Voice & Tone
We express our core beliefs through our voice and tone. Our voice is our personality: it's what makes something sound unmistakably like us. Our tone is our attitude. It adapts to every situation.
Our Voice
The key elements of our voice and how we showcase them.WARM
We are helpful friends, partnering with people on their faith journey. We are committed to building safe environments for everyone.
We should be:
Rooted in Scripture
Kind
Positive and welcoming
We shouldn’t be:
Cliché
Arrogant
Over-excited
REAL
We use real stories and struggles to convey real hope—because that's what Scripture does. We intentionally use language that breaks down barriers toward the Bible and helps people see themselves in the Gospel story.
We should be:
Honest
Approachable
Human
We shouldn’t be:
Long-winded
Unapproachable
Over-polished
BOLD
Bold doesn't mean aggressive—it means we don't shrink back from truth. We say what needs to be said with love and without apology.
We should be:
Direct
Confident
Persuasive
We shouldn’t be:
Aggressive
Condescending
Judgemental
Our Tone
How our voice adapts to different moments and audiences.Behind every touchpoint is a real person taking a real step in their faith. Tone is how we meet people in a given moment: adjusting our word choice, sentence structure, and phrasing based on where they are and what they need. Getting tone right isn’t just good writing. It’s empathy in action.
Engagement
We connect with people in meaningful, personal ways that invite participation and build community.
Advertising
We capture attention and inspire action with clear, memorable messages that stand out.
Support
We provide helpful, empathetic guidance that resolves questions and helps people move forward with confidence.
Educating
We explain ideas with clarity, helping people understand, learn, and confidently take their next step.
Troubleshooting
We solve problems with clear, practical guidance that removes friction and builds confidence.
Storytelling
We tell stories that reveal God's work, build trust, and invite people to see themselves in His story.
UX
We create intuitive experiences through clear language that helps people accomplish what they came to do.
Writing Style
The principles that keep our writing clear and consistent.If voice is who we are, style is how we show up. These writing principles help everything we create feel consistent and unmistakably like YouVersion.
Formatting
Use bold or italics to add emphasis intentionally.
Use consistent bullets and indentation. We don’t use emojis as bullets.
Maintain a clear heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) across blogs, emails, and long-form content.
Punctuation
Avoid repeated punctuation (!!, ?!, etc.).
Use one space between sentences.
Always use the Oxford comma.
Use hyphens and em dashes consistently.
Numbers
Spell out one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above.
Spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence.
Capitalization
Avoid ALL CAPS.
Capitalize proper nouns, titles, and app features.
Lowercase seasons.
Use title case or sentence case for headings, depending on context.
Use title case for CTAs.
Religious Terms
Bible
Scripture
God’s Word
He / Him / His / You / Your (when referring to the Trinity)
Looking for definitions of our brand terms? Download the complete glossary for quick reference.
Download Glossary (PDF)