1. 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.
2. Formatting
2.1 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.”
2.2 Percentage figures
- Figure always followed by ‘%’ (‘30% discount’)
2.3 Ages
- Numbers not written out in full (‘15 years of age’)
2.4 Prices
- Currency in front of price (‘from CHF 13.50’, ‘CHF 95.00’)
2.5 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. |
2.6 File sizes
- Files < 1 MB: indicated in KB (‘800 KB’)
- Files > 1 MB: indicated in MB with a decimal point (‘1.2 MB’)
2.7 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