- Three types of words are capitalized in English: the first word in a sentence, the pronoun I, and proper nouns.
- Proper nouns (specific names for a particular person, place, or thing) are always capitalized in English, no matter where they fall in a sentence.
- Depending on the sentence, there are different rules for capitalization after punctuation, like quotation marks, colons, and semicolons.
Knowing which types of words to capitalize is an important part of learning English capitalization rules. But given that some words are capitalized only in certain situations and some words seem like they should be capitalized but aren’t—how can you tell which is which?
Below, we explain essential English capitalization rules with examples so you’ll know which words to capitalize and which to keep lowercase.
Table of Contents
Capitalization and punctuation rules
13 capitalized words and examples
Capitalization and punctuation rules
Here are some rules for how capitalization and punctuation work together.
Capitalization and quotes
Capitalize the first word in a complete sentence that is a direct quote, even if the quote begins in the middle of or at the end of a sentence.
If the quote is a sentence fragment that is a continuation of the larger sentence, do not capitalize it. This is most common when you’re quoting only a specific word or phrase instead of a long passage.
Capitalization and colons
Capitalization after colons depends on what the colon is used for. Do not use capitalization if a colon is used to introduce a list.
If the first word is a proper noun, you should capitalize it after the colon.
Capitalization is optional if the colon is used to introduce an independent clause. However, certain style guides have different preferences, so double-check with whatever format you use.
Capitalization and semicolons
You shouldn’t capitalize the first word after a semicolon unless it’s a proper noun. A semicolon is not a terminal punctuation mark (like a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark), so there is no need to capitalize the first word of the clause after the semicolon unless it’s typically capitalized.
13 capitalized words and examples
Let’s look at what words need to be capitalized and when.
1 Capitalize the first word in a sentence
Here’s an easy rule to follow—whenever you start a sentence, capitalize the first letter of the first word. It’s as simple as that.
You should also capitalize the first letter of each line in a letter or an email:
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.
Sincerely,
Alex
2 Capitalize the pronoun I
Capitalize I when using it as a pronoun anywhere in a sentence.
3 Capitalize proper nouns and names
A proper noun is a type of noun that refers to a specific person, place, or thing by its name. Proper nouns are always capitalized in English, no matter where they fall in a sentence. They are sometimes called proper names because they endow nouns with a specific name.
Proper nouns are the opposite of common nouns that represent general people, places, or things but nothing specific.
Because they are proper nouns, a person’s first and last names are capitalized. Likewise, capitalize middle names, nicknames, and suffixes like Jr.
Historical names that include descriptive words often follow the rules for title capitalization: Prominent words are capitalized, but small words like the or of are not.
Some names are capitalized only in certain situations and lowercase in others. Directions like north and west are typically lowercase but capitalized when they’re part of a geographic name, like the West Coast. We’ll get more into geographic names and places later.
Now that we’ve established capitalization in proper nouns, let’s continue with some others.
4 Capitalize the majority of titles
Capitalization in titles is where a lot of capitalization errors originate. The title of any piece of creative work—books, movies, songs, poems, podcast episodes, comic book issues, etc.—requires capitalization, but only certain words in the title are capitalized.
So, what words need to be capitalized in titles? The first word in a title is always capitalized. Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs must also be capitalized in titles.
Small words like articles (the, a, an) are generally lowercase unless they’re the first word in a title. Conjunctions (and, yet, if) and prepositions (to, at, in) are sometimes capitalized, but it depends on your style guide.
5 Capitalize job titles, positions, and honorifics
When titles and positions are used as part of a proper noun, they are capitalized; when they refer to the general job or position, they are lowercase.
Abbreviated honorifics like Mr. and Mrs. are typically capitalized.
6 Capitalize places
If you’re using the name of a place, capitalize it. This applies to everything from tiny Deer Creek to the massive planet Jupiter.
However, if you aren’t using the name of a place but the general word to describe it, don’t capitalize that word.
7 Capitalize countries, nationalities, and languages
In English, countries, nationalities, and languages are capitalized. Country names fall under the category of places, and by extension, the names of the people who live there and the adjective form of their culture are also capitalized. This includes languages.
8 Capitalize institutions (companies, businesses, brands, etc.)
The names of institutions like companies, brands, businesses, and other organizations are also proper nouns. Some small words, like prepositions, may still be lowercase in such names.
If you’re referring to a department by its proper name, capitalize it. However, keep it lowercase if referring to a general department as a common noun.
9 Capitalize specific periods and events
Capitalize periods and events when they refer to specific periods or use proper nouns in the title.
Time periods are not capitalized when they refer to nonspecific events or a general time period, such as centuries or decades.
10 Capitalize days, months, and holidays
In English, days and months are capitalized because they are proper nouns.
When words like day or month are used generally, they are not capitalized. However, if they are part of a holiday name, they count as a proper noun and are capitalized.
11 Capitalize seasons in titles only
The seasons—spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter—are not capitalized. They use lowercase letters just like other common nouns.
However, seasons are often used in titles, especially in fashion. In this case, they are part of a proper noun and are capitalized.
12 Capitalize acronyms
Acronyms combine the first letters of multiple words to make a new word. Typically, these use all capital letters. However, the spelled-out form of the acronym is capitalized only if it is a proper noun.
Some acronyms are used so often that they become separate words and use lowercase letters instead. For example, the word scuba started as an acronym for “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus,” but now it’s a common word on its own that’s spelled in lowercase letters.
13 Capitalize family titles
The capitalization of family titles can be a confusing topic. Family titles like mom or uncle can be either proper nouns or common nouns. In short, capitalize them when they’re used as proper nouns but don’t when they’re used as common nouns.
When family titles are used as common nouns, there is usually an article (the, a, an) or a possessive adjective (my, your, our, etc.) in front of them. Keep the family title lowercase if you see an article or possessive adjective.
Capitalization rules FAQs
What are English capitalization rules?
English capitalization rules require that the first letter of certain words is capitalized. Specifically, the first word of a sentence, the pronoun I, and proper nouns like names are capitalized.
What words need to be capitalized?
Some proper nouns can also be common nouns, so it’s difficult to know how to capitalize them. Generally, you should capitalize the names of people, places, titles of works, nationalities, languages, institutions like companies, historical eras, days, months, holidays, initials, and acronyms.
How do you capitalize job titles?
Job titles are capitalized when they’re part of a proper noun but not when they’re used generally. Notice the differences in this example: “The fourteenth prime minister of Australia was Prime Minister John Curtin.”
