style-guide.md

Raspberry Pi style guide

This document is being updated continuously; refer to GitHub for the most up-to-date version or, if you rely on a local copy of the style guide, check that you have the most recent version on your machine. If there’s something you think we should add or correct, create a pull request for us to review.

When creating content for Raspberry Pi, we aim for a clear, friendly, and conversational tone. To help with this, this style guide provides practical guidance and examples for written content at Raspberry Pi. For matters not covered in this style guide, consult the New Hart's Rules: The Oxford Guide to Style.

Quick reference

The table below summarises key style rules for quick reference, ordered according to the main headings in this style guide.

Rule	Style
Language	Use British English (default) for UK and international audiences; use AP for US-only audiences. Consult the Word list for exceptions in a computing context, such as 'program' when referring to a computer program.
Emphasis	Use Italics for narrative writing; use bold for technical writing; use monospace for code, file names, and paths.
Lists	Use bullets for unordered lists and numbers for ordered lists; use Oxford commas, placed before the final item in a list of three or more; use semicolons for lists with internal punctuation.
Punctuation	Use hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes for specified purposes; don't use apostrophes in acronyms; don't use an ampersand (&) instead of 'and' or a forward slash (/) instead of 'or'.
Compounds	Use hyphenated and closed compounds (for example, 'real-time' and 'setup') for clarity depending on sentence structure; use open compounds (for example, 'user manual' and 'open source') where common usage dictates.
Titles of other works	Use title case and italics to refer to titles of work (books, films, games, and so on).
Raspberry Pi products	Don't add 'the' before the product names of Raspberry Pi computers, microcontrollers, or camera modules unless referring to a specific device; don't shorten 'Raspberry Pi' to 'Pi'.
Capitalisation	Use sentence case for headings and subheadings; avoid starting titles with lowercase trademarks (for example, 'iPad').
Abbreviations	Unless well known, spell out an abbreviation on first use, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses in a section. For a list of accepted abbreviations, see the Abbreviation list.
Numbers	Spell out one to twelve; use numerals for 13 onwards; avoid starting sentences with numerals; use SI unit spacing; for a list of unit suffixes and guidance on their spacing, see Measurement suffixes.
Time and date	Use the 12-hour clock with a colon (for example, 8:30pm); use day-month-year format (for example, 21 January 2006); spell out decades (for example, the eighties); don't use apostrophes in decades.
Cultural sensitivity	Use people-first, gender-neutral language; use 'disabled' as an adjective, not a noun.
Screenshots and images	Avoid dark mode; use full-desktop screenshots; don't overlap windows or visible cursors; provide accessible text descriptions.
FAQs	Avoid FAQs. Restructure the information so that it appears in context.
Links	Omit http://www from URLs in print; use hyperlinks in online content. For scannability, make links meaningful outside the context of the sentence.
Word list	Check correct word and abbreviation usage, including spelling, capitalisation, pluralisation, spacing, and hyphenation rules; be mindful of words and phrases to avoid.

Language

Generally speaking, we use British English and plain language, but this depends on the intended audience. We aim to avoid jargon, unnecessarily technical terms, and obscure words. We also avoid non-English or Latin phrases that can be misused or make translation harder. Opt for precise, spelled-out, widely understood English equivalents.

British English

Most of our content is written in British English, with the exception of:

• References to the names of international organisations, for example, 'The John F Kennedy Space Center'.
• Specific words that are written in American English as an industry standard in computing or measurement. For examples (such as 'computer program' and 'multimeter'), see the Word list.
• Content written for a primarily American audience. When content is intended specifically for a US audience, write in American English and refer to The Associated Press Stylebook for guidance.

For UK and international audiences, which is most of our content, write in British English, keeping possible exceptions listed in the Word list in mind. If a particular spelling or hyphenation choice isn't specified here, refer to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Avoid non-English words, phrases, and abbreviations. Aside from people often using these terms incorrectly (for example, 'de facto' means 'in reality', not 'by default'), non-English words in English documents make translation harder. Similarly, avoid common Latin words, phrases, and abbreviations like 'e.g.' and 'i.e.', especially in technical writing, because these cause the same issues (translation and incorrect usage), and often reduce the clarity of what you’re trying to say. In less technical content, consider using the intended, precise English wording instead (such as 'for example' instead of 'e.g.') unless space is limited. For a list of words, phrases, and abbreviations to avoid, see Words and phrases to avoid.

Plain language

Aim to use clear, straightforward language that's easy to understand and read:

• Choose words and phrases that are commonly used.
• Choose simpler alternatives to long, formal, or complicated words. For examples, see Words with simpler alternatives.
• Avoid technical, education, and publishing industry language and jargon in public-facing documentation (for example, 'bookazine' or 'southbridge' to refer to an I/O controller chip).
• If you must use a technical term, define it clearly the first time it's used and ensure it's appropriate for the skills of the intended audience.

Emphasis

The type of emphasis you use is a context-driven decision:

• Use italics for less formal or narrative content.
• Use bold for technical content that benefits from elements like UI labels or product names being visually scannable.

Avoid using monospace for general emphasis or visual styling. Use monospace to format technical elements that appear in (or relate to) code or command-line usage, such as:

• File names and extensions, for example, config.txt and .img.
• Code elements, including variables, functions, and parameters, for example, GPIO_PIN, gpio_set_value(), and baud_rate.
• Commands and terminal inputs, for example, pwd and raspi-config.
• Terminal outputs, for example Hello, world!.
• Path names and directory structures, for example, /home/pi/documents and /boot/config.text.

Narrative writing

Italics are a lighter form of emphasis that is generally more appropriate for less formal or narrative writing, such as blog posts, magazine content, and books.

Using italics for emphasis aligns with our current usage and reflects the conversational tone common in much of our content. While we previously used bold for emphasis, usage has shifted naturally toward italics, and there’s no need to retroactively update older content that uses bold.

Technical writing

For technical and instructional materials, including datasheets, HTML documentation, and tutorials, bold is still preferred. Use bold for specific reasons:

• Reserve bold to highlight important, scannable elements, such as product names, labels, UI elements, settings, navigational elements, and other key details requiring quick visual recognition.
• Avoid bolding whole phrases or sentences; this trains the reader to skim over important content rather than read it. Consider restructuring the content to emphasise important information effectively.
• Avoid bolding words that you just want to emphasise. Use italics instead, but do so very sparingly in technical writing.

Lists

Use an Oxford (serial) comma immediately before a conjunction (usually 'and' or 'or') in a list of three or more items. For example:

We photographed the components, a sandwich, and a magnet.

Use semicolons for lists with internal commas. For example:

We received bouquets from Chris, in California; Jim, in Belgium; and Bob, in Liverpool.

Use bulleted or numbered lists to improve readability and break up content. Complicated lists are usually better presented typographically with bullets or numbers, but don't resort to bulleted lists just because it's the easiest option; consider narrative flow and page layout. Choose the format that best suits the content and structure. If visually breaking up list items with bullets or numbers:

• Use bullets for lists of items with no hierarchy.
• Use numbers for lists of items with an explicit hierarchy, or for steps in a process (such as tutorials).
• Never use letters or Roman numerals for list points.

When creating a bulleted or numbered list, observe the following guidance:

• Use parallel phrasing between bullet points.
• Capitalise the first word of each item.
• Use full stops when the list items are complete sentences.
• Don't use full stops for lists that consist only of short phrases or fragments, unless other list items are longer and thus use full stops.
• If list items are complex or contain internal punctuation, use semicolons.

A bulleted list should be introduced with a colon. For example:

This is a bulleted list:

• First list item
• Second list item
• Third list item

For consistency, if an item in a bulleted list includes a sentence (thus requiring a full stop), then end every item in that list with a full stop, even fragments. For an example, see Titles of other works in this style guide.

Punctuation

Use punctuation to help readability and comprehension. Don't overuse punctuation marks. This section of the style guide provides guidance on the following:

• Full stops
• Commas and semicolons
• Colons
• Hyphens and dashes
• Quotation marks
• Apostrophes
• Symbols

Full stops

Only use one space after a full stop. The use of two spaces after a full stop is a typewriter convention used to help visually distinguish between sentences written in monospaced fonts. Computer fonts are usually proportional, making it easier to see the end of a sentence with just one space.

Don't add full stops in the following scenarios:

Scenario	Do	Don't
Heading	Introducing Raspberry Pi 5	Introducing Raspberry Pi 5.
Fragment, such as a definition	fragment (noun): An isolated or incomplete part of something	fragment (noun): An isolated or incomplete part of something.
Email or web address (unless part of a full sentence)	Website: www.raspberrypi.com	Website: www.raspberrypi.com.
Acronym or initialism	URL	U.R.L.

When part of a full sentence, ensure that the link text doesn't include the full stop. For example:

For more information, see our Style Guide.

Commas and semicolons

Commas separate parts of a sentence so that the meaning is clear. Sentence structure determines their correct use.

Oxford (serial) commas

Use an Oxford (serial) comma after the second-to-last item in a list. Always use an Oxford comma, even when it seems like the meaning is obvious; they resolve ambiguity and should be used everywhere that they apply for consistency.

Relative clauses

A relative clause is introduced by a relative pronoun like 'that', 'which', 'who', 'whose', 'where' and 'when'.

• Use a comma before the relative pronoun when the relative clause is non-restrictive (provides additional information).
• Don't use a comma before the relative pronoun when the relative clause is restrictive (provides essential or defining information).

If you're unsure about which to use, consider whether the relative clause identifies which noun you mean or whether it adds information about an already identified noun. Could the relative and main clauses form different sentences and still carry the same meaning? For example:

Example	Type	Meaning
I like the person who is the kindest.	Restrictive	There are multiple people but I like the kindest one.
I like the person, who is the kindest.	Non-restrictive	I like the person and they are also the kindest.
I like the person. They are the kindest.	Multiple sentences	I like the person and they are also the kindest.

Although non-restrictive relative clauses don't limit or define the noun they modify, they can still offer useful contextual information, such as an explanation, reason, or contrast between the relative clause and the main clause. The clause might not be grammatically essential because the noun is already clear without the clause, but it's still informationally useful.

In British English, 'that' is preferred for restrictive clauses and doesn't require a comma before it; 'which' is preferred for non-restrictive clauses and requires a comma before it. For example:

Example	Type	Meaning
I like the jam that has a purple label.	Restrictive	There are multiple jams and I like the one with a purple label.
I like the jam, which has a purple label.	Non-restrictive	I like the jam and it has a purple label.
I like the jam. It has a purple label.	Multiple sentences	I like the jam and it has a purple label.

Semicolons

If you find yourself adding more commas to make your sentence readable, consider splitting it into two sentences instead. If a full stop feels too abrupt, you can use a semicolon instead. For example:

At Raspberry Pi, we're committed to railing against the death of the semicolon; it's a very useful piece of punctuation.

However, you should be careful not to overuse semicolons. Use a semicolon to separate two or more clauses that hold equal significance and are connected; they bind two sentences together more closely than a full stop.

Ensure there is a full sentence on both sides of the semicolon, unless using the semicolon in a list to separate items with internal punctuation, like commas. For an example, see Lists in this style guide.

Colons

Don't confuse colons with semicolons. A colon (:) introduces information, such as lists, explanations, or examples. The capitalisation after a colon depends on the context.

Context rule	Example
When a colon is used in free text, the letter following the colon should be lowercase.	I have three dogs: a small one, a medium one, and a big one.
When a colon is preceded by a header-style construction, the letter following the colon should be uppercase.	Note: This sentence wouldn’t look so great starting with a lower-case 't'.
When a colon is used in a title, the letter following the colon should be upper-case.	Raspberry Pi Radio Module 2: A wireless communication module for Raspberry Pi microcontrollers

Hyphens and dashes

Don't confuse hyphens with en dashes or em dashes. Follow the guidance in this section to decide when and how to use a hyphen, en dash, or em dash.

Hyphens (-)

A hyphen (-) joins words or parts of words together, helping to clarify their meaning. It isn't interchangeable with other types of dashes.

Use hyphens in the following cases. Where the en dash rules in this style guide don't help, consult New Hart's Rules: The Oxford Guide to Style.

Prefixes and suffixes

Use a hyphen if the prefix or suffix creates a double vowel or consonant that could confuse the reader. For example:

• re-enter
• shell-like
• multi-industry

Most prefixes don't require a hyphen, but this depends on the context and includes some exceptions.

Prefix	Guidance	Examples
co	Use a hyphen to join words that form a new word; don't use a hyphen for words that already include 'co'; use a hyphen where dictated by standard British English.	co-workers; coincidence; co-ordinate; co-author
macro	Usually no hyphen, unless the root word starts with a vowel or a capital letter.	macroscale; macro-economics
mega	Usually no hyphen, unless the root word starts with a vowel or a capital letter.	megabyte; mega-event
micro	Often no hyphen; depending on the word, it is sometimes used with a space, and sometimes used without a space. Check the Word list.	microchip; microSD; micro USB; micro HDMI
mini	Usually no hyphen; used with a space if 'mini' is being used as a standalone modifier.	minicomputer; mini USB; mini fridge
multi	Usually no hyphen, unless the root word starts with a vowel or a capital letter; see the Word list for the 'multi-touch' and 'multi-word' exceptions.	multicore; multi-industry; multi-touch
over	Usually no hyphen.	overclock; overload
pre	Usually no hyphen, unless the root word starts with an 'e' or a capital letter; see the Word list for the 'pre-soldered' exception.	preprandial; pre-election; pre-MP3; pre-soldered
re	Don't use a hyphen for words with the 're' prefix unless you need to distinguish the word from a similar word, the following word begins with an 'e', or the root word starts with a capital letter.	rewrite; re-evaluate; re-form (form again) versus reform (make changes)
sub	Usually no hyphen, unless the root word starts with a 'b' or a capital letter.	subnetwork; subdomain; sub-boot; sub-Victorian
super	Usually no hyphen.	superuser; supercapacitor
under	Usually no hyphen.	underflow

Adjectives before a noun

Hyphenate multi-word adjectives appearing before a noun. For example:

• up-to-date advice
• real-time data

No hyphen is needed for multi-word adjectives appearing after a noun. For example:

• advice that is up to date
• processed in real time

For full guidance on hyphenating multi-word adjectives, see Compounds below.

Two or more modifiers before a noun

Hyphenate two or more modifiers before a noun unless the first modifier is an adjective that modifies the complete noun phrase. The following example hyphenates 'fascist-robot', which creates a single, combined idea describing the people (enthusiasts of fascist robots):

The moderators are fascist-robot enthusiasts.

The following phrase doesn't hyphenate 'fascist robot'. This changes the meaning of the sentence, now describing the people (robot enthusiasts) as fascists, rather than the robots:

The moderators are fascist robot enthusiasts.

Adverbs ending in -ly

Don't hyphenate adjectival compounds starting with adverbs ending in -ly. For example:

It was an exclusively designed device.

Compound nouns and adjectives

Hyphenate words functioning as adjectives; leave open as nouns. For example:

• There was a brute-force attack (adj.)
• It was solved by brute force (noun)

For full guidance on compound nouns and adjectives, see Compounds below.

Verb phrases becoming nouns or adjectives

When the verb phrase becomes a noun (thing) or an adjective (modifying a noun), it solidifies into a compound. Some phrases require a hyphen to indicate that they are now compounds. For example:

• We have an opt-in policy (noun)
• The user must opt in (verb phrase)

Note: Sometimes, you can omit hyphens in familiar compound nouns (for example, social network). For more examples, see Familiar open compounds below.

Not all verb phrases becoming nouns or adjectives require a hyphen. Some cases remove the space between the words instead (for example, 'setup instructions'). For full guidance on verb phrases becoming nouns or adjectives, including more examples, see Compounds below.

Suspended hyphens

When two or more related modifiers share the same ending, you can avoid repetition by using suspended hyphens. If the sentence feels complex or confusing, write out the full hyphenated phrase each time it appears.

