Southeast Missouri State University

Style Guide

Age

Always use figures. When the context does not require years or years old, the figure
is presumed to be years. Ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun use hyphens.

ie. A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old. The woman, 26, has a daughter 2 months old. The law is 8 years old. The race is for 3-year-olds. The woman is in her 30s (no apostrophe).

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