Text Style rules
- Texts should be kept as simple and concise as possible.
- Texts should be written in an active and direct way.
- The present tense should be used.
- Terms in different scenarios should always be attributed the same meaning.
Further details on the style guide can be found in the rules on language and style.
Formatting
Numbers
- Numbers one to twelve should be written out in full; 13, 14 etc. as figures, for example, “for the second time”, “15 years of age.”
Percentage figures
- Figure always followed by ‘%’ (‘30% discount’)
Ages
- Numbers not written out in full (‘15 years of age’)
Prices
- Currency in front of price (‘from CHF 13.50’, ‘CHF 95.00’)
Date
- The date is always written out in body copy, day without preceding zero (‘Friday, 2 December 2019’).
- The short form is used in lists, tables and entry fields. In this case, a preceding zero is used for the day and month. The year always has four digits (‘Friday, 02.09 2019’).
- The days of the week and months may be abbreviated in shortened text.
Abbreviations for days of the week
German | Mo / Di / Mi / Do / Fr / Sa / So |
French | lu / ma / me / je / ve / sa / di |
Italian | lun. / mar. / mer. / gio. / ven. / sab. / dom. |
English | Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat / Sun |
Month abbreviations
German | Jan. / Febr. / März / Apr. / Mai / Juni / Juli / Aug. / Sept. / Okt. / Nov. / Dez. |
French | jan. / fév. / mars / avr. / mai / juin / juil. / août / sept. / oct. / nov. / déc. |
Italian | gen. / feb. / mar. / apr. / mag. / giu. / lug. / ago. / set. / ott. / nov. / dic. |
English | Jan. / Feb. / Mar. / Apr. / May / June / July / Aug. / Sept. / Oct. / Nov. / Dec. |
File sizes
- Files < 1 MB: indicated in KB (‘800 KB’)
- Files > 1 MB: indicated in MB with a decimal point (‘1.2 MB’)
Telephone numbers
- Telephone number standard: +41 xx xxx xx xx
- Telephone number with availability: +41 xx xxx xx xx plus availability in brackets (e.g. 24/7)
- Free service numbers: 0xxx xxx xx xx (free from Switzerland)
- Paid-for service numbers: 0xxx xxx xx xx (costs in brackets on new line) (e.g. [CHF 1.19/min.)
- Fax numbers: Fax numbers always appear with a designator (fax: in German variant). Telephone numbers in combination with fax numbers appear with a designator (tel.: in German variant).
- Tel.: +41 xx xxx xx xx
- Fax: +41 xx xxx xx xx
- Special case: rail traffic information: Tel.: 166