Suspended hyphen examples	Full phrase examples
A 12- and 15-month subscription	A 12-month and 15-month subscription
Full- and part-time jobs	Full-time and part-time jobs
10-, 20-, and 30-year plans	10-year, 20-year, and 30-year plans

En dashes (–) and em dashes (—):

In British English, the en dash serves several distinct purposes and is more common than the em dash. An en dash (–) is longer than a hyphen (-) but shorter than an em dash (—).

Em dashes are more widely used in American English. In British English, em dashes tend to be reserved for denoting interrupted speech. For readability, some publishers also use open em dashes instead of open en dashes for parenthesis. At Raspberry Pi, we recommend using the open em dash for parenthesis, as outlined in Open en and em dashes, below.

Closed en dashes

In British English, closed en dashes (with no space on either side) are used for:

Use	Description	Examples	Notes
Ranges	The en dash denotes the word 'to' in a range.	Monday–Friday; pages 7–17	For clarity, consider using the word 'to' instead of an en dash.
Connections and relationships	The en dash expresses a link between two places, people, or entities.	Amsterdam–London train; Dover–Calais crossing; Williams–Navratilova match
Complex compound modifiers	The en dash connects elements within a complex compound, for example, when one element is an open compound (e.g., 'Raspberry Pi') or a hyphenated compound (e.g., 'e-book').	Raspberry Pi–powered; e-book–only publisher; public school–educated; post–World War II era	For information about compounds, including examples, see Compounds below.

Open en and em dashes

In British English, open en dashes (with a space on either side) are typically used for emphasis, pause, and parenthesis for a phrase or clause.

At Raspberry Pi, we often use open em dashes instead for visual clarity. If writing in American English, em dashes with no space around them would be used instead. This is because it's more readable in blog posts and other online writing.

Due to their stylistic nature and possible ambiguity, avoid open en and em dashes in technical writing; use the specific, intended punctuation instead.

Use	Description	Examples	Notes
Introduction	An en or em dash is used in place of a colon to introduce information.	I didn't have an educated background — Dad was a farm labourer.	This is a stylistic and informal style that's more common in journalism and creative writing.
Emphasis or pause	An en or em dash is used to mark a break in a sentence, often for emphasis.	We decided to go ahead — despite the risks.	This is a stylistic and informal style that's more common in journalism and creative writing.
Parenthesis	A pair of en or em dashes are used to make a parenthetical statement in the middle of a sentence, often to express a more pronounced break in the sentence than commas but less of a break than brackets.	The family — my mum, dad, and sister — were all coming for dinner.	If using punctuation in the parenthetical part, the closing dash may be preceded by an exclamation mark or a question mark without the following word being capitalised, unless it's a proper noun.

Don't overuse open en or em dashes. En and em dashes are versatile and typically more informal, but they should be used sparingly to avoid overloading a sentence with interruptions.

Quotation marks

Don't use scare quotes — double quotation marks put around a word or phrase in a written sentence to show that the word is being used in a special way, or in a way that might not be correct or true. Scare quotes make for vague, sensationalist writing.

Use single quotes to highlight a word or phrase when needed, such as when you introduce a new term or need to offset a title.

• Ask what the word 'system' means.
• Hand out the 'Bicycle system' activity sheet.

Be judicious in your use of quotation marks in this way. If the word or phrase stands out to the reader without them, leave them out; if the reader might stumble over the word or phrase without them, put them in.

Use double quotation marks to indicate quoted speech and single quotation marks to indicate quoted speech inside quoted speech. In large sections of quoted speech, put double quotation marks at the end of each paragraph rather than omitting them, in accordance with the Oxford Guide to Style.

Apostrophes

Use apostrophes to show possession and contractions.

Don't use apostrophes in abbreviated plurals. For example:

• PCs
• BGAs

Apostrophes may be used when an abbreviation is turned into a verb, although it's best practice to avoid doing this altogether. For example:

My mother won't stop DM'ing me.

Symbols

The following symbols should be avoided in favour of the words that they are intended to denote:

• The 'at' symbol (@); reserve this symbol for email addresses.
• The percent symbol prefacing 'age' (%age); spell out percentage (used when you don’t specify a quantity, for example, 'a large percentage of time').
• Ampersand (&); always use 'and'. The exception might be in a print article for one of our magazines, where space is at a premium.
• Forward slash (/); choose between 'and' and 'or'. This includes the phrase and/or. If a slash is needed, don't include a space either side of it. The exception for the forward slash is when it's used in a unit of measure (for example, Mb/s)

You can usually use 'or' instead of a slash, but sometimes 'and' might be more appropriate. The following table provides some examples:

Example	Correct alternative
You can pay by credit/debit card.	You can pay by credit or debit card.
Submit feedback by phone/email.	Submit feedback by phone or email.
This feature is available for desktop/mobile users.	This feature is available for both desktop and mobile users.
Developers are prohibited from collecting, storing, and/or using personally identifiable data.	Developers are prohibited from collecting, storing, or using personally identifiable data.
Choose option 1 and/or option 2.	Choose one or both of the following two options.
When listing several products and/or models ...	When listing several products or models ...

Compounds

A compound is a word or phrase made up of two or more words that function as a single unit, often creating a new meaning. Compounds come in different forms.

• Hyphenated compounds, for example, 'well-known author' and 'real-time processing'.
• Closed compounds, for example, 'notebook' and 'setup'.
• Open compounds, for example, 'open source', and 'user manual'.

Compound modifiers

Compound modifiers are multi-word adjectives that appear directly before a noun and are usually hyphenated (and sometimes closed into a single word, for example, 'frontend'). In the following examples, 'up-to-date' and 'real-time' need to be hyphenated to clarify that the words function as a single modifier:

• What's a good place for up-to-date advice on hyphenation?
• We collect real-time data.

Don't hyphenate (or close) compound modifiers when they appear after the noun they modify. In the following example, you don't need to hyphenate 'up to date' because it follows the noun 'advice':

We try to make sur that our advice on hyphenation remains up to date.

Don't hyphenate (or close) compound modifiers when they appear after a preposition or linking verb. In the following example, you don't need to hyphenate 'real time' because it is a noun phrase, not a compound modifier before a noun:

The data is processed in real time.

Note: There are exceptions to this rule like 'well-known', 'industry-wide', 'self-employed', and 'word-of-mouth', which typically always include hyphens no matter where they are in a sentence.

Words that can appear in compound modifiers often exist in open form as nouns or adverbs and, in these cases, aren't hyphenated or closed. Use hyphens (or close the word as appropriate) when the words function as an adjective (i.e., when they modify a noun); leave the words open (no hyphen) when they function as a noun or adverbial phrase. For example:

Adjective	Noun or adverbial phrase	Examples
all-expenses-paid	all expenses paid	It's an all-expenses-paid trip (adj.); The trip has all expenses paid (noun phrase)
all-ones	all ones	It's an all-ones value (adj.); The value is all ones (noun phrase)
all-zeros	all zeros	It's an all-zeros value (adj.); The value is all zeros (noun phrase)
backend	back end	They are a backend developer (adj.); The back end of the banking app handles secure transactions and updates records (noun)
back-to-school	back to school	There's a back-to-school sale (adj.); It's time to go back to school (adverbial phrase)
brute-force	brute force	It was a brute-force attack (adj.); It was solved by brute force (noun phrase)
end-of-year	[No standard noun or adverbial form]	I need to submit an end-of-year report (adj.)
floating-point	floating point	It's a floating-point number (adj.); Errors can occur in floating point (noun phrase)
frontend	front end	They are a frontend developer (adj.); The front end of the banking app displays account balances (noun)
real-time	real time	We collect real-time data (adj.); The data is processed in real time (adverbial phrase)
word-processing	word processing	It's a word-processing program (adj.); They specialise in word processing (noun)

Compound nouns and adjectives

When the verb phrase becomes a noun (thing) or adjective (modifying a noun), it solidifies into a compound. Depending on the compound, remove the space or add a hyphen to signify that the words form one conceptual unit rather than separate words performing an action. For example:

Noun or adjective	Open verb phrase	Examples
drag-and-drop	drag and drop	The product includes drag-and-drop functionality (adj.); You can drag and drop files (verb)
backup	back up	Take a backup first (noun); Back up your files (verb)
cut-out	cut out	There's a cut-out in the side of the case for the camera cable (noun); Cut out that paragraph (verb)
grown-up	grown up	Talk to an grown-up (noun); They made a grown-up decision (adj.); The students were all grown up (verb)
livestream	live stream	The livestream was recorded (noun); We're setting up a livestream event (adj.); We will live stream the event (verb)
lookup	look up	The database contains a lookup of all IDs (noun); Create a lookup table (adj.); I need to look up the definition (verb)
meetup	meet up	There's a meetup event (adj.); Let's meet up later (verb)
opt-in	opt in	There's an opt-in policy (adj.); The user must opt in (verb)
pop-up	pop up	A pop-up appeared on my screen (noun); A pop-up window appears (adj.); The app can pop up notifications (verb)
sign-in	sign in	There's a sign-in process (adj.); Sign in to your account (verb)
sign-out	sign out	There's a sign-out process (adj.); Sign out of your account (verb)
sign-up	sign up	Complete your sign-up first (noun); A sign-up form is available online (adj.); Sign up for an account (verb)
setup	set up	The setup took 5 minutes (noun); Follow the setup instructions (adj.); Set up your Raspberry Pi (verb)
shutdown	shut down	The unexpected shutdown caused data loss (noun); We performed a shutdown procedure (adj.); Shut down the computer (verb)
spellcheck	spell check	Run a spellcheck before submitting (noun); The app includes a spellcheck feature (adj.); Spell check your document (verb)
startup	start up	The startup is seeking investors (noun); Start up your system (verb)
walkthrough	walk through	Give me a walkthrough (a guided set of instructions) of the software (noun); The walkthrough guide was helpful (adj.); Let’s walk through the installation process (verb)

Familiar open compounds

No hyphen is needed in the following examples because they are familiar, established, multi-word compounds that don't cause confusion:

• Science fiction, for example, "I like science fiction novels".
• Social network, for example, "I'm conducting social network analysis".
• Labour market, for example, "This is labour market liberalisation".
• Machine vision, for example, "I like machine vision applications".
• Number one, for example, "It's my number one love".
• Open source, for example, "This is open source content".
• Edge AI, for example, "This is an edge AI approach".

Titles of other works

Set titles of other works in title case. For guidance on title case, see Capitalisation.

For software titles, use the capitalisation style chosen by the developer or publisher. Many examples of software title capitalisation are included in the Word list below; if you encounter more that you think we should add, open a pull request on this style guide.

Treatment of titles depends on the type of work. In general, titles should be set in italics.

Italicise the titles of the following types of works:

• Artworks
• Books, book chapters, and other parts of books
• CDs and albums
• DVDs
• Lectures
• Magazines and newspapers
• Films, operas, and plays
• Songs and poems
• Speeches with titles
• Television, podcast, and radio programmes, including episodes
• Web shows, webinars, and online videos

Don't italicise titles if they fall under one of the following categories:

• Blogs (unless the blog publishes posts under a date only)
• Games (computer games, board games, card games, arcade games)
• Magazine and newspaper articles
• Websites
• Software

Instead, use single quotation marks for items in the above list.

If compiling a numbered or bulleted list consisting only of titles, you don't need to set the titles in italics because they don't need to stand out from any surrounding text. For example:

Jemima's favourite old movies are:

• Gone With the Wind
• Singin' in the Rain
• The Third Man

For a list of items that doesn't consist only of titles, set any titles in italics. For example:

These are a few of my favourite things:

• Sausages
• Banditry
• Anne of Green Gables

Raspberry Pi products

This section describes how you should refer to Raspberry Pi computers, microcontroller devices, microcontroller boards, camera modules, and other Raspberry Pi devices, accessories, and peripherals.

Official nomenclature exists in the internal Product Names Register on Cognidox and the external products page. See also the Product naming list below.

Articles

Consider whether you're referring to Raspberry Pi as a concept, or to a specific Raspberry Pi device.

If writing about our product line, avoid adding 'the'. For example:

'Raspberry Pi 5 is a single-board computer (SBC)'; not 'The Raspberry Pi 5 is a single-board computer (SBC)'.

If writing about a specific Raspberry Pi –– one that your reader is using in a project or the one you're holding in your hand –– use the appropriate article. For example:

• Pick up a Raspberry Pi.
• Insert a microSD card into your Raspberry Pi.
• Mount the HAT on the Raspberry Pi.

Sometimes, for reasons of flow and readability, an article might be better used where we wouldn't usually use one according to the strict terms of this document. Exercise stylistic judgement.

Plurals

The plural of 'Raspberry Pi' is 'Raspberry Pis', with no apostrophe.

To avoid adding an 's' to 'Pi', add a word like 'computers' or 'devices' where possible. For example:

• Raspberry Pi computers
• Raspberry Pi devices
• Raspberry Pi microcontrollers
• Raspberry Pi radio modules

Shortening

'Pi' is always preceded by 'Raspberry'. Never write things like 'Pi 4' or 'Pi Zero'. If you want to shorten the name of a model, you can do so in the following way:

Raspberry Pi 2 Model B >> Raspberry Pi 2B.

When listing several products or models, you can usually omit the full name of each product or model after the first one.

Full	Shortened	Shorter
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, Raspberry Pi 2, Raspberry Pi 3, Raspberry Pi 3+, and Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3.	Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, Raspberry Pi 2, 3, and 3+; and Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3.	Raspberry Pi 2, 3, 3+, and Zero 2 W; and Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3.

Be careful with when using Raspberry Pi 1 — the 1 is only necessary when you need to clearly distinguish it from other models; be aware that Raspberry Pi 1 could be confused with RP1, which is a chip we use rather than a single-board computer.

Almost all accessories, peripheral, and add-on boards can take a definite article ('the') before their product name. For example:

• The Raspberry Pi Sense HAT
• The Raspberry Pi Mouse
• The Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera

Note: Raspberry Pi Touch Displays, AI HATs, and Camera Modules don't take a definite article, even though other accessories like the Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera does; that's to do with how clunky things like 'the Raspberry Pi Camera Module n' sounds.

Unless needed, omit 'Raspberry Pi' from the name in most instances following the first mention. For example:

You can do all kinds of experiments with the Raspberry Pi Sense HAT, which is why there are two of them on the International Space Station. The Sense HAT has an array of sensors, a five-button joystick, and an 8 x 8 RGB LED matrix. [...] We recommend using the Raspberry Pi USB-C Power Supply, which represents excellent value.

Product naming list

This section lists the official names of Raspberry Pi products, including their shortened form. Devices are grouped by type and then listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent model listed first.

Single-board computers (SBC)

None of the following flagship SBCs include 'the' before them unless referring to a specific Raspberry Pi in front of the user.

Note: Only refer specifically to Raspberry Pi 1 when you need to distinguish it from other models. Not to be confused with RP1, which is a chip used in Raspberry Pi 5.

Model B variants

Model B indicates the presence of an Ethernet port. Newer models don't specify Model B because the Ethernet port now comes as standard.

Official name	Shortened version	Naming notes	Key product difference
Raspberry Pi 5	None; don't shorten to 'Pi 5'
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B	Raspberry Pi 4B; don't shorten to 'Pi 4' or 'Pi 4B'
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+	Raspberry Pi 3B+; don't shorten to 'Pi 3B+'		Upgraded to a 1.4 GHz CPU, faster Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, and PoE support.
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B	Raspberry Pi 3B; don't shorten to 'Pi 3B' or just '3B'		Upgraded to a 1.2 GHz CPU, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB boot support.
Raspberry Pi 2 Model B	Raspberry Pi 2B; don't shorten to 'Pi 2B' or just '2B'		Upgraded to a 900 MHz CPU and 1 GB of RAM.
Raspberry Pi Model B+	None; don't shorten to 'Pi 1B+' or just '1B+'	Don't refer to this model as Raspberry Pi 1 unless overtly distinguishing it from later models. Instead, refer specifically to Raspberry Pi Model B.
Raspberry Pi Model B	None; don't shorten to 'Pi 1B' or just '1B'	Don't refer to this model as Raspberry Pi 1 unless overtly distinguishing it from later models. Instead, refer specifically to Raspberry Pi Model B.

