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Wikipedia:Lead section TT first sentence format

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

First sentence format

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  • As a general rule, the first (and only the first) appearance of the page title should be in boldface as early as possible in the first sentence:

    An electron is a subatomic particle that carries a negative electric charge.

  • However, if the title of a page is descriptive and does not appear verbatim in the main text, then it should not be in boldface. So, for example, Electrical characteristics of dynamic loudspeakers begins with:

    The chief electrical characteristic of a dynamic loudspeaker's driver is its electrical impedance as a function of frequency.

  • If the subject of the page is normally italicized (for example, a work of art, literature, album, or ship) then its first mention should be both bold and italic text; if it is usually surrounded by quotation marks, the title should be bold but the quotation marks should not:

    Las Meninas (Spanish for The Maids of Honour) is a 1656 painting by Diego Velázquez, ...

    "Yesterday" is a pop song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!

  • If the subject of the page has a common abbreviation or more than one name, the abbreviation (in parentheses) and each additional name should be in boldface on its first appearance:

    Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye, caustic soda and (incorrectly, according to IUPAC nomenclature) sodium hydrate, is ...

  • Use as few links as possible before and in the bolded title. Thereafter, words used in a title may be linked to provide more detail:

    Arugam Bay is a bay situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka's southeast coast.