Earth/earth
Use upper case for the planet (eg The spaceship will circle the Earth for weeks). Otherwise, lower case (eg Madonna said it had taken her weeks to come down to earth after the wedding).
earthquakes
We should describe earthquakes in terms of magnitude, which is the measure used by the US Geological Survey (eg The island was hit by a magnitude seven earthquake). Magnitude measurements can usually be found on the .
We should no longer refer to the Richter scale.
East Asia
ie initial cap for each word. Avoid references to the Far East.
EastEnders
ie the second capital is retained.
Eastern Europe
ie initial cap for each word. Note that we should not use the terms "Eastern Europe" and "Eastern European" when referring to the former Soviet bloc. (Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary are in Central Europe.) "Eastern Europe" should refer only to countries that sit geographically there eg: Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia.
EasyJet
ie a cap "E" and "J". Style is to follow a company鈥檚 preference but with an initial cap if one is not used.
eBay
ie lower case "e", and upper case "B", except at the start of sentences, where it should be written "EBay"; but headlines can begin "eBay".
e-book
ie lower case with hyphen
e-cigarette
(electronic cigarette) lower case with hyphen.
E. coli
ie capital "E", with a full stop and a space followed by lower case "c". Common variety is O157 (ie with a letter "O", rather than a zero). Note that it is caused by bacteria, not a virus.
e-commerce
(electronic commerce) ie lower case, hyphenated.
Ecuadorean
Is our preference, rather than Ecuadorian.
ecstasy
Whether the pill or the state of joy, lower case "e".
effect (verb)
Not synonymous with "affect". "To affect" means "to have an influence on" (eg: Wine does not affect me). "To effect" means "to cause, accomplish" (eg: A month at the clinic effected my recovery).
effectively/in effect
Correctly used," effectively" means "efficiently" or "successfully" - as in Despite his inexperience, he rules the country effectively. But the word is frequently misused (and misunderstood) to mean "in effect" and so should, in general, be avoided.
"In effect" means "to all intents and purposes", as in Smith holds no official office, but in effect he rules the country.
If you mean "in effect", then say so. If you mean "effectively", then say "successfully" or perhaps "to good effect".
eg
ie no full stop.
Eire
Do not use either Eire or Southern Ireland. Say Ireland, the Republic of Ireland or the Irish Republic. Its people (and the adjective) are Irish - some people living in Northern Ireland may also describe themselves as Irish or Northern Irish.
either
The verb is singular if both alternatives are singular (Either Smith or Jones is to stand for Parliament). If even one of them is plural, then the verb is plural (Either Smith or his political colleagues have to make a decision).
ElBaradei, Mohamed
(Egyptian opposition figure and former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency) ie one word, capital "E" at the start, plus an internal capital "B". Second reference: ElBaradei.
elections
Once a UK general election is called, MPs cease to be MPs - but ministers remain ministers. People standing for Parliament are parliamentary candidates or just candidates - either way, lower case.
electricity
Quantities of electricity are frequently measured either as power - how much energy is consumed in a given time (kilowatts, megawatts etc), or energy itself eg: kilowatt-hours - the amount of energy required to run a kilowatt-consuming device for an hour.
These are not interchangeable. When writing about how much a given plant/turbine/hydro dam is producing, use watts eg: The turbine produces 800 kW, enough to power 70 homes.
When talking about energy costs or annual consumption, use kilowatt-hours eg: In its first three days of operation, the turbine produced 800 kWh, enough to power an average household for a month. EDF said it would subsidise the energy cost by as much as 3p per kWh.
Note that measurements above kilowatt - megawatt, gigawatt, terawatt etc - take caps when abbreviated: MW/MWh; GW/GWh; TW/TWh.
electrocution
Although often thought to be fatal, we support the view that it can cause death or injury. But because of possible ambiguity, be clear in stories what the outcome was.
