Capitalization

The Pronoun "I"

Capitalize the letter "i" every time it is used as a pronoun: I.

• Incorrect Example: My friends and i went to the beach.

  • Example Corrected: My friends and I went to the beach.

First Word of a Sentence

Capitalize the first word of a sentence.

• Incorrect Example: the museum has a new butterfly exhibit.

  • Example Corrected: The museum has a new butterfly exhibit.

• Incorrect Example: cooking can be therapeutic.

  • Example Corrected: Cooking can be therapeutic.

Proper Nouns

Proper nouns—the names of specific people, places, objects, streets, buildings, events, or titles of individuals—are always capitalized.

• Incorrect Example: He grew up in harlem, new york.

  • Example Corrected: He grew up in Harlem, New York.

• Incorrect Example: The sears tower in chicago now has a new name.

  • Example Corrected: The Sears Tower in Chicago now has a new name.

Tip: Always capitalize nationalities, races, languages, and religions. For example: American, African American, Hispanic, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and so on.

Tip: Computer-related words such as “Internet” and “World Wide Web” are usually capitalized; however, “e-mail” and “online” are never capitalized.

Tip: Do not capitalize nouns for people, places, things, streets, buildings, events, and titles when the noun is used in general or common way. See the following for the difference between proper nouns and common nouns:

Days of the Week, Months, & Holidays

Capitalize the days of the week, months of the year, and holidays.

• Incorrect Example: On wednesday, I will be travelling to Austin for a music festival.

  • Example Corrected: On Wednesday, I will be travelling to Austin for a music festival.

• Incorrect Example: The fourth of july is my favorite holiday.

  • Example Corrected: The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday.

Tip: Seasons are not capitalized (spring, summer, fall, autumn, and winter), unless they are included in the title of something, such as a semester (ex: Fall 2024).

Titles

Capitalize the main words and first word of titles of pieces of work, including your own essays and projects. Additionally, capitalize titles of positions if it is a replacement or an addition to a name.

• Incorrect Example: The play, fences, by August Wilson, is one of my favorites.

  • Example Corrected: The play, Fences, by August Wilson, is one of my favorites.

• Incorrect Example: The book, the catcher in the rye, is a classic, American novel.

  • Example Corrected: The book, The Catcher in the Rye, is a classic, American novel.

• Incorrect Example: The president of the united states will be speaking at my university.

  • Example Corrected: The President of the United States will be speaking at my university.

• Incorrect Example: I have to visit my doctor, doctor Stephens, next spring.

  • Example Corrected: I have to visit my doctor, Doctor Stephens, next spring.

Writing at Work

Did you know that, if you use all capital letters to convey a message, the capital letters come across like shouting? In addition, all capital letters are actually more difficult to read and may annoy the reader. To avoid “shouting” at or annoying your reader, follow the rules of capitalization and find other ways to emphasize your point.

Key Takeaways

• Learning and applying the basic rules of capitalization is a fundamental aspect of good writing.

• Identifying and correcting errors in capitalization is an important writing skill.