Colons
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A colon indicates that closely-related information follows.
For information about using colons with run-in headings, see
Description lists that use
run-in headings.
Introductory phrase preceding colon
When a colon introduces a list, the text that precedes the colon must be able
to stand alone as a complete sentence.
Recommended: The fields are defined as
follows:
Not recommended: The fields are:
Colons within sentences
In general, the first word in the text that follows a colon should be in
lowercase. For exceptions, see
Capitalization and colons.
Recommended: Tone: concise,
conversational, friendly, respectful
Recommended: When you add or update
content to an existing project, remember to take these steps: review the style
guide, use checklists, enlist a fellow writer or an editor to copyedit your
work, and request a developmental edit if you feel that it's warranted.
Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies. Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
Last updated 2024-10-15 UTC.
[null,null,["Last updated 2024-10-15 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eColons are used after introductory phrases that can stand alone as complete sentences to introduce closely-related information like lists.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe first word after a colon is generally lowercase, with exceptions outlined in the capitalization guidelines.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eLists introduced by colons should have introductory phrases that form grammatically complete sentences, unlike constructions that simply end with "are:".\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eFor further guidance on punctuation in introductory material, refer to the sections on list and code-sample introductions.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eTo understand the distinctions between colons and dashes, consult the dedicated section on dashes.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["Colons signal that related information will follow. When introducing a list, the preceding text must be a complete sentence. The first word after a colon is typically lowercase, though exceptions exist. Examples include: \"Recommended: Tone: concise,\" and \"Recommended: remember to take these steps: review the style guide.\" Colons are also used within run-in headings, and are preferred over dashes in some contexts, and further details regarding introductions are covered in the list and code sample section.\n"],null,["# Colons\n\nA colon indicates that closely-related information follows.\n\nFor information about using colons with run-in headings, see\n[Description lists that use\nrun-in headings](/style/lists#description-lists-that-use-run-in-headings).\n\nIntroductory phrase preceding colon\n-----------------------------------\n\nWhen a colon introduces a list, the text that precedes the colon must be able\nto stand alone as a complete sentence.\n\nRecommended: The fields are defined as\nfollows:\n\nNot recommended: The fields are:\n\nColons within sentences\n-----------------------\n\nIn general, the first word in the text that follows a colon should be in\nlowercase. For exceptions, see\n[Capitalization and colons](/style/capitalization#capitalization-and-colons).\n\nRecommended: Tone: concise,\nconversational, friendly, respectful\n\nRecommended: When you add or update\ncontent to an existing project, remember to take these steps: review the style\nguide, use checklists, enlist a fellow writer or an editor to copyedit your\nwork, and request a developmental edit if you feel that it's warranted.\n\nSee also\n--------\n\nFor more information about how to punctuate introductory material, see the\nsections on [list introductions](/style/lists#intros) and [code-sample introductions](/style/code-samples#intros).\n\nFor information about when it's better to use colons than dashes, see [Dashes](/style/dashes#colons)."]]
