Rules for Capitalizing Words: A Visual Quick Guide

Stuck on whether or not you should capitalize the word “mom”? Wondering if you teach “biology” or “Biology”?

You’re not the only one. Capitalization get’s messed up all the time. But don’t fret. I’ve made a quick go-to visual guide for you to follow (see below).

But first…Does Capitalization Actually Matter?

In short, yes. Proper use of capitalization enhances clarity and provides useful designation to people and organizations. Without appropriate capitalization, some communication can be lost. It enhances readability as people can immediately identify the name or title of a person, organization, or subject.

It’s true that, in most cases, you can write a message without capitalization (think of all your text messages and social media posts) and your reader will, in most cases, still understand your message. But improper capitalization can make you look less professional. It slows down reading and comprehension. And it can, rhetorically, de-emphasize people or organizations, which can annoy the very people you’re trying to impress.

Fortunately, the rules of capitalization aren’t all that complex. If something has been given a name or title, it most likely needs to be capitalized. If you’re talking about something more generic, it usually isn’t.

Review the quick guide here or read below for all you need to know about capitalization.

The Eight Capitalization Rules

1. Capitalize the First Word in a Sentence

Capitalize the first word of every sentence. Easy peasy.

• He sat on my food.
• Why did he do that?
• Argh! Now I’m mad!

2. Capitalize Names and Proper Nouns

Always capitalize names, whether they’re names of humans, animals, companies, religions, or political parties. Titles before or instead of names count, too.

• I saw Dr. Peter Ryan, a Democrat, at the Catholic funeral with his ferret Snuffles.
• Mom, who works for Mayor Frye in the Division of Wildlife, smiled.

If title is not used as a name, DON’T capitalize.

• My dad was less amused.

3. Capitalize First Word in a Quote

If you quote a complete sentence, capitalize the first word in the quote.

• Amy asked Jenny, “Is that a daffodil in your hair?”
• Jenny replied, “It sure is!”

If you quote a partial sentence, DON’T.

• That’s when Desirae said she has “always loathed flowery heads.”

4. Capitalize Days, Months, and Holidays

Capitalize days, months, and holidays.

• In September, on every Tuesday, Don is going to run a marathon.
• On Labor Day, he’s going to do a triathlon.

But DON’T capitalize seasons.

• He always gets ambitious in the spring and fall—not so much in winter, though.

5. Capitalize Words in Titles

Capitalize all first words, nouns, verbs, adverbs, pronouns, and adjectives in titles.

• I just watched Little Women before I watched This Is Us, but I think I’ll stick to movies like My Best Friend’s Wedding.

But DON’T capitalize articles, conjunctions, or prepositions (unless they’re the first word or your style guide says otherwise).

• Of course, I always like to watch Back to the Future.

6. Capitalize Locations and Languages

Capitalize all cities, states, countries, nationalities, and languages.

• The best Chinese food I ever ate was a restaurant in Lima, Peru.
• Unfortunately, I speak neither Mandarin nor Spanish, so I don’t know what I ate.

But DON’T capitalize directions unless it’s a specific region.

• After I ate, I headed east to a book store where I read about great Italian food in South Argentina.

7. Capitalize Specific Time Periods and Events

Capitalize specific time periods, eras, and historical events that have proper names.

• His phone was so old, I told him it was from the Jurassic period.
• He laughed, then said, “No, I picked it up during the Revolutionary War.”

But DON’T capitalize centuries.

• I encouraged him to pick one up that was made, at the very least, in the twentieth century.

8. Capitalize Departments and Courses

If a department, committee, or course has a specific title or name, capitalize it.

• Before Mel worked on the Blue Ribbon Commission, she served in the Department of Nutritional Education.
• That was, of course, after she taught the course Developmental Biology in the School of Life Sciences.

But don’t capitalize generic subjects or entities.

• Mel always had a passion for working in the sciences, especially in biology and food chemistry.