Model A variants

Model A indicates a lower-cost model with the same key features as Model B, but with less RAM and a smaller form factor.

Official name	Shortened version	Naming notes	Key product difference
Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+	Raspberry Pi 3A+; don't shorten to 'Pi 3A+'		Same features as Raspberry Pi 3B+, but with 512 MB RAM and a smaller form factor.
Raspberry Pi Model A+	None; don't shorten to 'Pi 1A+' or just '1A+'	Don't refer to 'Raspberry Pi 1' unless overtly distinguishing it from later models. Instead, refer specifically to Raspberry Pi Model A.	Same features as Model A, but with 256 MB RAM, no Ethernet, and fewer USB ports.
Raspberry Pi Model A	None; don't shorten to 'Pi 1A' or just '1A'	Don't refer to 'Raspberry Pi 1' unless overtly distinguishing it from later models. Instead, refer specifically to Raspberry Pi Model A.	Same features as Model A, but with 256 MB RAM, no Ethernet, and fewer USB ports.

Keyboard computers

Raspberry Pi keyboard computers are named in line with the flagship SBC they're based on. For example, Raspberry Pi 400 is a keyboard computer based on Raspberry Pi 4.

As with SBCs, none of the following keyboard computers include 'the' before them unless referring to a specific keyboard computer in front of the user.

Official name	Shortened version	Naming notes	Key product difference
Raspberry Pi 500+	None; don't shorten to 'Pi 500+'	Named with a plus sign (+) because it's based on Raspberry Pi 500, with the same processor, but also some changes.	Added more RAM, an M.2 slot, and mechanical keys with RGB backlighting.
Raspberry Pi 500	None; don't shorten to 'Pi 500'	Named because it's based on Raspberry Pi 5 (without the PCIe interface).	Upgraded to 2.4 GHz CPU and 8 GB of RAM.
Raspberry Pi 400	None; don't shorten to 'Pi 400'	Named because it's based on Raspberry Pi 4.

Zero series

Zero devices are compact, low-cost, low-power SBCs that provide basic functionality and Linux compatibility for minimal, embedded computing applications.

None of the following Zero-series models include 'the' before them unless referring to a specific Raspberry Pi Zero in front of the user.

Official name	Shortened version	Naming notes	Key product difference
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W with headers	Zero 2 W with headers; don't shorten to 'Pi 0 2WH'	W indicates wireless; with headers indicates pre-soldered header pins; unlike Zero WH, ‘headers’ isn’t shortened to ‘H’.	Added pre-soldered pins.
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W	Zero 2 W; don't shorten to 'Pi 0 2W'	W indicates wireless.	Upgraded to a faster CPU and introduced wireless as standard.
Raspberry Pi Zero WH	Zero WH; don't shorten to 'Pi 0 WH'	W indicates wireless; H indicates pre-soldered header pins.	Added pre-soldered pins.
Raspberry Pi Zero W	Zero W; don't shorten to 'Pi 0 W'	W indicates wireless.	Introduced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Raspberry Pi Zero v1.3	Zero v1.3; don't shorten to 'Pi Zero 1.3'		Added camera connector.
Raspberry Pi Zero	Zero; don't shorten to 'Pi Zero'

Pico series

Pico devices are compact microcontroller boards based on Raspberry Pi–designed silicon chips: RP2040 and RP2350 (also referred to as microcontrollers). Unlike other Raspberry Pi devices, they don't run Linux or support removable storage, and are instead programmed by flashing binaries to the on-board flash memory.

None of the following Pico series models include 'the' before them unless referring to a specific Raspberry Pi Pico in front of the user.

Official name	Shortened version	Naming notes	Key product difference
Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W with headers	None; don't shorten to 'Pico 2 WH'	W indicates wireless; with headers indicates pre-soldered header pins; unlike Pico WH, ‘headers’ isn’t shortened to ‘H’.	Includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and pre-soldered pins in one device.
Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W	None; don't shorten to 'Pico 2 W'	W indicates wireless.	Introduced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Raspberry Pi Pico 2	None; don't shorten to 'Pico 2'		Introduced the RP2350 microcontroller (chip).
Raspberry Pi Pico WH	None; don't shorten to 'Pico WH'	W indicates wireless; H indicates pre-soldered header pins.	Includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and pre-soldered pins in one device.
Raspberry Pi Pico W	None; don't shorten to 'Pico W'	W indicates wireless.	Introduced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Raspberry Pi Pico H	None; don't shorten to 'Pico H'	H indicates pre-soldered header pins.	Added pre-soldered pins.
Raspberry Pi Pico	None; don't shorten to 'Pico'

Compute Modules

Compute Modules are boards designed for embedded and industrial applications that provide the same hardware as flagship SBCs but in a smaller form factor with no on-board connectors. Instead, they connect to separate carrier boards (which can be Raspberry Pi Compute Module IO boards) that supply the necessary ports and pins.

None of the following Compute Module models include 'the' before them unless referring to a specific Raspberry Pi Compute Module in front of the user.

Official name	Shortened version	Naming notes	Key product difference
Compute Module Zero Lite	CM0Lite; don't shorten to 'Compute Module 0 Lite'	Name based on Compute Module Zero but with no storage.
Compute Module Zero	CM0; don't shorten to 'Compute Module 0'	Named based on Raspberry Pi Zero.
Compute Module 5 Lite	CM5Lite	Name based on Compute Module 5 but with no storage.
Compute Module 5	CM5	Named based on Raspberry Pi 5.
Compute Module 4 Lite	CM4Lite	Name based on Compute Module 4 but with no storage.
Compute Module 4	CM4	Named based on Raspberry Pi 4.	Two 100-pin high-density connectors in a smaller footprint.
Compute Module 4S	CM4S	Named based on Raspberry Pi 4.
Compute Module 3+	CM3+	Named based on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+.
Compute Module 3	CM3	Named based on Raspberry Pi 3.
Compute Module 1	CM1	Named based on the original Raspberry Pi.

Compute Module IO boards

Compute Module IO boards are carrier boards designed to provide the physical connectors needed for Compute Modules. They can also be used as a design reference for bespoke carrier boards.

Compute Module IO boards do include 'the' because you're referring to the carrier board, not the Compute Module.

Official name	Shortened version	Naming notes	Key product difference
Compute Module 5 IO board	CM5IO	Named based on corresponding Compute Module 5.
Compute Module 4 IO board	CM4IO	Named based on corresponding Compute Module 4.	Designed to fit the new Compute Module form factor.
Compute Module IO board version 3	CMIO3	Named based on corresponding Compute Module 3.	Added a microSD card slot.
Compute Module IO board version 1	CMIO; CMIO1	Named based on the original Compute Module.

Capitalisation

In most instances, only capitalise proper nouns and reserve title case for top-level headings and titles. Title case involves capitalising all words in the title except for:

• Articles (a, an, the).
• Prepositions of three or fewer letters (in, of, on).
• Co-ordinating conjunctions of three or fewer letters (and, but, or).

With title case, always capitalise the first and last words of the title, regardless of their length or part of speech. Also capitalise small words like 'if', 'how', and 'why'.

Use sentence case for chapter and website headings and subheadings, as well as technical content. Sentence case means capitalising only the first word and any proper nouns or trademarked names. For example:

Raspberry Pi Radio Module 2: A wireless communication module for Raspberry Pi microcontrollers

In all text, avoid using a trademark whose initial letter is in lowercase (for example, iPad) at the start of a sentence or title. For example: a heading like 'iPad sales soar' is only acceptable if typography means that there is insufficient space for 'Sales of iPad soar'.

Abbreviations

Spell out abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms in the first instance in a chapter section, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter use the abbreviation. For example:

Raspberry Pi's brain is a system on a chip (SoC), made by stacking a memory chip on top of a processor chip. Using an SoC keeps the area of the Raspberry Pi board low.

The full phrase for a common abbreviation, acronym, or initialism isn’t necessarily capitalised when written out in full. For example, 'ASAP' when written out in full isn't 'As Soon As Possible'. Check the List of abbreviations or Google the organisation if you're unsure about whether the expanded form should be capitalised.

Abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms shouldn't be marked in bold, like in the following example: System on a Chip.

For a list of correct capitalisation for abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms, see List of abbreviations in this style guide.

Numbers

Be consistent in your use of numbers. When you write about numbers used in examples, duplicate them exactly as they appear on the product or in the UI. In all other content, follow the guidelines below.

Numbers as words

Unless you're dealing with code, units of computer storage, or maths materials and equations, spell out numbers one to twelve; express 13 and higher numbers as a numeral unless at the start of a sentence. For example:

• Eighteen bagpipers were shown to the door.
• There were 18 bagpipers.

Spell out large round numbers (thousand, million, billion, and so on) when they appear in inline text. For example:

• There are a thousand reasons to use a Raspberry Pi.
• A total of 68 million Raspberry Pis have been sold worldwide.

Numbers as numerals

Use numerals for the following:

Use	Example
Measurements (for more guidance, see Measurements), below.	4 KB; 5 cm
Dimensions (for more guidance, see Measurements), below.	5 mm × 9 mm
Time of day (for more guidance, see Time and date, below).	10am; 7:30pm
Percentages (for more guidance, see Measurements), below.	5%
Coordinates of tables and numbered sections of documents.	row 3; page 5
Binary	binary 1; binary 0
A round number of 1 million or more. Don't hyphenate the numeral, even before a noun. If you're forming a compound adjective, use a hyphen.	2 billion people; 4-million-year schedule

Ranges

For a range of numbers, keep a consistent format. For example:

• Coding clubs for children aged 9-13
• Most of the children at the Jam were aged 11-16
• One to twenty

For school grades (USA), spell out the first through ninth grade, and use figures for 10th grade or higher. Try to keep a consistent format for ranges, as above.

Commas in numbers

In general, use commas in numbers of more than four digits (for example, 10,000).

Don't use commas in numbers for technical documentation, especially for international audiences (in some languages, a comma is used as a decimal separator); commas can cause confusion, and it's usually better to use thin spaces instead.

For years, pixels, and baud, only use commas when the number has five or more digits, for example:

• The year 1999
• The year 20,000
• 1920 × 1080 pixels
• 10,240 × 4320 pixels
• 9600 baud
• 14,400 baud.

Measurements

Guidance	Example	Exception
Use numerals for measurements of distance, temperature, volume, size, weight, pixels, points, and so on, even if the number is less than 10.	20 KB; 2 ohm; 8 GB; 5 KiB/s; 1 MiB
Use a space between a value and its International System (SI) unit, or hyphenate if the measurement modifies a noun.	13.5 inch; 13.5-inch display	Percent symbol (%), for example, 50%
Add a zero before the decimal point for decimal fractions less than one.	0.75 cm
Use the multiplication symbol (×) when required for dimensions, not the letter 'x'. Use a space before and after the multiplication symbol.	16 × 16 pixels
Use abbreviations with numbers in specific measurements.	20 KB (rather than twenty KB)
Don't follow abbreviated units with a full stop unless it's the end of a sentence.	20 KB	Abbreviation for inch (in.), for example 5 in.
When no number is present, spell out the unit.	The diagram shows the mechanical measurements in millimetres (mm).
Don't use k or K to denote 1,000	5,000 (rather then 5k or 5K)
Don't use k as an abbreviation for kilobytes	32 kB (rather then 32 k)

Time and date

Guidance	Example
Use the 12-hour clock.	8pm
Include the appropriate time zone abbreviation for North American events.	9am PDT
If minutes are included in the time, use a colon to separate hours and minutes.	8:20pm
Don't separate the time and 'am' or 'pm' with a space.	6pm
Use 'noon' and 'midnight' to express 12.00 and 00.00, respectively.	noon; midnight
Express dates in the following format: DD Month YYYY. This avoids confusion with month-day ordering for some readers outside the UK.	21 January 2006
If it's necessary to include the day of the week, express the date in the following format: Day DD Month YYYY.	Thursday 14 April 2022
If necessary to save space, abbreviate months to the first three letters.	Jan
Don't capitalise season names.	In the summer, we have a party.
If writing something like the following, 'an x-week period', include a hyphen between the number and period of time	In a six-week period
When referring to decades, don't abbreviate to 'the '80s'; use 'the eighties' or 'the 1980s' instead.	It was acceptable in the eighties.
When referring to two decades, write each decade in full, regardless of how it's typically said out loud.	The 1970s and 1980s (instead of 'the 1970s and '80s')
When using the name of a decade to define a social or cultural period, write it as a word.	The sixties were a time of major social change in Britain.

Cultural sensitivity

This section provides some guidelines for talking about race, gender, and disability. For a more complete list of problematic words and phrases, including alternative wording, see Words and phrases to avoid.

Rule	Use	Don't use
Use people-first language for race.	Indian people	Indians
Use 'they' as a singular pronoun instead of alternating between 'he' and 'she'	When a developer writes code, they should ensure it’s well-documented. When a tester finds a bug, they should report it immediately.	When a developer writes code, he should ensure it’s well-documented. When a tester finds a bug, she should report it immediately.
Where possible, make nouns and pronouns plural	Students should enter their passwords.	Each student should enter his or her password.
Avoid gendered job titles; there is usually an alternative	Firefighter; flight attendant	Fireman; stewardess
Be as gender neutral as possible.	Person; humankind; human-created; effort	Man; mankind; man-made; manpower
Use 'disabled' as an adjective, never a noun.	Disabled people	The disabled

Example access statement for Picademy:

The venue is described as being accessible for people with limited mobility. If you will need to use a car to access the venue, or if you have other access requirements or would like further information, please get in touch via email and let us know how we can help.

For more examples, see www.accessibilityguides.org/prepare.

Screenshots and images

• Don't use dark mode when taking a screenshot of a window, terminal, or any other interfaces that don't provide scalable fonts. Use a white background and black text for readability.
• Take a screenshot of the whole desktop. The design team will crop to fit the relevant templates.
• Ensure that the mouse cursor isn't visible unless it is relevant to the screenshot.
• If taking a screenshot of multiple windows, there should be no overlapping. (If an author requests overlapping windows for a specific reason, please let the design team know; it can be achieved manually, but should be avoided where possible.)
• Provide screenshots as PNG files.
• Don't add annotations to your screenshot or image. Send the annotations separately, to be added in the design process.
• Don't over-rely on annotations in screenshots and images. Whatever is shown in a screenshot or image should be understood written in the main body of the text.
• For the benefit of screen readers, include written copy describing the screenshot or image.

FAQs

FAQs tend to become a 'dumping ground' of information that fails to take into account the customer experience. They show that you’ve thought about what your users should know, but haven’t thought about the user experience.

FAQs feel like a good idea from our perspective as writers, but they’re poor customer service because they create more work for readers:

• Questions are longer and harder to scan than headings.
• We can’t front load questions with terms that most people are looking for.
• FAQs are provided out of context.
• FAQs create duplication in search results.
• Readers don’t always word questions in the same way we’ve presented them.
• A list of questions is a friction-heavy experience, where the customer has to dig through many questions to find an answer to one question.

FAQs also set the wrong tone because they’re typically sought when the documentation or user journey has failed. Information is more effective for the reader when it’s in context, and pre-emptively answers questions that would otherwise cause people to search in FAQs.

Restructure your content before adding FAQs.

Most FAQs aren’t really 'frequently asked' but, rather, indicate that the company hasn’t put in the effort to make documentation easy to follow or to optimise the customer journey (or both).

If a question really is frequently asked, you likely need to add or restructure the content. Often, the perceived need for FAQs actually indicates that readers can’t find what they need where they’d reasonably expect to find it.

