Capitalization

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Capitalize the following:

• Proper nouns and adjectives derived from proper nouns:

But vocabulary words derived from proper nouns are generally lowercase:

• The names of geographic divisions, regions, and localities and topographical features such as rivers, lakes, and mountains:

Do not capitalize directions: She lives 10 miles north of Boston.

• The names of nationalities, ethnic groups, tribes, and languages:

• Titles when preceding a name:

Do not capitalize such terms elsewhere: a biography of the queen; the senator's speech; my aunt, Mary Wilson; the president's fundraising efforts; the residence of the vice president.

• Epithets: Ivan the Terrible; Lincoln is known as the Great Emancipator.
• The names of political and judicial bodies, social organizations, councils, and departments:

• The names for periods, events, and documents of historical importance:

• The names for streets, buildings, and monuments:

• The names for the supreme deity and sacred works:

• The names for religious denominations and their members:
  Buddhism, Buddhists
  Catholicism, Catholics
  Judaism, Jews
  Methodist Church, Methodists
  Society of Friends, Quakers
• The days of the week, months of the year, holidays, and holy days:

• The pronoun I:
  I told her I didn't want to go.
• The first word in the salutation and complimentary close of a letter:
  My dear Carol…
  Very truly yours…
• The first word of a sentence:
  Are you hungry? Lunch will be served soon.
• The first word of a direct quotation, except when the quotation is split:
  I asked, “Do you really like bats?”
  “Yes,” said Holly, “they're so cute.”
• The first word and all the key words in the title of a literary or other artistic work:
  The Bluest Eye (novel)
  A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
  “The Road Not Taken” (poem)
  Starry Night (painting)
  “Only the Lonely” (song)
• The names of ships, aircraft, and space vehicles:
  USS Maine
  The Spirit of St. Louis
  space shuttle Challenger
• The names of constellations, planets, and stars:

• The names of geologic eras, periods, epochs, and names of prehistoric divisions:

• The genus but not the species name in binomial nomenclature:
  Canis familiaris (dog)
  Malus pumila (apple tree)