People and Groups. Capitalize personal names and nicknames.
Spike Lee, Susan Sarandon, Bill Murray, Magic Johnson Capitalize names of ethnic groups and nationalities and their languages.
Latino, African American, Russian, Chinese
Personal, Professional, and Job Titles. Titles preceding proper names are capitalized.
Mrs. Lindblad, Dr. Schreiner, Sr. Mary Catherine
Appositives following proper names are not normally capitalized. (The word President is usually capitalized when it refers to the chief executive of a national government.)
Joan Kelly Horn defeated Jack Buechner, our former senator.
The only exception is an appositive that acts as part of the name.
Conan the Barbarian, Catherine the Great
Capitalize words designating family relationships only when they are part of a proper name or substitute for one.
My favorite shopping partner is my sister Mary. [Here, sister is a common noun, not part of a name.]
One Christmas we wrote poems about Aunt Alice, our dead aunt.
The twins thought the poems were funny, but Mother disapproved.
The twins thought the poems were funny, but my mother disapproved.
Places. Capitalize the names of places and geographic regions.
Utah , St. Louis , Clark County , Manitoba , Africa, the Azores
Do not capitalize geographic features unless they are part of a proper name.
He was fond of the northern part of Indiana , particularly the Dunes area.
The words north, south, east, and west are capitalized when they refer to sections of the country. They are not capitalized when they refer to directions.
I may travel south this winter.
The South may decide next year's election.
Institutions and Organizations. Capitalize the names of institutions, organizations, and companies.
United Church of Christ , Congress, House Judiciary Committee, Red Cross, Urban League, Boston Red Sox, Apple Computers
An organization usually capitalizes the formal names of its internal divisions and departments.
Faculty Senate, Department of Defense, Consumer Products Division
Types of institutions, organizations, and divisions are not capitalized unless they are part of an official name.
Although my thesis adviser was in the History Department, 1 had a double major in history and economics.
When I was in college, 1 joined Alpha Sigma Alpha, a social sorority.
I attended high school in Webster Groves .
Trade Names. Capitalize the trademark names of specific brands of products. If you are not sure whether a term is a trademark, consult a dictionary.
Reebok, Honda, Bic, Apple, Scotch tape, Saran Wrap
Historical Events and Documents. Capitalize historical events, periods, and documents.
the French Revolution, World War II, the Renaissance, the Iron Age, the Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact
Religious Terms. Capitalize the names of religions, their followers, holy books, and holy days.
Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism; Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Jew; the Bible, Koran, Talmud, Book of Mormon; Easter, Passover, Ramadan
The word Bible is capitalized when it refers to the book of scriptures; otherwise, it is not capitalized.
My mother goes to church and reads the Bible regularly. My brother stays home; his bible is Sports Illustrated.
Names of deities are capitalized.
The Muslims' god is Allah. [When god is a common noun, it is not capitalized.]
Capitalization of pronouns referring to God is optional, but it is common in religious writing and when confusion about antecedents is possible.
The minister spoke of God and all His blessings.
Days of the Week, Months, Holidays. Capitalize days of the week, months, and holidays.
Christmas, Chanukah, December, Tuesday
Do not capitalize seasons of the year.
summer, fall, winter, spring
Scientific Terms. Capitalize scientific names of orders, classes, families, and genera, but do not capitalize species or English derivatives of scientific names. (Note also that genera and species are italicized.)
butterfly, Lepidoptera, lepidopterist
Homo sapiens [genus: Homo; species: sapiens]
Capitalize the names of stars, constellations, and planets.
Pluto, Mercury, Cassiopeia, the Big Dipper
Capitalize earth only when it is used as an astronomical term.
Where on earth have you been?
The two planets closest to Earth are Mars and Venus.
Abbreviations and Acronyms. Capitalize abbreviations and acronyms if the words they stand for are capitalized.
