Common Errors Grammar Tip 27

Capitol versus capital 

Which spellings are correct?

1. An uppercase letter is a _______ letter.
   1. capital
   2. capitol

2. He raised the _______ to launch his business.
   1. capital
   2. capitol

3. The ______ of the United States is Washington, D.C.
   1. capital
   2. Capital
   3. capitol
   4. Capitol

4. The new ______ will have a dome like the old building.
   1. capital
   2. Capital
   3. capitol
   4. Capitol

5. The ______ is the building that houses the U.S. Congress.
   1. capital
   2. Capital
   3. capitol
   4. Capitol

6. Executing a person for committing a crime is ______ punishment.
   1. capital
   2. capitol

The correct sentences are 1A, 2A, 3A, 4C, 5D, and 6A.

Why?

For most definitions, the correct spelling is “capital,” with a lowercase “c.” This spelling applies to an uppercase letter, monetary assets, a region’s center of government, and the maximum penalty of death.

The only definition for which the correct spelling is “capitol,” with a lowercase “c,” is a legislative building in general. This term is capitalized when part of the official name of a specific legislative building, such as the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., and the capitols of many states.

Distinguishing between these terms was a bugaboo of mine until recently. For most of my life, I swapped the term for a region’s center of government with the name of a legislative building. So believe me, I get it. The confusion is real.

Remember that for all definitions of “capital,” the word is lowercase. For the sole definition of “capitol,” the word is lowercase when used generically and capitalized when used specifically. Now, you just need to remember which definition is spelled with an “o.” Be careful not to get it wrong like I did!