11-plus
ie hyphenated - with the number written in digits and the word "plus" spelt out.
ellipsis
Where part of a quote is omitted, put three dots immediately after the last word used, followed by a space (eg "Prices have not merely risen... they have soared"). It is important NOT to start with a space, because this could mean a new line beginning with the dots. If the quote is a complete sentence, there is no need for an ellipsis.
ie lower case, with no hyphen.
embassy
lower case - ie The British embassy in Washington.
enormity
Use "enormity" only in its traditional sense of "wickedness" (eg the enormity of Harold Shipman鈥檚 crimes soon became apparent). Do not use "enormity" to mean "hugeness".
Eritrean names
The surname comes first - so Abiy Ahmed becomes Abiy at second reference.
escapee
A legitimate alternative for "escaper".
esports
(electronic sports) ie lower case, no hyphen. The name for a form of competition using video games.
espresso
For both the machine and the coffee it makes, espresso is the correct term. "Expresso" is wrong for both.
Eswatini
The country formerly known as Swaziland. Add 鈥減reviously known as Swaziland鈥�, high up. It鈥檚 Swati when describing its people. Initial letter is now capitalised.
Eta
In line with our usual rule, cap up only the first letter because we pronounce it as a word. First reference should always spell out the Basque separatist group, Eta or the Basque separatist movement, Eta.
Ethiopian names
The surname comes first - so Abiy Ahmed becomes Mr Abiy at second reference.
Eton
It is Eton College - and not Eton School.
euro
The currency adopted by 19 EU member states ie lower case and never abbreviated. Since 2017, we have used the symbol for the euro rather than spelling it out. If using the full name, the plural is euros. .
Euro MP
ie no hyphen, with three caps. An acceptable abbreviation is MEP ie all caps (plural MEPs).
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank controls monetary policy in the 19 EU member states that make up the eurozone. Its headquarters are in Frankfurt, Germany. It may be shortened on second reference to ECB.
European Commission
Do not abbreviate to "EC". This is the civil service of the European Union, headed by commissioners from the member states. It can propose new laws - but actually enacting legislation is the job of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
European Council
The European Council is the (usually) twice-yearly summit meeting of EU member states鈥� heads of government, to determine overall policy direction. Not to be confused with the Council of Ministers or the Council of Europe.
The current European Council president is Charles Michel. He may for headline purposes be referred to as "EU president", but the full title should be in the summary and top four pars.
European Court of Human Rights
This is not an EU institution. It was established as a permanent entity in 1998 under the auspices of the Council of Europe and sits in Strasbourg. Its task is to ensure the observance of the principles set out in the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Judgements are binding on its 47 member states.
European Court of Justice
This is based in Luxembourg. Its function is to apply and interpret EU law. Initially, an advocate general presents a legal opinion on a case. The full court then deliberates and delivers its judgement. Not to be confused with the International Court of Justice.
European Parliament
ie Initial caps for the full title. Do not abbreviate to "EU Parliament". It is lower case if you are dropping the "European" label - eg Six MEPs walked out of parliament in disgust.
The European Parliament sits in Brussels and Strasbourg, and is administered from Luxembourg. Under the Lisbon Treaty, it became a co-legislator with the Council of Ministers in most policy areas. The parliament also has the final say on the European Commission鈥檚 annual budget, the appointment of Commissioners and applications to join the EU.
European Union (EU)
Created by the Maastricht treaty of 1993. The original EEC (European Economic Community) was founded in 1957 with six member states. The EU now incorporates 27 countries, with seven others (Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Turkey and Ukraine) recognised as candidates for membership.
Europhile
ie initial cap.
Eurosceptic
ie initial cap.
eurozone
Currently incorporates 19 EU member states where the euro is a valid currency. It should be in lower case, one word.
evacuate
The rule used to be that only places or buildings were evacuated, not people. This is at odds with common usage, which now allows people to be "evacuated", as well as buildings. But avoid the intransitive use, eg: "People are preparing to evacuate from Lebanon..."
exceeding the speed limit
Just say speeding.
execute
Only after a legal process. Gunmen do not "execute" people, though they often claim to; they kill or murder.
Executive/executive
For Northern Ireland Executive: cap up the full title (eg The Northern Ireland Executive has voiced concern); otherwise, cap down (eg The executive in Stormont is to hold emergency talks).
expat
Short for expatriate, ie no hyphen.