Capitalization rules are numerous and can be challenging. The following are the most basic rules of capitalization but be aware, there are outliers!
The most general rules for capitalization is to always use capital letters:
Always begin sentences with a capitalized word.
This may mean changing numerals to letters.
Capitalization rules also apply to excerpts and quotations when you adapt these to begin a sentence.
When a sentence is broken up into fragments for emphasis, subsequent parts are not capitalized:
| Pronoun 'I' | First Word in a Quote |
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He said, “Is it safe?” |
| Proper Nouns (specific people, places, organizations, and things) | Members of national, political, racial, social, civic, & athletic groups |
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| Family relationships when used as proper nouns | Periods, Events, & Documents |
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| Titles preceding names, but not titles that follow names | Trademarks |
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| Individual Names | Days, months, & holidays |
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| The names of countries, nationalities, and specific languages | The major words in the titles of books, articles, and songs (not articles unless they are the first word in the phrase) |
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Note: unlike other books, sacred writings are neither italicized nor underlined.
Note: seasons and centuries should not be capitalized.
| States | Time Periods | Educational Degrees |
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Always consider your audience. Abbreviations should be used only when they are terms familiar to your reader.