Capitalization Guidelines for Using Capital Letters

The basic guidelines for using capital letters in English appear simple enough: Capitalize the first word in a sentence.Capitalize the pronoun.Capitalize proper nouns and most adjectives formed from proper nouns. But things become tricky once we get down to the details. Thats when even the most exhaustive style guides (such as the AP Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style) occasionally disagree. In addition, there may be regional disagreements. As Pam Peters has observed, British writers and editors are more inclined to use capital letters where Americans would dispense with them (The Cambridge Guide to English Usage). So dont regard these rules as the final word. If your organization has a house-style guide, stay in house. And if you run across a word or phrase not covered by these guidelines, consult a dictionary. One final note: in these guidelines capitalize means to use upper case for the first letter of a word. The First Word in a Sentence Capitalize the first word in a sentence. Your mother is in here with us, Karras. Would you like to leave a message?  (Linda Blair as Regan in  The Exorcist, 1973)Likewise, capitalize the first word of a quotation if its a complete sentence: Jorge said, The game is over. But dont capitalize the first word if the quotation is not a complete sentence: Jorge said that the game was all but over by the seventh inning. Pronouns  and Names of People or Characters Capitalize the pronoun I. Im sorry, but I dont want to be an emperor.  (Charlie Chaplin in  The Great Dictator, 1940) Capitalize the names and nicknames of particular persons and characters. Elvis, Ginny Weasley, my sister Vicki, Florence Nightingale, Barack Obama, the Simpson family, the Pritchetts, Stefani Joanne Angelina GermanottaAs a general rule, also capitalize the names of cultural movements, schools, and styles if those names are derived from proper nouns: Aristotelian, Reaganomics. Titles (of People) Capitalize titles that come before the names of particular persons and characters. Mayor Augustus Maywho, Doctor Sanjay Gupta, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Lady Bracknell, Queen Elizabeth II, President Obama, Captain Jack Sparrow, Aunt BeeAlthough the titles of business executives arent usually capitalized (the chairman of BP), in-house publications may choose to use capitals. In most cases, dont capitalize a title that appears after a name (Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York City) or that stands alone (a doctor, the mayor). Specific Place Names Capitalize the names of specific places (planets, countries, counties, cities, seas, streets, and so on), both real and fictional. Mars, Canberra, London, Monroe County, Yorkshire, the Midwest, Canada, the Ohio River, Narnia, Rosecrans Avenue, Knighton Road, the village of Little Whinging, Chicagos South Side, the English Midlands, the Twin Cities (for Minneapolis–Saint Paul)Capitalize common nouns — such as road, river, and republic — only when theyre part of the full name of a place. Dont capitalize these common nouns when they stand alone in follow-up references. Also, when two or more geographical names are linked in a single expression, the usual practice is to put the generic part of the names in lower case: the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. As a general rule, capitalize regions (the Eastern Shore, the Left Bank, the West End), but dont capitalize compass points (north, southeast) if they simply indicate direction or location. Dont capitalize sun and moon. Nationalities, Languages, Ethnic Groups, and Religions Capitalize the names of particular nationalities, languages, ethnic groups, and religions. Filipino people, African-American, a native Newfoundlander, the Welsh language, Navi, Judaism, Buddhism, Quantum PresbyteriansDont capitalize the names of academic subjects (algebra, art, history) unless they are languages (English, Spanish, French) or part of a department name (Department of Languages and Literature). As a general rule, dont capitalize the names of religious services and rites (baptism, bar mitzvah). Deities and Holy Books Capitalize the names of deities and holy books. God, Krishna, Allah, Jehovah, the Quran, the BibleAlso capitalize the names of books of the Bible: Genesis, Psalms. Businesses, Schools, Organizations Capitalize the names of particular businesses, buildings, schools, and organizations.Google, General Motors, Westminster Abbey, Trump World Tower, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, the Salvation Army, Oxfam International, the Girl Scouts, the League of Women VotersLikewise, capitalize the official names of rooms and offices: the Oval Office, the Situation Room. Government Agencies Capitalize the formal names of government units, agencies, and divisions. White House, House of Representatives, House of Commons, Supreme Court, Department of Education, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Acts, Treaties, and Government Programs Capitalize the formal names of acts, treaties, and government programs. Declaration of Independence, the Act of Union, the Marshall Plan, the Treaty of Versailles Military and Police Unites Capitalize the official titles of armies, navies, and other military and police units. Army National Guard, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Wars and Battles Capitalize the names of wars and major battles. Second World War, Spanish Civil War, the Norman Conquest, the Gulf War Historical Periods and Events Capitalize the names of particular historical periods, events, and documents. VE Day, the Great ​Depression, the Troubles (Northern Ireland), the Middle Ages, Magna Carta, the Treaty of VersaillesHowever, names of events that occurred at different times in different places are generally not capitalized: the recession, gold rush, secession movements. Brand Names Capitalize legally protected brand names and trademarks. Xbox 360, Kit Kat, Coca Cola, Adidas, Range Rover, Kleenex, Cadbury FingersThe obvious exceptions are trademarks that begin with a lowercase letter: eBay, iPhone, iPad. Also, dont capitalize a brand name that has been transformed into a common noun through popular usage: aspirin, thermos, escalator. (For further guidance on this last point, see generification and genericide.) Months, Days, Holidays Capitalize the names of days, months, holidays, and special days of observation. Wednesday, June, Christmas, Veterans Day (U.S.), Anzac​ Day (Australia and New Zealand), Mothers Day, Boxing Day (Britain and Canada)But dont capitalize the seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall (autumn). Book and Movie Titles Capitalize the principal words in the titles and subtitles of books, movies, plays, magazines, journals, TV shows, video games, musical compositions, and pieces of art. War and Peace, The Sixty-Second Motivator, Avatar, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Entertainment Weekly, Journal of Organic Chemistry, Arrested Development, Grand Theft Auto IV, Rhapsody in Blue, The Starry NightIf a title contains words joined by a hyphen, both words are usually capitalized. Articles, conjunctions, and short prepositions are usually not capitalized unless they begin the title. For more specific guidelines (with examples of both sentence case and title case), see Which Words in a Title Should Be Capitalized? Awards Capitalize the names of awards, prizes, and scholarships. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, the Nobel Prizes, the Academy Award (and the Oscar), National Merit Scholarship Acronyms Capitalize each letter in an acronym or initialism. NATO, CNN, BBC, NAACP, TV, LA (or L.A.), FEMA, DVD, AWOL For exceptions, check your favorite style guide or dictionary. Test Your Knowledge Practice in Using Capital Letters: An Editing Exercise