If you do add FAQs:

• Only include questions that are actually frequently asked.
  • Don’t assume what customers might ask.
  • Don’t include vanity questions.
• Don't use an FAQ section as a substitute for good documentation.
• Don’t use an FAQ section to defend shortcomings.
• Provide detailed, meaningful answers to specific questions based on what readers need to know.
• Spell out 'Frequently asked questions', rather than relying on initialism (FAQ).
• Keep FAQs specific to your product or page.

Links

• Omit http://www from URLs in print.
• Don’t include punctuation or preceding articles in the link.
• Avoid using the URL as link text unless:
  • The user needs to know the URL rather than follow the link to complete the task.
  • The name of the destination is the same as the URL.
• Use hyperlinks in online content.
• Avoid phrases like 'this page' or 'click here' as hyperlinks. Introduce links properly instead. For examples, see the last bullet point.
• In technical writing, avoid using wiki-style links. Introduce links properly instead. For examples, see the last bullet point.
• Where possible, make links descriptive so that they make sense without the surrounding text. You can do this by:
  • Writing a description of the destination page to use as the link text, capitalised as if it's part of the sentence. For example: 'You can update your Raspberry Pi software.'
  • [Preferred] Front loading a hyperlink with information about what the user can expect if they open it. For example: 'For more information, see Raspberry Pi OS.'

If using the preferred example style, introduce the link and then hyperlink the actual name of the web page. Use the original capitalisation of the linked web page.

Word list

The word list consists of accepted terms that can cause confusion or that we take a stance on for how the term is used or written.

Bolded terms within the description of another term indicate that the bolded term is listed elsewhere with its own description and usage guidance. For example, part of the guidance for the Linux entry is: 'Capitalised, but not in the same way as UNIX'. The bolding of UNIX indicates that you can find more information about UNIX in one of the following locations:

• This Word list, which is structured into alphabetised groups.
• The Abbreviation list, which includes a list of Acronyms and initialisms (for example, DoS and HTML) and of Measurement suffixes (for example, b and mm).
• Words and phrases to avoid, which includes alternative words to use for insensitive, violent, system-focused, ambiguous, non-English, colloquial, idiomatic, subjective, marketing and sales, technical, outdated, and unnecessarily complicated terms.

In this particular example, UNIX is included as an entry in Acronyms and initialisms, a subsection of the Abbreviation list.

Note: 'Capitalise' means 'capitalise the first letter or specified letters'; 'all caps' means 'capitalise all letters'.

#

Term	Description	Notes	Don't use
2D, 3D	Two-dimensional; three-dimensional	No hyphen	2-D; 3-D
3G, 4G, 5G	Phone networks	No space	3 G; 4 G; 5 G
4K	Screen resolution	Uppercase 'K'; if you add a modifier, don't add a space (e.g., 4Kp60)	4K p60
50–50	An equal division or a 50% probability	En dash; use numerals	50-50; fifty-fifty
7-inch screen	A display screen with a diagonal measurement of 7 inches	Hyphenate	7 inch screen
8-bit microprocessor	A microprocessor that processes data in 8-bit chunks	Hyphenate	8 bit micropressor
8×, 16×	CD or DVD drive speeds	Use the multiplication symbol, not the letter x	8x, 16x

A

Use	Description	Notes	Don't use
AA batteries	A type of battery	Capitalise 'AA'	double-A-batteries
adapter	A device for connecting pieces of equipment that can't be connected directly	Spell with 'er' rather than 'or'	adaptor
ad blocker	Extension that prevents adverts from being displayed on websites, videos, or apps	Two words; no hyphen	ad-blocker
add-on board	Secondary circuit board that adds functionality to a computer or device	Hyphenate; don't use 'card' to mean 'add-on board'	add on board; card
Advanced Error Reporting	PCI Express (PCIe) feature for reporting and diagnosing errors	Capitalise all words as a defined technical term	advanced error reporting
adware	Software that automatically displays or downloads adverts	One word; lowercase	ad-ware
artificial intelligence (see also AI in Acronyms and initialisms)	What we call AI today are software systems that use machine-learning models, such as LLMs and VLMs, trained on large datasets to recognise patterns and predict likely output; AI isn't self-aware, and doesn't truly think or understand	Two words; lowercase unless shortened to the acronym (AI)	Artificial Intelligence
A level; A-level students	Subject-based qualifications in England and Wales	Only capitalise the 'A'; hyphenate when modifying the next word (e.g., A-level students)	A Level
Allen key	Hexagonal wrench used to drive bolts or screws with hexagonal sockets	Proper noun (capitalise 'Allen')	allen key
all-ones (adj.)	Describes a binary value filled with bits set to 1	Hyphenate when used as a modifier (for example, 'all-ones value')	all ones
all-zeros (adj.)	Describes a binary value filled with bits set to 0	Hyphenate when used as a modifier (for example, 'all-zeros value')	all zeros
ALSA	Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (software framework for audio on Linux)	Acronym; always all-caps	Alsa; alsa
AlsaMixer	Terminal-based mixer utility for ALSA sound system	One word; capital 'A' and 'M'	Alsamixer; alsamixer; ALSAMixer
aluminium	A lightweight, corrosion-resistant metal used as a heat conductor	British English spelling	aluminum (American English)
amp; ampere (see also A in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of electric current	Lowercase unless using the abbreviation; abbreviation preferred	3 Amps
analogue	Data transmitted in waves rather than digitally	Always British English spelling	analog
antennae	Plural of 'antenna' in a biological context		antennas (in a biological context)
antennas	Plural of 'antenna' in engineering and tech contexts		antennae (in an engineering or tech context)
antivirus	Software designed to detect and remove malware	One word	anti-virus; antivirus
app	Short for application	Don't use if there's potential for confusion
Apple	Trademark	Don't add an 's' to make plural; add the device after instead (for example, 'Apple computers')	Apples
applications processor	Processor designed specifically for running applications on mobile devices	Lowercase; 'applications' is plural	application processor
Arm architecture	Family of RISC-based processor architectures developed by Arm Ltd.	Capitalise 'Arm' (proper noun); 'Arm' isn't an acronym	ARM architecture
Arm chipset	System-on-Chip (SoC) or integrated circuit based on Arm architecture	Capitalise 'Arm' (proper noun); 'Arm' isn't an acronym	ARM chipset
Arm Holdings	Company name; rebranded from ARM	Capitalise 'A' and 'H' only	ARM Holdings
Armv6, Armv7	Versions of the Arm architecture instruction set	Capitalise 'Arm' with lowercase 'v' and numeral; no spaces	ARMv6; Arm V7
AS level; AS-level students	The first year of AS-level course content in England and Wales	Only capitalise the 'AS'; hyphenate when modifying the next word (e.g., AS-level students)	AS Level
assembly language	Low-level programming language closely related to machine code	Lowercase; always 'assembly', not 'assembler'	Assembly Language; assembler language
autofocus	Automatic camera lens adjustment to focus on a subject	One word	auto focus; auto-focus
avatar	Icon or figure representing a person	Lowercase	Avatar

B

Use	Description	Notes	Don't use
backdoor	Hidden method of bypassing normal security	One word when referring to computer security or hacking	back door; back-door
backlight	Lighting from behind a screen	One word	back light; back-light
backlit	Lit from behind; typically referring to displays and keyboards	One word	back lit; back-lit
barcode	Machine-readable code of lines and spaces	One word	bar code
Bash	Stands for 'bourne-again shell'; a Unix shell and command language	Capitalise 'Bash' when referring to the shell	bash
BBC BASIC	A version of BASIC developed by Acorn for the BBC Micro	Use full form to distinguish from other BASIC dialects	BASIC
BBC Micro	An early 1980s British microcomputer made by Acorn for the BBC Computer Literacy Project	Capitalise 'Micro'; always include a space between 'BBC' and 'Micro'	BBC micro; BBCmicro; BBCMicro
BBC Model A	A model of the BBC Micro with fewer features	Use full form with capital letters	BBC model A; BBC model a
BBC Model B	A more popular and feature-rich model of the BBC Micro	Use full form with capital letters	BBC model B; BBC model b
BCM2XXX (e.g., BCM2835, BCM2837, BCM2711)	SoCs made by Broadcom, used in Raspberry Pi computers	Use full designation on first use; shorten to 2XXX after that
BeagleBoard	A low-power, open source hardware single-board computer	Use the full term without a space and capitalise each 'B'	Beagle Board; beagle board
beta	Pre-release version	Don't capitalise unless part of an official product line	Beta
big-endian	Byte order in which the most significant byte is stored first	Hyphenate	bigendian; big endian
binary	Relating to a system using only '0' and '1'	Use lowercase when referring to binary files and numbers	Binary
binary blob	Non-free software distributed in binary form; pejorative term in the free software community	Don't use to describe the GPU in Raspberry Pi
bit (see also b in Measurement suffixes)	The most basic unit of information in computing and digital communication; a portmanteau of 'binary' and 'digit'	Lowercase; hyphenate when used as a compound adjective (for example, 'It's a 16-bit home video game'); don't hyphenate when used as a quantifier (for example, 'These 3 bits control the foo')	3 Bits
bitstream	A stream of bits transmitted over a communication channel	One word	bit stream' bit-stream
B key	Edge connector standard for M.2 cards that support SATA or up to two PCIe lanes	Used to differentiate connector types (for example, M key)
BlackBerry (devices)	Mobile device brand owned by Research In Motion (RIM)	Use the full term without a space and capitalise each 'B'; plural is 'BlackBerry devices'	Blackberry; Black Berry; BlackBerrys
blog	Online journal or article-style website	Lowercase (generic term)	The Blog
Blogger	Google's trademark when referring to the blogging platform	Capitalise when referring to the platform	Google blogger
blogroll	List of recommended or linked blogs on a blog site	One word	blog roll; blog-roll
Blu-ray	A Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) trademark	Capitalise the 'B' only; always hyphenate; no 'e' after 'Blu'; use as an adjective only	blu-ray; Blu-Ray; Blu ray; Bluray; Blue-ray
Blu Tack (noun); Blu-Tack (verb)	Noun: Adhesive putty by Bostik; verb: to attach using Blu-Tak	Two words; capitalise the 'B' and 'T'; no 'e' after 'Blu'	Blu tack; Blue Tack; BluTack
Bluetooth	Wireless technology standard	One word; capitalised; only use as an adjective	Blue Tooth; Blue tooth; bluetooth
Bluetooth Classic	Standard Bluetooth protocol	Capitalised	Blue Tooth Classic; bluetooth classic
Bluetooth Low Energy; Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth Low Energy protocol	Capitalised	Blue Tooth Low Energy; bluetooth LE
boot ROM	A small piece of memory containing the first code executed by the processor on startup	Two words unless referring directly to bootrom in the code; capitalise ROM	bootrom
breadcrumb	Website navigation	One word	bread crumb
Broadcom	Semiconductor manufacturer	Capitalise	broadcom
byte (see also B in Measurement suffixes)	8 bits	Lowercase; hyphenate when used as a compound adjective (for example, 'It's a 2-byte register'); don't hyphenate when used as a quantifier (for example, '3 bytes')	3 Bytes

C

Use	Description	Notes	Don't use
C	Programming language	Use uppercase 'C'; don't confuse with '°C' for temperature	c (when referring to the language)
C++	Programming language	Successor to C; use exact spelling with two plus signs	C plus plus; C double plus
C#	Programming language developed by Microsoft	Pronounced 'C-sharp' but written with a hashtag symbol	C-Sharp; Csharp
Camera Module, Camera Module v2	The official Raspberry Pi camera add-on	Capitalise product names	Camera module
Celsius (see also °C in Measurement suffixes)	Temperature unit	Can always be abbreviated to °C	centigrade; degrees Celsius (unless context demands it)
Centimetre	Unit of measurement	British English spelling	Centimeter
Certified Educator	Graduate of Picademy	Capitalise; always use full term	Picademy Certified, certified educator
champion	Raspberry Pi volunteer or organiser	Lowercase	Raspberry Pi Champion
checkbox	A box on a form or in the UI for selecting an option	One word; lowercase	check box
client–server (noun phrase)	A network architecture where clients interact with servers	Lowercase; use an en dash	client-server; Client/Server
cloud computing	Accessing services or data over the internet	Use for both noun and adjective
codebase	Collection of source code for a project	One word	code base
CoderDojo	Network of coding clubs	One word	Coder Dojo; Coderdojo
command line	Text-based interface for interacting with the operating system	Two words; no hyphen even when modifying the word 'interface', for example, 'command line interface'; (see also CLI in Acronyms and initialisms)	commandline
Compute Module, Compute Module X, Compute Module X Lite	Raspberry Pi embedded compute boards, where 'X' represents a number, for example, Compute Module 4	Capitalise and preface with 'Raspberry Pi' on first use; only abbreviate after first use if repetition would be cumbersome: CM1, CM3, CM3Lite
computer science	Academic discipline	Lowercase	computing science
computing	Academic discipline	Always lowercase, even when referring to the school subject	Computing
cookie	Small file stored on user’s device for tracking; also a biscuit	Lowercase for both tracking and biscuits	Cookie
corrupted	A state in which data or files that have become unusable or unreadable	Don't shorten	corrupt (as an adjective)
COVID; COVID-19	Stands for coronavirus disease 2019, which is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, first identified in 2019 and then became a pandemic in 2020	All caps	Covid; covid; Covid-19
crawl	Used by search engines to index the web	Acceptable as a transitive verb, for example, 'Google crawls pages'	scrape
Creative Commons	Licensing framework	Always capitalised when referring to the brand or license	creative commons
cron	Time-based job scheduler in Unix-like systems	Lowercase	Cron
crontab	cron table; configuration file for cron that specifies shell commands to run periodically on a given schedule	One word; lowercase	cron tab
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)	A style sheet language	Capitalise; lowercase style sheets can be used to refer to CSS documents, for example, 'Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) enable a web designer to use style sheets to lay out a web page.'	cascading style sheets
CubeSat	Miniature satellite	Capitalise as one word with camel casing	cubesat; cube sat
curriculum, curricula	Course of study	Latin plural preferred: curricula	curriculums

D

Use	Description	Notes	Don't use
data	Information such as facts and numbers	Treat as a mass noun, for example: 'The data is lost'	datum; 'the data are lost'
database	An organised collection of structured data	One word	data base
datasheet	A technical reference document that describes hardware details of a Raspberry Pi product, used by engineers, developers, and advanced hobbyists	One word	data sheet
D-Bus	An inter-process communication (message bus) system	Capitalise the 'D' and 'B'; short for 'Desktop Bus'	dbus, Dbus, D Bus
Debian	An open source Linux-based operating system	Capitalise	debian
delta-sigma PWM	A pulse-width modulation technique using delta-sigma modulation	Lowercase; hyphenate 'delta-sigma'	Delta-Sigma PWM; delta sigma PWM
device tree	A means of representing devices on Raspberry Pi	Lowercase	Device Tree
dialog box	A temporary window on a computer screen that prompts users for input, displays information, or confirms actions	American spelling in a computing or technology context only. Otherwise, use British spelling for the word 'dialogue'	dialogue box
dioptre	Unit of measurement	British spelling	diopter
disc	Optical media and storage, for example, compact disc (CD)
disk	Magnetic media and storage, for example, floppy disk
disk space	Available space on a magnetic storage device	Two words; unhyphenated	disk-space; diskspace
Document Object Model (see also DOM in Acronyms and initialism)	Programming interface for HTML and XML documents	Capitalise each word; use acronym where appropriate	document object model
dos and don'ts	Accepted and discouraged practices	No apostrophe before either 's'	do's and don'ts; do's and don't's
double-click	Pressing a mouse button twice in quick succession to select something	Hyphenate	double click
dreamt; dreamed	Past tense of 'dream'	Both versions are correct in British English, though 'dreamt' is encouraged in Raspberry Pi content
drag-and-drop (adj.)	Describing a feature or capability	Hyphenate	'It has drag and drop functionality'
drag and drop (verb)	To select, hold, move, and release an item on screen	Don't hyphenate	'Drag-and-drop the file onto your desktop'
dropdown menu	A menu that expands into a list when selected	'dropdown' is one word; consider shortening to 'menu'	pull down menu; pull-down menu; pulldown menu

