[Category:Wikipedia editor help]]
[[Category:Wikipedia essays about editing]]
[[Category:Wikipedia page help]]