Capitalization
40 rules
Capitalize First Word of Sentence, Quotation, or Statement After Colon
Capitalize the first word of every sentence or fragment that stands for a sentence. Capitalize the first word of every complete direct quotation. Capitalize the first word of every complete statement that follows a colon. These three contexts share the same principle: a new thought unit begins, so its first word takes a capital letter.
Capitalize Titles of Publications and Works of Art
Capitalize the first and last word of all headings, titles, or subtitles of printed or published matter and works of art. Capitalize all main words in between but not articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or, nor), or short prepositions (of, at, in). When a hyphenated word appears in a heading, capitalize each part as if the hyphen were absent. Prepositions of four or more letters that are emphasized may also be capitalized.
Capitalize Professional Titles Before a Name
Capitalize professional titles of respect and esteem when they directly precede a person's name. When the same title follows the name in an appositive set off by commas, or when the title is used without a name, do not capitalize it.
Capitalize Titles of Prominent Persons
Capitalize the titles of nationally or internationally prominent persons — governors, senators, cabinet officers, chief justices, the President, monarchs, the Pope — whether the title appears before or after the name or is used in place of the personal name. Do not capitalize titles after names for persons who do not hold prominent positions. Do not capitalize the words ex-, -elect, former, or late when added to a title. Do capitalize Acting when it precedes a prominent title.
Capitalize Titles on the Front Page of a Transcript
Titles appearing on the front page of a transcript are traditionally capitalized regardless of whether they appear before or after the name and regardless of whether the person holds a prominent position. This is a long-standing court reporting convention that overrides the usual rules about title capitalization.
Capitalize Abbreviated Titles After Names
Capitalize abbreviated titles that follow names. Credentials and designations such as R.N., Esq., C.S.R., and M.A. are always capitalized when they appear after a person's name.
Capitalize Title Used as Direct Address
Capitalize professional titles when a person is being addressed by that title without a surname — Doctor, Professor, Lieutenant, Senator. Do not abbreviate these titles when used as direct address.
Capitalize Family Titles Used as Names
Capitalize titles for family members — Mom, Dad, Grandma, Uncle — when they are used in place of a person's name and no possessive pronoun (my, your, his, her, our, their, whose) precedes them. If a possessive pronoun comes before the title, keep it lowercase. If aunt, uncle, or cousin forms a permanent unit with a proper name (Aunt Helen, Uncle Bill), capitalize the family title regardless of context.
Capitalize Numbered and Lettered References
Capitalize references to numbered and lettered items — Exhibit A, Chapter 3, Room 12, Section 4, Article II. Exceptions: do not capitalize page, line, stanza, verse, size, or vitamin references. Some writers capitalize paragraph and roman numeral references and some do not. When the word Number appears between the reference word and the figure, capitalize and abbreviate it (Policy No. 5427).
Capitalize Compass Directions as Regional Names
Capitalize north, south, east, and west when they name a recognized section of the country — the South, the Midwest, out West. Capitalize the derivative words Northerner, Southerner, Easterner, and Westerner. Capitalize recognized political sections and nicknames of places — the Bay Area, the Big Apple, the Loop, Tinseltown. Do not capitalize compass words when they indicate simple direction — traveling south, the east and west coasts. Do not capitalize uptown, downtown, upstate, or statewide.
Capitalize City and State After or Before a Proper Name
Capitalize the words City and State whenever they follow the proper name of a city or state. Capitalize City and State when they precede the name and refer to a governing entity capable of hiring, firing, and conducting business. When the word city or state appears later without the proper name, do not capitalize it.
Capitalize Names of Governing Bodies
Capitalize the names of governing bodies at every level — international, national, state, and local — including organizations like the United Nations, the Supreme Court, and the City Council. Short forms of international and national organizations may be capitalized, but capitalizing short forms of state or local bodies is not recommended. The words federal, government, nation, and republic are now less frequently capitalized when referring generally to the United States government — the modern trend is to lowercase them. If they are part of an official organizational name, however, capitalize them.
