11 · Writing rules for Venezuelan Spanish (es-VE)
Writing guide
Small decisions repeated millions of times: how a number, a date or an amount in bolívares (Bs., Venezuela's currency) is written. Tested here with a formatter. These rules govern the Spanish-language pieces, so the examples stay in Spanish format.
es-VE formatter
Enter an amount and a date to see how they are written in Nitente pieces.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Integer | |
| Bolívares | |
| Dollars | |
| Percentage | |
| Long date | |
| Short date | |
| Date in tables |
Numbers, currency and dates
| Element | Rule | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimals | Decimal comma | 1,5 | 1.5 |
| Thousands | Period from 1.000, always in price figures and tables | 12.500,00 | 12,500.00 or 12 500 |
| Bolívares | “Bs.” before the figure, with a space | Bs. 1.250,00 | Bs1250 or 1250 Bs |
| Dollars | “US$” before the figure, with a space | US$ 1.250,00 | $1,250.00 |
| Percentages | Space before the % | 12,5 % | 12.5% |
| Date in text | Day, lowercase month, year | 2 de noviembre de 2026 | Noviembre 2, 2026 |
| Numeric date | Day/month/year with zeros | 02/11/2026 | 11/02/2026 (confusing) |
| Time | 12-hour with “a. m.” and “p. m.” in text; 24-hour in tables | 9:41 a. m. · 21:41 | 9:41AM |
| Ranges | “de 5 a 10” or “5 a 10 días” (spelled out, not with a dash) | 5 a 10 días | 5-10 días with a long dash |
| Phone numbers | Code, space, number | +58 412 000 0000 | (0412)-000.00.00 |
Capitals and punctuation
- Titles and buttons
- Only the first word and proper nouns capitalized: “Create a new client”, not “Create A New Client”.
- No sustained capitals
- No small caps and no all caps, except acronyms (RIF, IVA, the latter being Venezuela's value-added tax) and technical labels in JetBrains Mono.
- Quotation marks
- Angle quotes «like this» for quoting. English-style “like this” only inside a quote that is already in quotation marks.
- Punctuation marks
- Always the opening marks (¿ ¡). A single exclamation mark, and never in errors or sensitive data.
- Dashes
- Em dashes and long dashes are not used as punctuation. Use commas, colons, parentheses or a period.
- Lists
- Each item starts with a capital if it is a sentence and has no final period if it is a word or fragment.
- Acronyms
- Written without periods and in capitals: RIF, IVA, PDF. Explained the first time if the reader may not know them.
Headlines and calls to action
Headlines
- 3 to 9 words. One idea.
- They say what the page offers: “Spinelle, accounting software”.
- Claims that can be verified
Avoid
- Rhetorical questions: “Tired of your accounting?”
- Superlatives: “the best”, “the fastest”
- Wordplay that is not understood outside the office
| Context | Button text | Do not use |
|---|---|---|
| Create something | Create client | Click here |
| Save | Save changes | OK |
| Cancel | Cancel | No, thanks |
| Download | Download kit (ZIP) | Download right now |
| Contact | Write to Nitente | Contact us today |
| Destructive action | Delete client | Yes, I am sure |
Inclusive language without overdoing it
Solutions that do not alter the reading are preferred. No “@”, “x” or “e” as a gender marker, and no doubling of every noun.
Do
- Generics: “el equipo” (the team), “las personas” (people), “quien contrata” (whoever hires)
- Rephrasing: “cada paciente” (each patient) instead of “el paciente” (the patient)
- Use both gendered forms only when the context requires it: “contadoras y contadores” once, not in every sentence
- Collective nouns: “la clientela” (the clientele), “la consulta” (the practice)
Don't
- “Todxs”, “tod@s”, “todes”
- Repeating “los y las” in every sentence
- Rewriting to the point that the text is not understood
House glossary
| We say | We do not say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Product | App, platform, solution | Each product has its own name; “product” is the generic term. |
| Team | Staff, talent, human resources | They are people. |
| Client | User (if they pay), consumer | It respects the working relationship. |
| Account | Profile (if it belongs to a company) | It is what the user understands. |
| Maintenance | Downtime, window | Plain words when a clear word exists. |
| Made in Venezuela | Venezuelan-made, 100 % Venezuelan | Descriptive, not a slogan. |