The Arkansas abbreviation on mail is AR, written in capitals without a period. For datelines and some formal writing, newsrooms and older references use Ark., which keeps the first three letters of the name and adds a period.
People mix this state up with Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ) and Alabama (AL), since all four start with A. Remember that AR comes straight from the first two letters of ARkansas, the state whose capital is Little Rock.
Quick facts
Postal code
ARTraditional and AP
Ark.Capital
Little RockStatehood
1836Nickname
The Natural StateWatch out for
AK is Alaska, AZ is Arizona, AL is Alabama
Arkansas abbreviation at a glance
| Form | Best for | Looks like |
|---|---|---|
| AR | Envelopes, packages, online checkouts, government forms | Fayetteville, AR 72701 |
| Ark. | News datelines, captions, older reference books, citations | LITTLE ROCK, Ark. |
| Arkansas | Ordinary sentences in school papers, letters and articles | Arkansas has many state parks. |
Choose the form by the job, not by habit. A mailing label wants AR. An essay wants the full name.
The AR state abbreviation in addresses
Arkansas got AR when the Postal Service rolled out two letter codes during the 1960s, the same decade it launched ZIP codes for machine sorting. On an envelope, the city name and a comma come first, then AR, then one space before the ZIP code.
A return address on a holiday card: "The Morgan Family, 22 Pine Hill Road, Hot Springs, AR 71901." If someone wrote AK by mistake, the card could start a long trip toward Alaska before a clerk caught the error.
Forms and spreadsheets use the same code. If a drop down list asks for your state, AR is usually listed near the top, right after Arizona (AZ) in lists sorted by state name.
Ark. in traditional and AP style writing
Ark. is the abbreviation you would find in older atlases and many legal citations. News style keeps it alive in a narrow way: reporters spell out Arkansas inside a story but use Ark. in the dateline, in photo captions and in lists where space is tight, such as sports scores or election tables.
Note that Ark. is not the same as the postal code with a period. Writing "A.R." or "AR." is wrong in every style. Pick AR or Ark., depending on the setting.
AR, AK, AZ, AL: sorting the A states
- AR is Arkansas.
- AK is Alaska. Its code takes the opening A and the K near the end.
- AZ is Arizona, which takes the Z from its middle.
- AL is Alabama.
A quick way to keep Arkansas and Alaska apart: Arkansas begins with "Ar," so its code does too. Alaska has no R at all. The state abbreviations page lists all fifty if you need to check another one.
How to pronounce Arkansas
The name is said AR-kuhn-saw, with a silent final s. It is not said like Kansas with "Ar" in front, even though the spelling looks that way. The state legislature settled the official pronunciation in the 1800s after a long debate. When you read the code AR aloud, just say the letters, "A R," or say the full state name.
Other meanings of AR
Outside an address, AR has several common meanings. In tech it often means augmented reality, digital images placed over a real view. In accounting it means accounts receivable, money customers owe a business. Some readers see it as short for a type of rifle, and in school reading programs it may name a reading points system. The AR stands for page sorts these out. Next to a city and ZIP code, though, it always means Arkansas.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for Arkansas?
The postal abbreviation is AR. The traditional abbreviation, also used in AP style datelines, is Ark.
Is AR Arkansas or Arizona?
AR is Arkansas. Arizona is AZ.
Is AK the abbreviation for Arkansas?
No. AK is Alaska. Arkansas is always AR on mail and forms.
Should I write Ark. or AR in a school essay?
Usually neither. Spell out Arkansas in sentences, and use AR only in a mailing address. Use Ark. only if your teacher asks for a traditional or news style.
Why is Arkansas pronounced with a silent s?
The name comes from a French spelling of a Native American name for a local people, and the French ending was not pronounced. The state later made the AR-kuhn-saw pronunciation official.