E

Use	Description	Notes	Don't use
e-book	A digital version of a printed book	Hyphenate	ebook
e-commerce	Commercial transactions conducted electronically	Hyphenate	ecommerce
E-Mark; E-Marked	Electronically Marked; protocol controller for USB cables	Capitalise the 'E' and 'M'; hyphenate	e-mark; eMarked
e-paper	Electronic paper display technology	Hyphenate	epaper
earth	Soil	Lowercase when referring to soil	Buried in Earth
Earth	Our planet	Capitalise when referring to the planet	Planet earth
eBay	An online marketplace	No hyphen; capitalise 'B'	e-Bay; ebay
Ed and Izzy	The two Astro Pi units sent to the ISS with Tim Peake	Capitalise both names; always refer to them together unless context dictates otherwise	Ed & Izzy; ed and izzy
egde AI	The deployment of AI models directly on local devices	Two words (no hyphen); 'AI' in all caps	edge-AI; Edge AI
email	Electronic mail	No hyphen	e-mail
emoji, emojis	Pictographic characters used in digital communication	Plural is emojis (no 'e' before the 's')	emojies
Emotiv	Company producing EEG headsets for neuro-signal work	Capitalise; no 'e' at the end	emotiv; Emotive
endianness	Byte order within digital word data	Lowercase; technical term	Endianness
ePub	Electronic publication; an open-standard file format for e-books	Capitalise the 'P'; no hyphen	epub; e-Pub
Ethernet	Networking technology	Capitalise	ethernet

F

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
Fahrenheit (see also °F in Measurement suffixes)	Temperature unit	Can always be abbreviated to °F	fahrenheit; degrees Fahrenheit (unless context demands it)
fan page	A web page dedicated to a person, show, group, brand, or topic	Two words	fanpage
fan site	A website created by fans	Two words	fansite
fanbase	Group of dedicated followers	One word	fan base
fax	facsimile	No need to spell out in full	facsimile
fediverse	Network of federated servers that inter-communicate	Lowercase; technical term	Fediverse
feed reader	Software for reading syndicated web feeds	Two words	feedreader
fetch-decode-execute cycle	Fundamental CPU instruction cycle	Hyphenate all three components	fetch decode execute cycle
FFmpeg	Open source software project	Capitalised exactly as FFmpeg (lowercase 'mpeg')	FFMPEG, ffmpeg
file name	Name of a file	Two words	filename
file system	Method of storing and organising files	Two words	filesystem
firewall	Network security system	One word	fire wall
FireWire	Trademarked high-speed interface	Capitalise	firewire
Flash (Adobe)	Deprecated multimedia platform	Capitalise when referring to Adobe Flash	flash
flash memory	Non-volatile storage technology	Lowercase	Flash memory
Flat Flexible Cable	Type of ribbon cable	Capitalise all words; FFC acceptable	flat flexible cable
flatsat	Ground-based CubeSat test hardware	One word; Lowercase	FlatSat, flat sat
focused; focuses; focusing	To concentrate attention, effort, or resources on something; to adjust or direct for clarity	Preferred spelling, but 'focussed' with a double 's' is also technically correct in British English
forgo	To do without	Correct spelling	forego
frame rate	Frequency at which frames appear	Two words	framerate
friend (verb)	Add someone as a friend on Facebook; see also unfriend	Lowercase	Friend
full-screen	Display mode occupying entire screen	Hyphenate	fullscreen, full screen
function keys	Keys such as F1–F12 on a keyboard	Lowercase	Function keys

G

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
games console	Electronic device used for playing video games	British English adds an 's' to 'game'	game console (American English)
gibibit (see also Gib in Measurement suffixes)	230 b = 1073741824 b; unit of binary bits	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix	9 Gibibit
gigabit (see also Gb in Measurement suffixes)	109 b = 1000000000 b; unit of decimal bits	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix	9 Gigabit
gibibyte (see also GiB in Measurement suffixes)	230 B = 1073741824 B; unit of binary bytes	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix; preferred unit of measure for a technical audience; for a general audience, use GB (when correct)	9 Gibibyte
gigabyte (see also GB in Measurement suffixes)	109 B = 1000000000 B; unit of decimal bytes	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix; preferred unit of measure for a general audience; for a technical audience, use GiB (when correct)	9 Gigabyte
GitHub	Developer platform	One word; capital 'G' and 'H'	Github, github
Generation X; Gen X	Demographic cohort born approximately between 1965 and 1980	Capitalise	Generation x; Generation Xer
Generation Y (see also Millenial)	Demographic cohort born approximately between 1981 and 1996; Millenial is preferred and more widely recognised	Capitalise	Generation y; gen y; Gen y
Generation Z; Gen Z (see also Zoomers)	Demographic cohort born approximately between 1997 and 2012; Gen Z is more common; Zoomers is also acceptable	Capitalise	gen z; Generation z
geolocation	Geographic location of an object	One word; no hyphen; lowercase	Geolocation; geo-location
geotagging	The process of adding geographical identification metadata to media or data	One word; no hyphen; lowercase	Geotagging
gigahertz (see also GHz in Measurement suffixes)	109 Hz = 1,000,000,000 Hz; unit of frequency	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix	9 Gigahertz
GNU Linux (see GNU in Measurement suffixes)	Operating system combining GNU software and the Linux kernel	Often shortened to Linux
GPIO Zero; gpiozero	The name of a project (GPIO Zero)	gpiozero is an acceptable alternative when referring to the module	GPIO 0
Gigatransfers	Data transfer unit used in PCIe specifications; rates measured in GT/s, though MB/s is often preferred by users	Capitalise	gigatransfer
gram	Unit of weight (see also g in Measurement suffixes)	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix	9 Grams
grey	Colour	British English unless writing specifically for an American audience	gray
GStreamer	A pipeline-based multimedia framework	Capitalise 'G' and 'S'
guizero	A Python 3 library for creating simple GUIs	Lowercase	GUIzero

H

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
Hackspace (see also maker space)	A community-run workspace where people with shared interests collaborate and build projects	Often used interchangeably with maker space, but preferred for branding (for example, HackSpace magazine); use the organisation’s chosen term if referring to a specific location
HackSpace magazine	Publication produced by Raspberry Pi Press	Capitalise 'H' and 'S'; you can drop 'magazine' if appropriate	Hackspace magazine
Hall effect sensor	A sensor that detects magnetic fields based on the Hall effect	Capitalise 'Hall'	hall effect sensor
HAT+ (see also Power HAT+)	HAT specificiation, beginning Dec 2023	All caps	Hat plus; Hat+
Hazard3	An open source RISC-V core used in RP2350 microcontrollers	Captial 'H'; no space before the '3'; don't imply that Raspberry Pi owns Hazard3; include 'RISC-V' when context requires clarity, for example, 'RP2350 uses the dual-core Hazard3 RISC-V processor'	Raspberry Pi's Hazard3
heatsink	A passive cooling component designed to absorb heat from electronic or mechanical components	One word; lowercase	heat sink
HMDI®	Proprietary technology used to transmit high-quality audio and video signals between devices	All caps; use the ® symbol on first mention	hdmi
help desk	Support service or department	Two words	helpdesk
hi-fi	High-fidelity audio system	Hyphenated	Hi-Fi; hifi
homepage	Main page of a website	One word; lowercase	home page
hot swap	The ability to add or remove hardware without shutting down the system	Don't use in technical documentation
hotspot (for Wi-Fi)	A Wi-Fi access point	One word for wireless access; use hot spot for non-tech contexts (such as restaurants)	hot spot (for Wi-Fi)

I

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
identification (see also ID in Acronyms and initialisms)	A document, card, or code that proves a person's identity	Avoid using ID as a verb unless space is restricted (for example, don't use phrases like 'The bouncer ID’s drinkers'; use 'The bouncer checks drinkers' identification' instead); use apostrophe in verb form	ID (as a verb)
internet	Global network connecting computers	Don't capitalise	Internet
I-frame	Intra frame	Video term (don't confuse with iframe)	iframe
iframe	Inline frame tag in HTML	One word; lowercase	i-frame; iFrame
inch	Unit of length (see also in. in Measurement suffixes)	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix	9 Inches
index; indices	A data structure or listing of references	Plural is 'indices'	indexes
information and communications technology (see also ICT in Acronyms and initialisms)	Field covering computing, telecommunications, and related technologies	Always include 's' in 'communications'	information and communication technology
infrared (see also IR in Acronyms and initialisms)	Electromagnetic radiation just beyond visible red light	One word; lowercase	infra-red
inkjet	Type of printer that sprays ink onto paper	One word; lowercase	ink jet; ink-jet
install	To set up software or hardware	Use install on a computer; install to a hard drive
Internet of Things (see also IoT in Acronyms and initialisms)	Network of interconnected devices with sensors or software	Capitalise as shown	Internet of things
iPad	Apple trademark	Don't add an 's' to make plural	iPads
iPhone	Apple trademark	Don't add an 's' to make plural	iPhones
iPod	Apple trademark	Don't add an 's' to make plural	iPods

J

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
Java	Programming language used for building applications	Capitalise	java
JavaScript	Programming language primarily used for web development	One word with camel case; capitalise 'J' and 'S'	Javascript; java script

K

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
kibibit (see also Kib in Measurement suffixes)	210 b = 1024 b; unit of binary data	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix
kibibyte (see also KiB in Measurement suffixes)	210 B = 1024 B; unit of binary data	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix
kilobit (see also kb in Measurement suffixes)	103 b = 1000 b; unit of digital data	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix
kilobyte (see also kB in Measurement suffixes)	103 B = 1000 B; unit of digital data	Lowercase; rarely used (consider using KiB instead); abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix
kilogram (see also kg in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of weight	Lowercase	KG
kilohertz (see also kHz in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of frequency	Lowercase	KHZ; khz
kilometre (see also km in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of length	Lowercase	KM
keylogger	Software that records keystrokes	One word	key logger
key press	The action of pressing a key on a keyboard	Two words	keypress
keyword	Search engine term	One word ('Use the right keywords in your web page.')
key word	A reference to a specific word	Two words ('The key word was "almost".')

L

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
language model	A type of machine-learning model trained on large collections of text to recognise patterns in language and predict the most likely next word or sequence of words.	Lowercase	Language Model
large language model (see also LLM in Acronyms and initialisms)	A language model trained on very large datasets to generate, summarise, and translate text with flexibility.	Two words; lowercase unless shortened to the acronym (LLM)	Large Language Model
learnt; learned	Past tense of 'learn'	Both versions are correct in British English, though 'learnt' is encouraged in Raspberry Pi content
legacy	Describes a product that is no longer actively promoted or sold (for example, 'legacy API')	Lowercase; not a title	Legacy API; Legacy stack
LEGO; Lego	A company (The LEGO Group) and the bricks that this company makes	Always capitalise at least the first letter; the plural of Lego is 'Lego' or 'Lego bricks'	Legos
litre (see also l in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of volume	Lowercase	9 Litres
libcamera	Software library	One word; lowercase; don't use at the start of a sentence	Libcamera; lib camera
Li-ion	A type of battery: lithium-ion	Capitalise unless writing out in full rather than using this shortened form; hyphenate	li-ion
licence (noun)	Noun: an official document that grants permission	Don't confuse the British English spellings between the noun and the verb
license (verb)	Verb: to give official permission or formal authorisation	Don't confuse the British English spellings between the noun and the verb
like (verb)	React with a thumb's up icon	Lowercase; use with quotation marks (unless the word is hyperlinked), for example: 'Thousands of people "like" Raspberry Pi on Facebook'	Like
LiPo	Lithium polymer; a kind of battery	One word; capitalise the 'L' and 'P'	Lipo; Li Po; Li-Po
lithium-ion (see also Li-ion)	A type of battery	Lowercase	Lithium-ion
Linux	A trademarked family of open source operating systems, based on the Linux kernel	Capitalised, but not in the same way as UNIX	LINUX
little-endian	A data format	Hyphenate	little endian
logic 0; logic 1	Describes binary digital logic states	Write the number as a digit	logic zero; logic one
login	Adjective: use as a modifying noun (for example, 'login details' or 'login page')	One word; don't use as a verb (use sign in instead, which is less technical and also helps to delineate a login page from the process of signing in)	log in
low speed serial interface (see also LoSSI in Acronyms and initialisms)	A low-bandwidth serial interface used in computing	Capitalise as shown; use acronym after first mention	LOSSI

M

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
M key	Edge connector standard for M.s PCIe peripherals; used to differentiate connector types (for example, B key)	Capitalise 'M' only	M Key
M.2	Specification for internally mounted computer expansion cards and connectors	Capitalise; always include a full stop between 'M' and '2'	M2, m.2
Mac	Macintosh; an Apple line of personal computers	Capitalise when referring to the computer	mac; MAC
Mac address	Media Access Control address; hardware identifier for a network interface	Lowercase 'address'; not related to Apple Mac	MAC address; Mac Address
MacBook; MacBook Air; MacBook Pro	Apple trademarks	Don't add an 's to pluralise	Macbooks
machine learning	A subset of artificial intelligence focused on algorithms that learn patterns from data through training rather than through explicit programming; it doesn't involve understanding or awareness.	Lowercase	Machine Learning
machine-learning model	A mathematical or statistical model created through machine-learning algorithms; it doesn't possess understanding, intent, or awareness.	Lowercase	Machine-Learning Model
macOS	Operating system for Apple Mac computers	One word; lowercase 'mac'	MacOS; Mac OS; Mac OS X; OS X; OSX
The MagPi	The old name for Raspberry Pi Official Magazine	'MagPi' is one word; capitalise 'M' and 'P'; use only when referring to historical branding	The Mag Pi; The Magpi
mailbox	A digital message storage location (email context) or hardware mailbox (in electronics)	One word; lowercase	Mailbox; mail box
maker movement	Grassroots movement focused on DIY tech, crafting, and engineering	Lowercase	Maker Movement
maker space	Community-oriented creative or tech space	Use varies: makespace, maker lab, hackspace, maker shed. Hackspace often preferred for branding. Use org-specific naming if referring to a real one.
malware	Malicious software designed to harm or exploit systems	Lowercase	Malware
mass storage device	Any device used to store large amounts of data	Lowercase	Mass Storage Device
Master Boot Record	Legacy system partitioning scheme	Capitalise all three words	master boot record; MBR (unless context demands it)
maths	Mathematics	British English spelling	math
mebibit (see also Mib in Measurement suffixes)	220 b = 1048576 b; unit of digital information used to express binary data sizes	Lowercase; use in contexts where binary precision is important (such as networking and memory)	Mebibit
mebibyte (see also MiB in Measurement suffixes)	220 B = 1,048,576 bytes; unit of digital information used to express binary data sizes	Lowercase; use when binary precision matters (for example, memory)	Mebibyte
media	Collective term for communication outlets such as TV, newspapers, and online platforms	Treat as a mass noun with singular verb (for example, 'The media is'). Use plural verb if referring to distinct mediums (for example, 'Various media are')
megabit (see also Mb in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of data equal to 1 million bits	Lowercase	Megabit
megabyte (see also MB in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of digital information equal to 1,000,000 bytes (decimal) or 1,048,576 bytes (binary, depending on context)	Lowercase	Megabyte
megahertz (see also MHz in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of frequency equal to one million hertz	Lowercase	Megahertz
megapixel (see also MP in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of image resolution equal to one million pixels	Lowercase	Megapixel
membership of	Belonging to a group, club, or organisation	Use 'membership of' rather than 'membership in' in British English	membership in
metadata	Data about data	One word; lowercase	meta data; Meta Data
metre (see also m in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of length	Lowercase; British spelling	Metre; meter
metatag	Tags embedded in web pages to describe content	One word; lowercase	meta tag; Meta Tag
mic	Short for microphone		mike
microchip	A tiny piece of material that contains electronic circuits	One word; lowercase	micro chip
micro HDMI	A smaller HDMI connector type	No hyphen unless modifying a proceeding word; lowercase 'micro'	Micro HDMI; micro-HDMI
micro USB	A smaller USB connector type	Two words; no hyphen; lowercase 'micro'	Micro USB; micronUSB
micro:bit	Pocket-sized microcontroller board for education	Lowercase with colon; avoid starting a sentence with 'micro:bit'; add 'BBC' to the beginning if you have to use it at the beginning of a sentence	Microbit; microbit
Micro:bit Educational Foundation	The company behind the micro:bit	Capitalise all three words; use full name when referring to the organisation	micro:bit Educational Foundation
microarchitecture; microarchitectural	The internal design of a processor	Use instead of 'architecture' when referring to hardware design
microcontroller	Integrated circuit that includes a processor, memory, and I/O	One word; lowercase	Microcontroller; MicroController; Micro Controller; micro controller
microprocessor	Central processing unit on a single chip	One word; lowercase	Microprocessor; MicroProcessor; Micro Processor; micro processor
MicroPython	Python implementation for microcontrollers	One word; capital 'M' and 'P'	micropython; Micro Python
microSD	A small SD card (SanDisk trademark); a proprietary, non-volatile, flash memory card format	One word; lowercase 'micro'	micro SD; MircoSD
microsite	A small or focused website, often part of a campaign	One word; lowercase	micro site; Micro Site
Microsoft .Net	Microsoft’s branding for its developer platform	Use 'Microsoft .Net' in full on first mention
Microsoft Windows (see also Windows)	Operating system by Microsoft	Use full name on first mention if branding clarity is needed; otherwise use Windows	Windows OS (unless unavoidable)
minute	Unit of time	Preferred to the abbreviation (min.), even as a suffix
milligram (see also mg in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of mass	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix
millilitre (see also ml in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of volume	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix
millimetre (see also mm in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of length	Lowercase; abbreviation preferred if using as a suffix
miniSD	Flash memory card format, smaller than standard SD but larger than microSD	One word; lowercase 'mini'	mini SD; MiniSD
mini HDMI	A smaller version of the standard HDMI connector	Two words; lowercase 'mini'	Mini HDMI; mini-HDMI
mini USB	A smaller USB connector used on older devices	Two words; don't hyphenate; lowercase 'mini'	Mini USB; mini USB
mobile	Short for mobile phone	Use sparingly as a noun	cellphone
(the) Moon	The large round object that circles the Earth	Capitalise when referring to the Earth's Moon	the moon
moon	Any moon other than the Earth's Moon	Don't capitalise unless referring to the Earth's Moon	'Jupiter has 95 recognised Moons'
mouse; mice	Input device	Plural is 'mice', even for computer peripherals	mouses
MPEG-2 transport stream	A container format defined in the MPEG-2 standard	All caps	Mpeg-2
multi-touch	A touchscreen or trackpad that can recognise two or more points of contact simultaneously	Hyphenate because 'multi-touch' is the logical opposite of 'single-touch' and easier to read, with the repeated 't' in close proximity	multitouch
multi-word	An expression composed of two or more words that function together as a single concept, often as a compound modifier	Hyphenate because it's not yet recognised as a single word	multiword
multimeter	Device for measuring electrical values	Spelled 'er' at the end, even in British English	multimetre

N

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
nano	Linux text editor	Lowercase; full name is 'GNU nano'	Nano
NeoPixels	Adafruit trademark	One word; capitalise 'N' and 'P'	Neopixels; neopixels; Neo Pixels
news feed	A continuously updated stream of content on a website, app, or social media platform	Two words	newsfeed
newsreader	Job title and RSS (news) feed	One word	news reader
nickel-metal hydride (see also Ni-MH in Acronyms and initialisms)	A type of battery	Lowercase; hyphen between 'nickel' and 'metal'	nickel metal hydride
Node-RED	A visual tool for wiring the Internet of Things	Hyphenate; Capitalise 'N'; 'RED' in all caps	Node RED
Node.js	A runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript code outside of a web browser	Capitalise and include a full stop as shown	node.js; NodeJS
no one	Nobody	Two words; don't hyphenate	no-one
NOOBS	Deprecated Raspberry Pi software that stands for 'New Out Of Box Software', used to install an OS on a Raspberry Pi	All caps	Noobs; noobs
Non-secure	The TrustZone security domain of the same name	Capitalise only in this context	non-secure (in the context of TrustZone)

O

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
object-oriented programming (see also OOP in Acronyms and initialisms)	A programming paradigm based on the concept of 'objects'	Hyphenate	object oriented programming
offline	Not connected to the internet or a network	One word	off-line
offshoot	Something that branches off from a main system or idea	One word	off-shoot
ohm (see also Ω in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of electrical resistance	Lowercase despite being a proper name; use Ω for values, not R	Ohm; 4 ohm; 4R
on-board (adj.); on board (adverb)	Describes components on a circuit board	'There is an on-board wireless antenna'; 'There is a wireless antenna on board'	onboard (in the context of computers)
onboard (adj.); on board (adverb)	Refers to vessels or vehicles	'There are two Raspberry Pi computers on board the International Space Station'; 'Input from sensors in the hull is sent to the ship's onboard computer'	on-board (in the context of vessels or vehicles)
online	Connected to or available through the internet	One word	on-line; on line
off-screen	Not visible on the display or outside the visible display area	Always hyphenated	off screen; offscreen
on-screen	Visible on the display or occurring within the display area	Always hyphenated	on screen; onscreen
OpenOCD	Open On-Chip Debugger	One word; capitalise as shown	Open OCD; openOCD
open source	Software with freely available source code	Lowercase; no hyphen whether used as a noun or adjective	open-source
overclocking (noun); overclock (verb)	Increasing a component’s clock rate beyond specifications	Never use clock as a verb unless context is clear (for example, dynamic frequency clocking)	Clock (as a verb for this context(
overcurrent	Excess current	One word	over current; over-current
overvoltage	Excess voltage	One word	over voltage; over-voltage
overwrite	Replace existing data	One word	over write; over-write

P

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
page view	An instance of a page being loaded or viewed	Two words	pageview
passcode	A numeric code for authentication	One word	pass code
passphrase	A sequence of words used for authentication	One word	pass phrase
password	A string used for authentication	One word	pass word
password-protect	To secure something using a password	Hyphenated verb	password protect
PCIe 3.0 x 1 (see also PCIe in Abbreviation list)	A PCI Express specification	Use the letter 'x', not multiplication symbol	PCIe 3.0 × 1
peer-to-peer (see also P2P in Abbreviation list)	Direct interaction between nodes or devices	Hyphenated adjective	peer to peer
percent	Unit expressing proportion per hundred	One word	per cent
Peripheral Address Map	Structured table of memory addresses for peripherals	Capitalise all three words	peripheral address map
Perl	A programming language	Capitalise	perl; pearl
pharming	Redirecting traffic from a legitimate-looking site to a spoofed site	Lowercase	Pharming
Phillips screwdrivers, Phillips screw	A specific type of cross-head tool or screw	Proper noun, not a trademark; capital 'P'; unrelated to Philips the company (one 'l')	Philips screwdriver; phillips screwdriver
phishing	Tricking someone into giving out sensitive information using an email or text message that looks legitimate	Lowercase	Phishing; fishing
photobooth	A compact installation or app for taking photos	One word	photo booth
Photoshop	Adobe trademark	Use as an adjective or proper noun, never a verb	photoshop (as a verb); photoshopped
picamera, picamera2	Software libraries that provide a pure Python interface to Raspberry Pi cameras; includes the PiCamera class	One word; lowercase	PiCamera (when referring to the library name)
Pi-hole	A network-level ad blocker for Raspberry Pi	Hyphenate; capitalise 'P'	pi-hole; Pihole
PiServer	Software for centrally controlling many Raspberry Pis (for example, in a classroom)	Capitalise 'P' and 'S'; no space	Pi-server
Pi In The Sky (PITS) board	A high-altitude ballooning telemetry board	Capitalise each word	Pi in the sky; Pi in the Sky; pits board
Picademy	Training courses for teachers	One word; capitalise; if possible, pluralise by adding 'sessions', 'courses', or similar	Pi-cademy; picademy
PipeWire	A multimedia framework for Linux	One word; capitalise 'P' and 'W'	Pipe Wire; pipewire
playlist	A list of media items (such as songs or videos) grouped for playback	One word; lowercase	play list
podcast	A digital audio program available for download or streaming	One word	pod cast
polyfuse	Resettable fuse for electronics	One word; lowercase	poly fuse
Post-it	3M trademark	Hyphenate and capitalise; don't use as a noun; add 'notes' to make it plural (Post-it notes)	post-its
Power HAT+	Expansion board for Raspberry Pi providing additional power options	Capitalise 'P' and 'HAT'	power HAT; Power hat
pre-soldered	An electronic component or part that already has solder applied to its pins or pads during manufacturing	An exception to the hyphenation rule for the 'pre' prefix. For more information, see Prefixes and suffixes	presoldered
printout (noun)	Physical copy of printed material	One word; lowercase	print out
print off (verb)	Action of printing a document	Two words; lowercase
pro forma (income) statement	Financial statement showing projected results	Two words	pro-forma; proforma
program (computer; computing)	A computer application or software	American spelling only in the context of computing	computer programme (in a computing context)
programme	British spelling of 'program' outside of computing	British English; see program above for the exception in computing	'television program'
pseudocode	Informal description of an algorithm	One word; lowercase	pseudo-code
pull-up resistor	Resistor used in electronic logic circuits	Hyphenate; can be shortened to PU resistor during repeated heavy usage	pullup resistor; pull up resistor
pull-down resistor	Resistor used in electronic logic circuits	Hyphenate; can be shortened to PD resistor during repeated heavy usage	pulldown resistor; pull down resistor
PuTTY	Popular SSH/Telnet software used to access Raspberry Pi	Capitalise as shown (lowercase 'u')	putty; Putty
Pygame	Python library for game development	Capitalise	pygame
Pygame Zero	Python library for beginner-friendly game development	Capitalise each word	pygame zero
Python (language)	Programming language used on Raspberry Pi	Capitalise	python

Q

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
QR code (see also Acronyms and initialisms)	A machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone	Don't hyphenate; capitalise 'QR'	QR-code
quad core (noun); quad-cor (adj.)	A processor with four independent cores that can run tasks simultaneously	Hyphenated when modifying a noun, for example, quad-core processor
QuickTime	Apple trademark	One word; capitalise 'Q' and 'T'	Quicktime; Quick Time
Qt	A cross-platform application development framework used to create applications	Capitalise as shown (lowercase 't')	qt; QT
QtGL (Qt OpenGL module)	An extension of Qt that allows integration of OpenGL graphics into Qt applications	One word; capitalise as shown (lowercase 't')	QTGL

R

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
Raspberry Pi	A small single-board computer developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation.	Don't abbreviate; plural is 'Raspberry Pis', but adding another word to make it plural is preferred, for example 'Raspberry Pi devices'	Raspberry; Pi; Raspberry Pi's
Raspberry Pi 2; Raspberry Pi 3B+ (and so on)	Specific models of Raspberry Pi computers, differentiated by generation and features	Always include 'Raspberry' before 'Pi'; don't abbreviate to just 'Pi'	Pi 5
Raspberry Pi icon	Official graphical representation of a Raspberry Pi device	Don't drop 'Raspberry' or 'Pi'; lowercase 'icon'	Raspberry Pi Icon; Pi icon; Raspberry icon;
Raspberry Pi menu	The software menu in the Raspberry Pi OS interface	Don't drop 'Raspberry' or 'Pi'; lowercase 'menu'	Raspberry Pi Menu; Pi menu; Raspberry menu;
(the) Raspberry Pi Foundation	The Raspberry Pi charity that develops Raspberry Pi computers and educational resources	Requires a definite article: The Raspberry Pi Foundation	Raspberry Pi Foundation
Raspberry Pi OS	The official operating system for Raspberry Pi computers, formerly known as Raspbian	Capitalise; doesn't take a definite article, for example, 'Raspberry Pi OS is our official recommended operating system'; capitalise	The Raspberry Pi OS
Raspberry Pi OS Lite	A minimal version of Raspberry Pi OS without a desktop environment	Capitalise	Raspberry Pi lite
Raspberry Pi Weekly	A weekly email newsletter	Capitalise	Raspberry Pi weekly
Raspberry Pi Zero	A smaller, lower-cost version of Raspberry Pi	Capitalise; spell out 'Zero'	Raspberry Pi zero; Raspberry Pi 0
Raspberry Pi Zero W	A Raspberry Pi Zero with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth	Don't use 'wireless' instead of 'W'	Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless
Raspbian	The former name of Raspberry Pi OS, a Debian-based operating system for Raspberry Pi computers
Raspbian Lite	A minimal version of Raspbian (now Raspberry Pi OS Lite) without a desktop environment.
Resource Repository	A collection of teaching materials, software, and documentation provided by the NCCE for Raspberry Pi projects	Capitalised when referring to the NCCE Resource Repository	resource repository
RetroPie	Software platform for emulating classic video game consoles on Raspberry Pi and other devices	Two words; capital 'R' and 'P'	Retropie; RetroPiE
right-click	An action performed by pressing the secondary button on a mouse or touchpad	Hyphenate	right click
ringtone	A sound played by a mobile phone to indicate an incoming call	One word	ring tone
Roku	Company name and the name of a streaming media device (trademark)	Don't add an 's' to make plural (add 'boxes' or 'devices' instead)	Rokus
RP1	The companion chip used in Raspberry Pi 5 to provide system-level I/O control.	All caps; not an acronym; not to be confused with the first Raspberry Pi	Raspberry Pi 1
RP2040	The full name of a microcontroller	Don't add Raspberry Pi	Raspberry Pi RP2040
RP2350	The full name of a microcontroller	Don't add Raspberry Pi	Raspberry Pi RP2350
RS Components	A global distributor of electronic, electrical, and industrial components	Name of the company (capitalise 'RS' and 'C'); use full name in the first instance in a chapter section; then just RS	RS components
RSS (news) feed; RSS newsreader (See also RSS in Abbreviation list)	A standardised system for the distribution of content from an online publisher.	Don't use 'RSS' in isolation	RSS

