English uses capital letters for two main jobs: starting a sentence, and marking the names of specific people, places and things. Some rules are different from other languages. English capitalizes days, months, languages and nationalities, but not seasons.
The pattern
I met Carlos on Tuesday in my English class.
Dr. Patel works at a hospital in Denver.
01Always a capital
Use a capital for the first word of a sentence and for I, even in the middle of a sentence. Names of people and pets, brands and companies (Target, Starbucks), and specific places (Chicago, Texas, Main Street, Lake Michigan) always start with a capital.
- My friend and I love Mexican food.
- We live on Oak Street in Houston.
- I got a coffee at Starbucks before work.
02Days, months and holidays, but not seasons
Days of the week, months and holidays take a capital: Monday, June, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, Labor Day. Seasons don't: spring, summer, fall, winter. They only get a capital at the start of a sentence.
- Our lease starts on August 1.
- We always go camping in the summer.
- The office is closed on Memorial Day.
| Capital | Small letter |
|---|---|
| Friday | the weekend |
| October | fall |
| Halloween | a holiday |
| Spanish | math |
| Texas | the state |
| Dr. Lee | a doctor |
| Mom (used as a name) | my mom |
03Nationalities, languages and school subjects
Nationalities and languages always take a capital, as nouns and as adjectives: American, Korean food, She speaks Portuguese. School subjects are small unless they are a language: math, history, biology, but English and French.
- My roommate is Canadian.
- I'm taking history and Spanish this semester.
- Let's get Thai food tonight.
04Job titles and family words
A job title takes a capital before a name, because it becomes part of the name: Dr. Kim, Professor Ruiz, President Lincoln. Without a name, it's small: our doctor, the professor, the president.
Family words work the same way. When you use Mom, Dad or Grandma as a name, capitalize it: "Thanks, Mom!" After my, your or her, it's small: my mom, her grandpa.
- I have an appointment with Dr. Kim on Monday.
- The doctor said I'm fine.
- Can you pick me up, Dad?
- My dad works in construction.
05Titles, emails and messages
In titles of movies, books, songs and shows, capitalize the first word and all the important words. Keep a, an, the, and, but, or and short prepositions like of, in, on, to small, unless they come first, as in the book title Coffee and Rain in Seattle.
In emails, capitalize the first word of the greeting and the closing: Hi Sarah, or Dear Ms. Lopez, and Best regards, or Thank you,. Many Americans type in lowercase in quick texts with friends, but use normal capitals with work, school and your landlord. Avoid ALL CAPS, because it reads like shouting.
06Common mistakes
i moved here in january.
I moved here in January.
The word I and the months always take a capital.
We're going to Colorado in the Winter.
We're going to Colorado in the winter.
Seasons are small in English.
She speaks spanish and english.
She speaks Spanish and English.
Languages always take a capital.
My Doctor said I need more sleep.
My doctor said I need more sleep.
A job title is small when there's no name after it.