Capitalize Court Names; Do Not Capitalize Jury Types
Capitalize the specific names of courts when using their full official name. Do not capitalize the names of the two kinds of juries — grand jury and petit jury — unless preceded by a specific location. In the salutation of a jury charge, capitalize only the first word. Capitalize Court when it refers to the presiding judge or serves as a short form of a superior court already cited. Do not capitalize court when used in a general way.
Capitalize Legal Case Citations Like Headings
Capitalize citations of legal cases following the same heading rules used for publication titles — capitalize first and last words and all main words, but not articles, short conjunctions, or short prepositions. The format for citations can vary from transcript to transcript and should be discussed with employers. Use italics for case names where possible.
Capitalize Body Parts Named for Persons
Capitalize body parts, anatomical structures, and similar terms that have been named after anatomists, physicians, scientists, or mythological characters. The proper-noun portion retains its capital even when it appears within a compound anatomical term.
Capitalize Diseases and Procedures Named for Persons or Places
Capitalize diseases, equipment, techniques, or procedures that bear the name of a person or place — Parkinson's disease, Heimlich maneuver, Lyme disease. Capitalize and italicize the scientific genus names of plants and animals; do not capitalize the species and subspecies names.
Capitalize Trade Names and Brand Names
Capitalize a trade name or brand name but do not capitalize the generic word following it unless that word is part of the registered trade name. Check the spelling of trade names because some have unusual internal capitalization.
Capitalize Nations, Nationalities, Races, and Languages
Capitalize the names of nations, nationalities, races, and languages — France, American, Hispanic, Spanish, Mandarin. These are proper nouns or proper adjectives and always take capitals.
Capitalize or Lowercase Words Derived from Proper Nouns
Some nouns, verbs, and adjectives derived from the names of people, nations, cities, or trade names are capitalized and some are not. Use a dictionary to verify. The general trend is to lowercase these words if they have been in common use for a long time and no longer evoke the original proper noun — pasteurize, french fries, venetian blinds.
Capitalize Branches of the Military
Capitalize the names of all branches of the United States military — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard. These are proper nouns referring to specific national organizations.
Capitalize Academic Degrees After a Name or as Abbreviations
Capitalize the name of an academic degree or its abbreviation when it appears after a person's name — John Smith, Bachelor of Arts; Jane Doe, M.D. When a degree is described generically or in a general way rather than as a formal credential, do not capitalize — she earned a bachelor's degree, he has a master's in biology.
Capitalize Specific Course Titles
Capitalize specific catalog titles of courses, which often include course numbers and proper nouns — Introduction to Economics 101, Advanced French Composition. Do not capitalize the names of general subject areas — she studied biology, he teaches math — although capitals are still used for names of countries or languages within those descriptions.
Capitalize Specific Organization Names
Capitalize all specific and proper names of associations, boards, centers, clubs, commissions, committees, companies, conventions, councils, departments, hospitals, and schools — American Bar Association, Memorial Hospital, Lincoln High School. The full official name is always capitalized.
Capitalize Names of Acts, Amendments, and Treaties
Capitalize all specific and proper names of acts, amendments, codes, and treaties — the Social Security Act, the Nineteenth Amendment, the Treaty of Versailles. Do not capitalize the generic use of words that also appear in official titles — social security card, social security benefits.
Capitalize Names of Historical Events and Periods
Capitalize all specific and proper names for historical events, wars, and recognized eras. These are treated as proper nouns.
Capitalize Political Party Names
Capitalize the names of political parties and the words identifying their members — Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Democratic Party. Do not capitalize the underlying political philosophy or system of government when used generically — communism, democracy, socialism.
Capitalize Names of Churches, Temples, and Religions
Capitalize all specific and proper names for churches, temples, synagogues, and religions. The names of religious denominations, movements, and their adherents are proper nouns.
