Proper nouns are the names of specific persons, places, and things. All other nouns are common nouns. The following types of words are usually capitalized: names of deities, religions, religious followers, sacred books; words of family relationship used as names; particular places; nationalities and their languages, races, tribes; educational institutions, departments, particular courses; government departments, organizations, political parties; historical movements, periods, events, documents; and trade names.
| proper nouns | common nouns |
| God (used as a name) | a god |
| Book of Common Prayer | a sacred book |
| Uncle Pedro | my uncle |
| