Practice
Proper nouns: rules and examples
A city can be any city. Lisbon is the name of one city. English uses capital letters for names like Lisbon, but not for ordinary category words like city.
Recognize proper nouns and capitalize names while keeping common nouns lowercase in ordinary sentences.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
proper noun /ˈprɑː.pɚ naʊn/
The short answer
Use a capital letter for a proper noun because it is a name. Use lowercase for a common noun unless another rule, such as the start of a sentence, requires a capital letter.
Omar works in a bookstore on Lake Road.
Why it works: Omar and Lake Road are names. Bookstore is a general word, so it is lowercase.
5 more examples
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Rosa moved to Chile last year.
Rosa and Chile name one person and one country, so they are proper nouns.
Not this:A
womanmoved to a country near the mountains. What changes: Woman and country name general categories, so they are common nouns. -
Our team meets every Thursday.
Thursday is the name of a day, so it begins with a capital letter.
Not this:We chose a
dayfor the meeting. What changes: Day is a common noun because it does not name a particular day. -
Nabil is learning Italian at college.
Italian is the name of a language, so it is a proper noun.
Not this:The student is learning a
languageat college. What changes: Language is a common noun when no language is named. -
We waited outside Green Market Cafe.
Green Market Cafe is the complete name of one business, so its name words are capitalized.
Not this:We waited outside a
cafenear the station. What changes: Cafe is a common noun because it gives a general type of place. -
Captain Ruiz spoke to the passengers.
Captain is capitalized here because it appears directly before Ruiz's name.
Not this:The
captainspoke to the passengers. What changes: Captain is a common noun here because it is a general job title.
Read the full guide
Ask whether the noun identifies one particular person, place, or thing. Names such as Priya, Japan, Tuesday, and French are proper nouns. Words such as student, country, day, and language are common nouns when they name a category.
Find the name
Start with the meaning. A proper noun gives the name of one particular person, place, or thing. A common noun gives a general label. The name helps the reader identify exactly who or what you mean.
Mina called her friend Theo.
Friend is a general label. Mina and Theo are names.
Which word is a proper noun: teacher or Nairobi?
Nairobi is a proper noun because it is the name of one city.
Capitalize names of people and places
Names of people, countries, cities, streets, buildings, and organizations begin with capital letters. Some names have several words. Capitalize the words that form the established name.
Luca travels from Rome to Canada in June.
Luca, Rome, Canada, and June are names, so each begins with a capital letter.
The bus stops near Willow Bridge.
Willow Bridge is the name of one bridge. Bridge by itself is a common noun.
Capitalize days, months, and languages
English capitalizes days, months, languages, nationalities, and religions because these words are names. The general category words day, month, language, nationality, and religion stay lowercase.
Aisha starts her Korean course in October.
Korean and October are proper nouns. Course is a common noun.
Which form is correct for the language: spanish or Spanish?
Use Spanish because it is the name of a language.
Read titles and complete names together
A job title is often capitalized when it comes directly before a person's name. The same word is usually lowercase when it describes a job without naming a person. Check the whole phrase rather than one word alone.
Doctor Nguyen will see you now.
Doctor is capitalized because it is used directly with Nguyen's name.
The doctor will see you now.
Doctor is lowercase because it is a general job word in this sentence.
Check why a word has a capital letter
Every sentence begins with a capital letter. That rule can make a common noun look like a proper noun. Decide from the meaning whether the word is a name, then check whether sentence position explains the capital letter.
Market opens at seven on Sundays.
Market is capitalized because it starts the sentence. It is still a common noun.
Harbor Market opens at seven on Sundays.
Harbor Market is a proper noun because it is the business name.
Why is Market capitalized in Market opens at seven?
It begins the sentence. It does not name one particular market.
Before you go
Remember this
Use capital letters for names. Proper nouns include names of people, places, days, months, languages, organizations, and titles used with names. Common nouns name general categories and usually stay lowercase unless another capitalization rule applies.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Proper nouns: rules and examples"
What is a proper noun?
A proper noun is the name of a particular person, place, organization, day, month, language, or other named thing. Names such as Rosa, Chile, Thursday, and Italian are proper nouns. In ordinary English writing, they usually begin with capital letters.
Rosa moved to Chile last year.
What is the difference between a proper noun and a common noun?
A proper noun names one particular person, place, or thing. A common noun names a general category. For example, cafe is a common noun, while Green Market Cafe is a proper noun because it gives one business its name.
A woman moved to a country near the mountains.
Do days and languages use capital letters in English?
Yes. English capitalizes the names of days, months, languages, nationalities, and religions. Write Thursday, October, Spanish, and Korean with capital letters. The category words day, month, language, nationality, and religion normally stay lowercase.
Our team meets every Thursday.
When is a job title capitalized?
A job title is often capitalized when it comes directly before a person's name, as in Doctor Nguyen or Captain Ruiz. Use lowercase when the word is a general description, as in the doctor or the captain. Read the complete phrase before you decide.
We chose a day for the meeting.
Does every capitalized word count as a proper noun?
No. The first word of every sentence begins with a capital letter, even when it is a common noun. In Market opens at seven, market is a common noun. In Harbor Market opens at seven, Harbor Market is a proper noun because it is a name.
Nabil is learning Italian at college.