Capitalize Religious Books, Ceremonies, and References to God
Capitalize the names of religious books and some religious ceremonies — the Bible, the Scriptures, the Torah, the Quran, First Holy Communion. Capitalize any word that means God — the Almighty, Heavenly Father, the Lord, the Creator.
Capitalize Days, Months, Holidays, and Religious Days
Capitalize the names of days of the week, months, holidays, and religious observances — Wednesday, January, Christmas, Passover Seder, New Year's Eve, Easter, Hanukkah. Do not capitalize the seasons of the year — spring, summer, fall, winter.
Capitalize Names of Planets, Stars, and Constellations
Capitalize the names of planets, stars, and constellations — Mars, Jupiter, Milky Way, Polaris, Orion. Do not capitalize sun and moon. Capitalize Earth when it is mentioned alongside other planet names; otherwise lowercase it when preceded by 'the' in general usage.
Capitalize Names of Awards, Citations, and Honors
Capitalize the names of awards, citations, honors, and medals — Rhodes scholar, Olympic gold medalist, Nobel Prize, Congressional Medal of Honor, Purple Heart. These are proper nouns naming specific distinctions.
Capitalize Geographical Names and Specific Roadways
Capitalize geographical names for specific cities, counties, states, countries, land masses, mountains, and bodies of water — Lake Michigan, Mount Rainier, Pacific Ocean. Capitalize the specific names of avenues, streets, roads, routes, expressways, highways, freeways, parkways, and turnpikes — Route 66, Fifth Avenue, the New Jersey Turnpike.
Do Not Capitalize Legal Document Names in Running Text
Do not capitalize the words deposition, interrogatories, motion, petition, stipulation, will, and other legal document names when they appear in the running text of a transcript. These are common nouns describing types of documents, not proper nouns.
Capitalize District Attorney as Political Entity, Not as One of Many
Capitalize 'district attorney' when it refers to the political entity that the office represents — i.e., the one elected official within a jurisdiction. Do not capitalize when it refers to a local office or one of the many deputy district attorneys who try cases. Capitalize 'District Attorney's Office' only when it represents the entity itself, not a specific local office.
Capitalize Sheriff as Political Entity, Not as One of Many
Capitalize 'sheriff' when it refers to the political entity that the office represents — the one elected sheriff within a jurisdiction. Do not capitalize when referring to a local office or one of the many deputy sheriffs. Capitalize 'Sheriff's Office' only when it represents the entity itself.
Do Not Capitalize Names of Examinations (Cross, Direct, Voir Dire)
Do not capitalize the names of examinations in court — direct examination, cross-examination, redirect, recross, voir dire. These are common nouns describing the type of examination, not proper nouns.
Capitalize Government and Federal When Parties to a Lawsuit
Capitalize the words 'Government' and 'Federal' when they are parties to the lawsuit being reported. Outside the context of a lawsuit, do not capitalize 'government' — even when referring to the federal government of the United States. The word 'federal' is generally lowercase when it refers to the central government in regular contexts.
Capitalize Governor Standalone, Not Other State and Local Officers
Capitalize the word 'Governor' when it stands alone in context. Do not capitalize the other officers of state and local government (comptroller, mayor, etc.) when they appear alone in context. They follow the regular title rules — capitalize before a name and in direct address; lowercase in general context.
Capitalize City, County, State as Specific Entity or Lawsuit Party
Capitalize the words 'city,' 'county,' and 'state' when they are parties to the lawsuit or when they refer to a specific entity (City of Los Angeles, the State, the County). Do not capitalize when they refer to the trees, buildings, and streets of a place (the city of Los Angeles in a generic sense, the state of California, the county line). When 'city' is part of an actual city name (Culver City, Salt Lake City), it is always capitalized.
Capitalize Any Word Following Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss
Capitalize any word that has Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss in front of it, even if the word is not normally a name. This applies to titles being used as a form of address (Ms. Court Reporter, Ms. District Attorney, Mr. Know-It-All).