S

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
SanDisk	A company that produces flash memory products, including SD cards, USB drives, and solid-state drives	One word; capitalise 'S' and 'D'	Sandisk; San Disk
Schmitt trigger	An electronic circuit that converts a noisy input signal into a clean digital output	Capitalise 'Schmitt'	schmitt trigger
screen	The display surface of a computer monitor or television	Don't use to refer to a page on a website
screen name	The name or handle used to identify a user in a software application or online service	Two words; lowercase	screenname
screen reader	An accessibility tool that reads out text and interface elements on a screen	Two words; lowercase	screenreader
screencast	A video recording of a computer screen, often with audio narration	One word; lowercase	screen cast
screensaver	A program that activates when a computer is idle	One word; lowercase	screen saver; screen-saver
screenshot	An image of the on-screen display of a computer or mobile device	One word; preferred over 'screengrab'	screen shot; screengrab; screen grab
scroll bar	A graphical interface element that allows the user to scroll content vertically or horizontally	Two words; lowercase	scrollbar
scroll wheel	The wheel on a mouse used for scrolling content up or down	Two words; lowercase	scrollwheel
SD Association (see also SDA in Acronyms and initialisms)	Developers of SD and SDHC cards	Capitalise	SD association
SD card	Secure Digital memory card format	Don't capitalise 'card'	SD Card
SDHC card	Secure Digital High-Capacity card	Don't capitalise 'card'	SDHC Card
Secure	Reference to the TrustZone domain of the same name	Capitalise only in this context	secure (when referring to the TrustZone domain)
secure boot	A security feature that ensures only trusted software (signed and verified) can run on a device during startup; things can boot securely without adhering to the standard	Lowercase unless referring to a specific, named secure-boot process	Secure Boot
security key	A hardware device or token used for authentication, typically for two-factor authentication	Lowercase	Security Key
short code	A shortened number used for SMS messaging or mobile services	Two words when referring to a mobile phone	shortcode
sidebar	A vertical column in a user interface that contains navigation or supplementary information	One word	side bar
sign in (to)	Verb: authenticate to gain access to a system or service	Two words, hyphenated as appropriate (see Compound modifiers); use instead of 'log in' or 'log on'; don't use as a noun or adjective (use login instead of 'signin'); 'in' and 'to' are separate words	signin; sign into
sign-out (noun, adjective); sign out (verb)	Action or process of ending an authenticated session in a system or service	Two words; hyphenate as appropriate	signout
sign-up (noun, adjective); sign up (verb)	Action or process of registering for a service or account	Two words; hyphenate as appropriate	signup
SIM card	subscriber identity module card	Don't spell out 'SIM'	subscriber identity module card
single-board computer (see also SBC in Acronyms and initialisms)	A computer built on a single circuit board, like a Raspberry Pi	Hyphenate 'single-board'	single board computer
system in package (see also SiP in Acronyms and initialisms)	A microelectronic device that integrates multiple ICs into a single package	Lowercase	System in Package
sitemap	A visual or textual representation of the structure of a website	One word	site map
slideshow	A sequence of images or slides presented on a screen	One word; lowercase	slide show
smart card	A card used for authentication, payment, or identification	Two words; lowercase	smartcard; smart-card
smartphone	A mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities and internet connectivity	One word; lowercase	smart phone; smart-phone
SODIMM (see also SBC in Acronyms and initialisms)	A type of compact memory module used in laptops and small computers	No hyphen	SO-DIMM
software	Collective noun for computer programs	When singular, never write 'a software'; use 'a piece of software' (preferred) or 'a software program'	a software
sound bite	A short extract from a recorded speech or interview	Two words	soundbite
soundcheck	Testing and adjusting audio equipment before a performance or recording session	One word	sound check
soundstage	An acoustically treated environment	One word	sound stage
spellchecker	A tool for identifying spelling (and sometimes grammatical) errors	One word	spell checker; spell-checker
splot	The individual nubble on a Lego brick, for example, a Raspberry Pi fits into a case measuring 7 × 11 splots	Lowercase	Splot
spyware	Malicious software designed to gather information about a person or organisation without their knowledge	One word	spy ware
standalone	Something that can operate independently without additional components	One word; no hyphen	stand-alone
STL file	File format (stereolithography) used for 3D-printing models	Though the extension itself is stl, in running text, write STL in all-caps with no dot before it	.stl; .STL
style sheet	A document that defines the presentation of structured documents (such as HTML or XML)	Lowercase, even when referring to CSS, for example, 'Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language'; see also CSS in Acronyms and initialisms
substring	A contiguous sequence of characters within a string	One word	sub-string
sulphur	A chemical element (S)	British English spelling	sulfur
sync, synched, synching	Short for 'synchronise', 'synchronised', and 'synchronising'	Omit the 'h' in 'sync'; add the 'h' for derivatives	synch; synced; syncing

T

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
T-shirt	A short-sleeved casual top	Capital 'T'; hyphenated	t-shirt; Tshirt
TensorFlow	Open source machine learning framework	One word; capitalise 'T' and 'F'	Tensor Flow; Tensorflow
terminal	The command line in a GUI (for example, 'Enter the command into the terminal')	Lowercase when talking about the command line more generally	Open a Terminal window
Terminal	A proper noun when referring to the Terminal application on Raspberry Pi OS and when referring to a Terminal application on an Apple computer	Only capitalise when talking about the named application on Raspberry Pi OS or an Apple computer	Raspberry Pi terminal
thin client	A lightweight computer that relies on a server for processing	Two words	thin-client
third-party	External vendors or services	Spell out 'third'; hyphenate	3rd party; 3rd-party
timelapse	Photography or video technique	One word; lowercase	time lapse; Timelapse
timeshift	Video or broadcast term	One word	time shift, time-shift
title bar	Top bar of a window showing the document or program name	Two words; lowercase	Title Bar
TiVo	Trademarked digital video recorder brand	Capitalise 'T' and 'V'; don't use as a verb or add an 's' to make plural	Tivo; TiVos
to-do; to-dos (pl.)	Task list item	Hyphenate for this particular meaning	todo; to do
toolbar	UI element with buttons or controls	One word; lowercase	Toolbar; tool bar
tooltip	UI element that displays additional information on hover	One word; lowercase	Tooltip; tool tip
touchpad	A touch-sensitive surface, usually on a laptop, that allows you to control a computer's pointer and perform other actions by moving your fingers on its surface	One word; lowercase; prefer over 'trackpad'	Touchpad; touch pad; trackpad
touchscreen	A display device with touch input capabilities	One word; lowercase	Touchscreen; touch screen
towards	Directional term	British English spelling	toward
trackball	Input device	One word; lowercase	Trackball; track ball
trade show	Event for showcasing products or services	Two words	tradeshow
transport stream	MPEG-2 transport stream; a standard digital container format for transmission and storage of audio, video, and Program and System Information Protocol data	Lowercase except for proper acronym	Transport Stream
Trinket	Online platform and organisation (trinket.io)	Capitalise	trinket (when referring to the service or organisation)
trinket; trinkets	Projects on Trinket	Lowercase	Trinkets for projects
Trojan horse	Malware type or historical term	Two words; capitalise first word	trojan horse
troubleshoot	Identify and resolve a problem	One word	trouble-shoot

U

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
USB-C; USB Type-C	USB Type-C connector	Hyphenate as shown; see also USB-C in Acronyms and initialism for guidance on when to use which version
USB flash drive	Portable flash storage device	Only capitalise the initialism	USB Flash Drive
USB On-The-Go (OTG)	USB feature for device-to-device connection	Hyphenate and capitalise as shown	USB on-the-go
undervoltage	Electrical condition of lower than expected voltage	One word	under voltage
unfriend (verb)	Action to remove someone as a friend on Facebook; see also friend	Lowercase	Unfriend
Unix; UNIX	Operating system	Prefer Unix (as is common usage, though trademark is UNIX)	unix
user base	Collection of users for a product or service	Two words	userbase
username	Identifier used by a user to sign in	One word	user name
userland	OS software that does not belong in the kernel	One word	user land

V

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
video camera	Device for recording video	Two words	videocamera
video game	Electronic game played on a computer or console	Two words	videogame
videoconference	Meeting conducted through a video link	One word	video conference; video-conference
vision-language model (see also VLM in Acronyms and initialisms)	A multimodal machine-learning model trained on visual and textual data to interpret images in relation to language and generate or respond to text grounded in visual inputs.	Hyphenate 'vision-language'; lowercase unless shortened to the acronym (VLM)	vision language model; Vision-Language Model
voicemail	System for storing voice messages	One word	voice mail; voice-mail
volt (see also V in Measurement suffixes)	Unit of electric potential	Lowercase unless using the abbreviation	3.3 Volts; 3.3 v; 3V3

W

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
wallpaper	Background image for a screen	One word	wall paper
watt (see also W in Measurement suffixes)	The standard scientific unit of power, representing the rate at which energy is transferred or consumed	Lowercase unless using the abbreviation	Watts
web	See World Wide Web	Lowercase	Web
webcam	Video camera connected to a computer or internet	One word	web cam; web-cam
webcast	Streaming media over the internet	One word	web case; web-cast
webinar	Online seminar	Prefer 'online seminar'; lowercase	Webinar
webmaster	Person who maintains a website	One word	web master
web page	A single page on a website	Two words	webpage
web server	Server delivering web content	Two words	web server
website	Collection of web pages	One word	web site
whilst	Used only to mean 'during the time that'	British English spelling; for clarity, don't use to mean 'although' or 'when'	while (American English)
white paper	Authoritative report or guide	Two words; lowercase	whitepaper
widescreen	Display format	One word	wide screen; wide-screen
Wi-Fi® (see also Wi-Fi in Acronyms and initialisms)	Wireless networking technology	Hyphenate; capitalise 'W' and 'F'	wi-fi; WiFi
wiki	Collaborative website	Lowercase; plural is wikis	Wiki
word mark	Text-based version of a logo	Two words	wordmark
word-of-mouth	Informal communication or recommendations	Hyphenated	word of mouth
workflow	Sequence of processes	One word	work flow
World Wide Web (see also WWW in Acronyms and initialisms)	The system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed through the internet, typically using a web browser	Capitalise	world wide web
writable	Capable of being written to	No 'e' in the middle of the word	writeable

X

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
X	Social network formerly known as Twitter	Not an abbreviation; use language like 'X, formerly known as Twitter'	Twitter instead of X
X-ray	Imaging technique using X-rays	Hyphenate	Xray
x86 architecture	Processor architecture	Lowercase 'x', numbers closed up	X86; X-86
X Windows	GUI framework for Unix-like systems	No hyphen; capitalise 'X' and 'W'	X-Windows

Y-Z

Use	Description	Notes	Don’t use
Yahoo!	Web services company and brand (trademark)	Include exclamation mark	Yahoo
zip file	Compressed archive file format	Two words; lowercase	Zip file; .zip file (in running text)

Abbreviation list

This section lists acceptable acronyms, initialisms, and shorthand notations of units of measurement.

Acronyms and initialisms

Unless specified in the Usage column, the following acronyms don't typically need to be spelled out on first use. However, use your best judgement as to whether spelling something out on first mention would be useful to the audience. This might be because:

• It's less well-known for the audience (for example, GSM).
• It has more than one meaning (for example, ISP).

Don't spell out the full phrase that an acronym or initialism represents on first use if:

• The acronym or initialism is more common than the full phrase it represents (for example, ATM or www).
• Most people don't know the full phrase that an acronym or initialism represents (for example, URL or PDF).
• The acronym or initialism is the main name of a company or product (for example, IBM or IMAX).

A-B

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
AI	See artificial intelligence in Word list
APT	Advanced Package Tool for managing software in Debian-based Linux systems	Use 'APT' when you mean the package management system; use apt (lowercase) when referring to commands entered into the Terminal
AWG	American Wire Gauge
BGA	Ball grid array
BIOS	Basic Input/Output System
BSD	Berkeley Software Distribution
BMP	Bitmap

|apt|Advanced Package Tool for managing software in Debian Linux| Lowercase; not an acronym| APT|

C-D

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
CAN bus	Controller Area Network bus
CAPTCHA	Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart
CAS	Computing at School	Spell out on first use for clarity
CD	Compact disc	Plural is 'CDs'
CD-R	CD-recordable	Plural is 'CD-Rs'
CD-ROM	CD-read-only memory	Plural is 'CD-ROMs'
CD-RW	CD-rewritable	Plural is 'CD-RWs'
CGI	Computer-generated imaging or common gateway interface or computer graphics interface	Be explicit which meaning applies on first use
CLI	command line interface
codec	coder; decoder	Used in video and audio contexts
CPU	central processing unit
CSS	Cascading Style Sheets
CSV	comma-separated values
DOM	See Document Object Model in Word list
DoS	Denial-of-Service attack
DOS (see also MS-DOS)	Disk Operating System	Acronym for several closely related operating systems
DV	digital video.
DVD	digital video disc
DVR	digital video recorder

E-F

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
EEG	Electroencephalogram
EEPROM	electrically erasable programmable read only memory
ESP	email service provider
EULA	end-user licence agreement
FAQ	frequently asked questions	Avoid using FAQs
FourCC	Four-character code for media files
FTP	File Transfer Protocol

G-H

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
GPIO	General-Purpose Input/Output	All caps; don't spell out unless needed
GIF	Graphic Interchange Format	Plural is 'GIFs'
GNU	The GNU Project (a recursive acronym)	GNU is not UNIX
GPU	graphics processing unit
GSM	Global System for Mobile Communications
GUI	graphical user interface
HAT	Hardware Attached on Top	Describing various add-on boards such as the Sense HAT
HDTV	high-definition television
HD audio	high-definition audio	Full HD audio is 192kHz; HD audio is 96kHz
HDMI®	High-Definition Multimedia Interface	See HDMI in word list for more detail; drop the ® symbol after first use
HTML	Hypertext Markup Language

I-J

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
I2C	Inter-Integrated Circuit	Used for peripherals on Raspberry Pi; no superscript
IBM	Company name
IC	integrated circuit
ICT	information and communications technology
ID	identification	Plural is 'IDs' but try not to use
IDLE	Python IDE installed on Raspbian, found under the 'Programming' menu as 'Python 3 (IDLE)'
IMAX	Trademark	Use as an adjective, not a noun
IoT	See Internet of Things in Word list
I/O	Input/Output	Don't use 'IO'; see also PIO
IOPS	Input/Output operations per second	Spell out on first use
IP	intellectual property or Internet Protocol	Be clear about which one you mean when you mention it on first use
IR	infrared
ISP	internet service provider or image signal processor (not image sensor pipeline, which is now deprecated)	Be clear about which one you mean when you mention it on first use
IT	information technology
JPEG	Joint Photographic Experts Group	Only use the abbreviation

K-L

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
LAN	local area network
LCD	liquid-crystal display	Plural is LCDs
LED	light-emitting diode	Plural is LEDs
LLM	See large language model in Word list
LoSSI	See Low speed serial interface in Word list	Abbreviate after spelling it out on first use
LXDE	Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment

M-N

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
MP3	MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3
MPEG	Moving Picture Experts Group; also refers to a compression methodology whose standards are set by this group
MPEG-2	A standard for the encoding of video and audio
MS-DOS (see also DOS)	Microsoft Disk Operating System; trademark for a Microsoft operating system from the DOS family
Ni-MH	See nickel-metal hydride in Word list	Capitalisation differs on expansion
NIC	network interface card
NLP	natural language processing
NPU	neural processing unit

O-P

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
OEM	original equipment manufacturer	Preferable to factory when talking about the place where Raspberry Pi computers are made
OK	The American phonicisation of OK, which is derived from military banter ('oll korrect')	OK isn't actually short for 'okay'
OOP	See object-oriented programming in Word list	Spell out and define on first use
OS	operating system	Plural is 'OSes'
P2P	peer-to-peer
PC	personal computer	Abbreviate after spelling it out on first use to avoid confusion with 'politically correct'
PCB	printed circuit board
PCIe	Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
PDF	Portable Document Format (Adobe file format)	Only use the abbreviation
PhD	Doctor of Philosophy
PIO	programmable I/O	Not PI/O or any other form
PITS	See Pi In The Sky in Word list
PIN	personal identification number	No need to include 'number' after 'PIN'
PoE	Power over Ethernet
PS2; PS3; PS4; PS5	PlayStation 2, 3, 4, or 5
PU resistor	pull-up resistor	Only use the abbreviation for heavily repeated usage
PD resistor	pull-down resistor	Only use the abbreviation for heavily repeated usage

Q-R

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
Q&A	Question-and-Answer
QR code	quick-response code	Only use the abbreviation
RAM	random access memory	Only use the abbreviation
ROM	Read-Only Memory
RSS	Really Simple Syndication	Use in combination with 'feed' or 'newsreader'
RTC	real-time clock

S-T

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
SDA	See SD Association in Word list
SIM	See SIM card in Word list	Use in combination with 'card'
SBC	See single-board computer in Word list
SiP	system in package
SMS	short message service
SoC	system on chip
SODDIM	Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module; see also SODDIM in Word list
SoM	system on module
SSH	Secure Shell
STL	See STL file in Word list
SWD	Serial Wire Debug
TOS	Terms of Service
TV	television

U-V

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
UART	universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter
UF2	File format for flashing microcontrollers
UI	user interface
UK	United Kingdom
UN	United Nations
URL	Uniform Resource Locator	Only use the abbreviation
USA	United States of America
USB	Universal Serial Bus	Only use the abbreviation
USB-C	See USB-C; USB Type-C in Word list	USB-C in blog posts, magazine articles, or books; USB Type-C acceptable in technical writing like datasheets
USB 2.0; USB 3.0	USB connector or version
USB OTG	See USB On-The-Go in Word list
VGA	Video Graphics Array
VLM	See vision-language model in Word list
VoIP	Voice over Internet Protocol
VPN	Virtual Private Network	Abbreviation is always acceptable

W-X

Abbreviation	Meaning	Usage
WAN	Wide Area Network
Wi-Fi®	See Wi-Fi in Word list	Only use the abbreviation; drop the ® symbol after first use
WWW	See World Wide Web in Word list
WYSIWYG	What You See Is What You Get
xHCI	Extensible Host Controller Interface (USB standard)	Capitalise as shown
XHTML	Extensible Hypertext Markup Language
XML	Extensible Markup Language

Measurement suffixes

Unless otherwise stated, most of the following units of measure:

• Should only be used as a suffix, otherwise, spell out the full word that it represents.
• Require a space between the number and the unit, preferably a non-breaking space.

