# Spelling Standards

Use ordinary, readable spelling unless the performed form has an established contraction, dialect spelling, name, or stylization covered below. Do not create a new phonetic spelling merely because a singer has an accent.

## Preferred spellings

For consistency, use the standardized spelling on the left when it matches what is performed.

| Standardized | Avoid | Context |
|--------------|-------|---------|
| **I'ma**     | ~~I'mma~~, ~~Ima~~, ~~Imma~~ | “I am going to” |
| **'cause**   | ~~cause~~, ~~cos~~, ~~cuz~~ | Use **cuz** only for “cousin” |
| **okay** / **OK** | ~~O.K.~~ | Either form is acceptable; capitalize **OK** |
| **'til** / **till** | ~~til~~ | Shortened “until” |
| **tryna**    | ~~trynna~~ | “Trying to” |
| **ayy** / **aye** | ~~ay~~ | Choose the form that matches the meaning and performance |
| **ho**       | ~~hoe~~ | **Hoe** remains the garden tool |
| **though**   | ~~tho~~ |         |
| **ya** / **yah** |       | **Ya** for “you”; **yah** for “yeah/yes” |
| **y'all**    | ~~ya'll~~ |         |
| **skrrt**    | ~~skrt~~ |         |
| **Perc** / p**ercy** | ~~Perk~~, ~~Percy~~ | When referring to Percocet |
| **bougie**   | ~~boujee~~, ~~boujie~~ | Unless a proper title or name officially uses another form |
| **shawty** / **shorty** |       | Match the performed form |
| **lil'**     | ~~lil~~, ~~li'l~~ | For the shortened word; preserve an artist’s official name |
| **woah**     | ~~whoa~~ |         |
| **dog**      | ~~dawg~~ |         |
| **chopper**  | ~~choppa~~ |         |
| **oughta**   | ~~oughtta~~ |         |
| **naive**    |       | **Naïve** is also valid where conventional in the language |
| **cliché**   | ~~cliche~~ |         |
| **alright** / **all right** |       | Both are acceptable |

The [Rap Slang Spelling Guide](https://genius.com/Opp-rap-slang-spelling-guide-annotated) can help with unfamiliar terms, but still verify the word and meaning against the recording.

## Contractions and apostrophes

Use an apostrophe where letters have been omitted: **I'm**, **don't**, **y'all**, **rockin'**, **'cause**. Do not use an opening quotation mark in place of an apostrophe.

Possessives and ordinary contractions keep their normal grammar:

* **the artist's voice**
* **the artists' voices**
* **it's** for “it is”
* **its** for possession

## Numbers

Spell out ordinary numbers when they are spoken as words: **three**, not **3**.

Keep digits when they are intrinsic to the reference:

* years: **1999**;
* product and model names: **iPhone 15**, **Air Jordan 4**, **Glock 17**, **PS5**;
* calibers and measurements conventionally written with digits: **.357 Magnum**, **9mm**, **5.56**;
* identifiers: **AK-47**, **AR-15**.

When uncertain, prefer the conventional written form of the thing being named.

## Abbreviations and acronyms

| Use | Avoid | Context |
|-----|-------|---------|
| **a.k.a.** / **a.k.a.s** | ~~AKA~~, ~~A.K.A~~ | Use **A.k.a.** at the beginning of a line |
| **GOAT** / **GOATs** | ~~G.O.A.T.~~ |         |
| **VIP** / **VIPs** | ~~V.I.P.~~ |         |
| **ASAP** | ~~A.S.A.P.~~ | Use **A$AP** for the collective or its members |
| **cream** / **C.R.E.A.M.** |       | Lowercase for money; dotted form for the Wu-Tang title |
| **HAM** | ~~H.A.M.~~ |         |

Pluralize acronyms without an apostrophe: **VIPs**, not **VIP's**, unless the word is possessive.

## Special characters in names

Verify names rather than simplifying them. Preserve punctuation and meaningful symbols exactly, such as `A$AP Rocky`, `Ke$ha`, and `will.i.am`.

This section covers the characters that belong to a name. For uppercase, lowercase, and internal capitals, follow [Capitalization](https://guides.spicylyrics.org/s/transcription/doc/capitalization-hMwxrH5gfY).