Abbreviation	Meaning	Use	Example
°C	See Celsius in Word list	Uppercase; no space between the number and the unit	25°C
°F	See Fahrenheit in Word list	Uppercase; no space between the number and the unit	72°F
%	Percent; don't use instead of 'percentage'	No space between the number and the symbol	5%
Ω	See ohm in Word list	Don't use 'R' in place of 'Ω'	9 Ω
A	See ampere in Word list	Uppercase; space between the number and the unit	5 V at 3 A (15 W)
b	See bit in Word list	Lowercase	16 b
B	see Byte in Word list	Uppercase	16 B
b/s	Bits per second	Lowercase	100 b/s
B/s	Bytes per second	Uppercase 'B'	100 B/s
g	See gram in Word list	Lowercase	9 g
Gb	See gigabit in Word list	Uppercase 'G'	9 Gb
Gb/s	Gigabits per second	Uppercase 'G'	9 Gb/s
Gib	See gibibit in Word list	Uppercase 'G'	9 Gib
Gib/s	Gibibits per second	Uppercase 'G'	9 Gib/s
GiB (see also GB)	See gibibyte in Word list	Uppercase 'G' and 'B'; use only for a technical audience; GB preferred for a general audience	9 GiB
GiB/s	Gibibytes per second	Uppercase 'G' and 'B'	9 GiB/s
GB	See gigabyte in Word list	All caps	9 GB
GB/s	Gigabytes per second	Uppercase;	9 GB/s
GHz	See gigahertz in Word list	Uppercase 'GH'	9 GHz
GT	See Gigatransfers in Word list	Uppercase 'GT'; used in specific hardware contexts (e.g., PCIe) and not technically an SI unit
GT/s	GigaTransfers per second; see also Gigatransfers in Word list	Uppercase 'GT'; MB/s preferred for a general audience	9 GT/s
in.	See inch in Word list	Lowercase; include a full stop after 'in'	9 in.
kb	See kilobit in Word list	Lowercase	9 kb
kb/s	Kilobits per second	Lowercase	9 kb/s
kB	See kilobyte in Word list	Uppercase 'B'	9 kB
kB/s	Kilobytes per second	Uppercase 'B'	9 kB/s
Kib	See kibibit in Word list	Uppercase 'K'	9 Kib
Kib/s	Kibibits per second	Uppercase 'K'	9 Kib/s
kg	See kilogram in Word list	Lowercase	9 kg
kHz	See kilohertz in Word list	Uppercase 'H'	9 kHz
km	See kilometre in Word list	Lowercase	9 km
km/h	kilometres per hour	Lowercase	9 km/h
l	See litre in Word list	Lowercase, unless there is a high likelihood of it being misread as a capital 'I' or '1', in which case, uppercase is acceptable	9 l; 9 L
m	See metre in Word list	Lowercase	9 m
Mb	See megabit in Word list	Uppercase 'M'	9 Mb
MB	See megabyte in Word list	All caps	9 MB
Mb/s	Megabits per second	Uppercase 'M'	9 Mb/s
MB/s	Megabytes per second	Uppercase 'MB'	9 MB/s
MHz	see megahertz in Word list	Uppercase 'MH'	9 MHz
Mib	See mebibit in Word list	Uppercase 'M'	9 Mib
MiB	See mebibyte in Word list	Uppercase 'M' and 'B'	9 MiB
Mib/s	Mebibits per second	Uppercase 'M'	9 Mib/s
MiB/s	Mebibytes per second	Uppercase 'M' and 'B'; rarely used (consider MB/s instead)	9 MiB/s
min.	Minute	Use only where space is at a premium; include a full stop after 'min'	9 min.
MIPS	million instructions per second	All caps	9 MIPS
mg	See milligram in Word list	Lowercase	9 mg
ml	See millilitre in Word list	Lowercase	9 ml
mm	See millimetre in Word list	Lowercase	9 mm
MP	See megapixel in Word list	All caps	9 MP
mpg	Miles per gallon	Lowercase	9 mpg
mph	Miles per hour	Lowercase	9 mph
V	See volt in Word list	Uppercase	3.3 V (not 3V3)
W	See watt in Word list	Uppercase	60 W

Words and phrases to avoid

This section highlights words and phrases to avoid, and provides preferred alternatives, grouped as follows:

• Insensitive words and phrases. Avoid ableist, gendered, or culturally problematic terms.
• Violent words and phrases. Choose neutral alternatives that reduce aggressive connotations.
• System-focused words and phrases. Refer to user actions rather than device actions.
• Technically incorrect and outdated terminology. Use accurate, modern language that's easier to understand for the wider audience.
• Words with simpler alternatives. Prefer short, clear, everyday words wherever possible.
• Overusing polite words and phrases. Be considerate but concise, avoiding unnecessary wordiness or insincere-sounding platitudes.
• Words and phrases to avoid in technical writing. Guidance that applies strictly to technical writing but also recommended for other types of writing to improve clarity and localisation.
  • Ambiguous words and phrases. Clarify meaning in instructions and technical content.
  • Prose abbreviations and non-English terminology. Use precise English alternatives to common non-English terms (for example, 'faux pas') and Latin terms (for example, 'vice versa') for clarity and easier translation.
  • Colloquialisms and idioms. Avoid slang, metaphors, and expressions that are not globally understood.
  • Subjective and marketing words. Focus on being factual and avoid terms that could be true for one person but not for another (for example, describing something as 'easy').

Insensitive words and phrases

The following words and phrases are problematic because they have ablest, gendered, racial, or other culturally problematic undertones.

Avoid	Use instead	Exceptions
abort	end; leave; stop; exit; cancel	When making direct reference to a UI element that includes the word 'abort'
agnostic	platform-independent
blacklist (see also whitelist)	blocklist; exclude list; deny list	When referring to proper noun or making direct reference to a UI element that includes the word 'blacklist'
black box testing (see also white box testing)	functional testing; acceptance testing
black hat hacker (see also white hat hacker)	bad actor; unauthorized user; malicious hacker
blind	anonymous; ignore
dummy data/value	placeholder data/value; sample data/value
exploit	use
female	socket; port; jack; slot
hand (as in 'right-hand side of the screen')	NA – remove word, e.g., 'right side of the screen'
hands-off	automatic
hands-on	direct; manual
male	connector; plug; pin; header
man hours	person hours; time; resources; effort
man-in-the-middle	attacker-in-the-middle; on-path attacker; or name the specific attack type
master	main; primary; lead(er)	When referring to proper noun or making direct reference to a UI element that includes the word 'master'.
mating	connecting; corresponding; paired; interfacing
mute	silence
native	built-in
owner	lead, manager, expert
sanity check	smoke test; confidence check; coherence check
slave	secondary; subordinate; follower
white glove	high-touch; premium
whitelist (see also blacklist)	allowlist; include list	When referring to proper noun or making direct reference to a UI element that includes the word 'whitelist'.
white box testing (see also black box testing)	glass box testing; clear box testing
white hat hacker (see also black hat hacker)	A specific job title, e.g., 'Cyber Defense Analyst'

Violent words and phrases

The following words and phrases might be common in developer contexts, but have violent connotations in everyday contexts.

Avoid	Use instead
execute	run
hang	freeze; stop responding; halt
hit	select; press; type
kill	end; stop
scrape	crawl
strip(ped)	remove(d); replace(d)
target	anchor; deliver; choose; point to; position; direct(ed); select; insert; activate; send to
terminate	stop; exit; cancel; end
trigger	prompt; start; generate; initiate

System-focused words and phrases

Avoid talking about mouse and keyboard actions. Instead, refer to user actions.

Avoid	Use instead	Exceptions
click	select; choose	When you have to refer specifically to mouse actions, for example, 'select the option by right-clicking on the button'
hover (see also mouseover)	hold; pass; move [your cursor over]
mouseover; mouse over (see also hover)	roll; move your cursor over
press (see also type)	enter
scroll	move through
text box	box; field
type (see also press)	enter
toggle on/off	turn on using the toggle; turn off using the toggle

Technically incorrect and outdated terminology

Avoid using outdated terms, especially those that are ambiguous or no longer reflect current usage. Use modern, inclusive, and accurate language that aligns with current industry standards and audience expectations. When replacing older terms, aim for clarity and specificity.

Avoid	Use instead	Exceptions
bookazine
code, coding	computer programming; software engineering
digital age, digital native, digital divide	NA – don't use
cyber		If you do need to use it, don't hyphenate, for example: cyberattack; cyberterrorism
dongle	USB drive; (USB) flash drive; (USB) memory stick
k (see also Numbers)	thousand; kilobytes; kB
KB	kB; KiB
KB/s	kB/s; KiB/s
machine	computer	When not talking about a computer
microblog	social media platform (or the specific brand)
PCIe connector (a standard that Raspberry Pi 5 isn't using)	Raspberry Pi connector for PCIe	When not referring to Raspberry Pi
southbridge	Input/Output Controller Hub; I/O Controller Hub (ICH)
snail mail	the post; mail
thumb drive	USB drive; (USB) flash drive; (USB) memory stick
Twitter	X	When specifically referring to the former name of X
tweet	post on X (formerly Twitter)
weblog	blog	When explaining etymology of blog
web browser	browser

Words with simpler alternatives

Choose short, simple, everyday words over long, formal, or complicated words.

Avoid	Use instead	Exceptions
access	see; edit; find; use; view
allow (see also enable)	let
assistance	help
comprises	consists of; contains; includes
enable (see also allow)	let
for instance	for example; such as
further	more
ingest	load; import
in order to	to	When the word 'to' is in the middle of a sentence and 'in order to' would clarify the meaning.
leverage	use
navigate	go	Sentences other than 'Navigate to', for example, 'This allows you to stay updated without having to navigate away from the page'.
navigation	menu
possible	can	When setting expectations about what might go wrong, for example, 'It is possible for data to change'.
proceeding	following; next
utilise	use

Overusing polite words and phrases

Be considerate, not over-polite. Avoid overusing 'please', 'thank you', and 'sorry', especially for normal operations. Adding these phrases might be polite, but they can seem disingenuous and slow users down with wordiness.

Avoid	Use instead	Exceptions
'Please' in the context of normal product usage, even if you’re explaining a difficult task	NA – remove word	When asking for permission or forgiveness, for example, when what you’re asking for only benefits Raspberry Pi, inconveniences the user, or suggests a potential issue.
'Please note' to start a sentence	Use a callout box prefaced with 'Note:' in bold
'Sorry' in the context of normal product functioning	NA – remove word	Use only in situations that cause problems for the user, such as a system crash or data loss.
'Thank you' for any notice or action	NA – remove word	Use when you’re asking someone to provide input.

Words and phrases to avoid in technical writing

The following subsections are applied strictly to technical writing, but should also be considered for other forms of writing. The following guidance helps to maximise clarity, minimise inaccuracy, and optimise localisation. For example, unless space is limited, consider using 'specifically' instead of 'i.e.' or 'for example' instead of 'e.g.'; these spelled-out English alternatives are more specific, are less prone to incorrect use, and are easier to translate into other languages.

Ambiguous words and phrases

The following words and phrases are problematic, especially in technical writing, because they can be interpreted in different ways. Instructional content in particular needs to be unambiguous, especially for describing whether something must or can be done, and when considering the hypothetical future 'will' and 'should'.

Avoid	Use instead	Exceptions
above (see also below)	previous; earlier
as (see also, since)	because
below (see also above)	later; the following
biannually; bi-annually	twice a year
biennial	every two years
bimonthly; bi-monthly	twice a month; every two months
biweekly; bi-weekly	twice a week; every two weeks
could	can
disable	disconnect; deactivate; turn off	When no other word is accurate
may	might; can	When referring specifically to permission
new; newer (see also old)	latest; later
old; older (see also new)	earlier; legacy
once	when; after	When referring specifically to a singular occasion
should	must; is expected; we recommend; might; can
surface	expose; uncover; reveal; make available
since (see also as)	because
will	then (for example, 'the system then boots' instead of 'the system will boot')
wish	want; need
would	can; is then

Prose abbreviations and non-English terminology

Avoid using prose abbreviations and non-English words and phrases, especially in technical writing. Many of the following examples can reduce clarity and make translation more difficult. Readers and writers also often use the following examples incorrectly, especially Latin phrases and abbreviations. For example, readers and writers frequently use 'i.e.' and 'e.g.' interchangeably. Using the intended word or phrase in full removes this inconsistency and ensures accuracy.

Avoid	Use instead	Exceptions
ad hoc	as needed; after
AKA	also known as; or; formerly known as	If you must use it (in non-technical writing, for example, to save space), don't include full stops between the letters.
e.g. (preferred to ex. if using the shortened form)	for example; such as; like	In non-technical documentation or when space is tight; if you use it, include full stops (e.g.) and use it with commas as if the phrase 'for example' is being used
etc.	and so on
ergo	thus; therefore
ex. (prefer e.g. if using the shortened form)	for example; such as; like
faux pas	mistake
i.e.	specifically	In non-technical documentation or when space is tight; if you use it, include full stops (i.e.) and use it with commas as if the phrase 'specifically' is being used
per	for each
per se	by itself
via	through
vice versa	NA – write out the reverse in technical writing, for example, 'There might be detractors and no promoters, or there might be promoters and no detractors.'
vs.	versus

Colloquialisms and idioms

In technical writing, avoid phrases that require special, local, or cultural knowledge, and colloquialisms or slang. These can be less precise. They can also be problematic for translating into other languages (Raspberry Pi is a globally recognised and used product). Avoid idioms, expressions, metaphors, clichés, irony, and humour.

Avoid	Use instead
at the end of the day	N/A –– remove phrase
deep dive (see also drill down and dig in)	Use specific phrases, for example 'view the details'
dig in (see also drill down and deep dive)	Use specific phrases, for example 'view the details'
drill down (see also dig in and deep dive)	Use specific phrases, for example 'view the details'
fine-tune	refine; adjust
from the jump	from the start; from the beginning
get the hang of	get familiar with
handy	convenient
isn't exactly rocket science	straightforward
jump (straight) in	start; begin

Subjective and marketing words

Avoid subjective marketing and sales language in technical writing; this is to avoid a subjective tone created by value judgements and stance adjuncts. Instead, be specific and factual about the benefits.

Avoid	Use instead
amazing	NA – remove word
easily; easy	Remove word because the same meaning can usually be conveyed without it; if necessary, use 'straightforward' instead
just (see also only)	NA – remove word
latest	If necessary, use 'up to date'
obviously	NA – remove word
only (see also just)	NA – remove word
quick; quickly	Remove word because the same meaning can usually be conveyed without it; if necessary, refer to the number of steps instead
simple; simply	NA – remove word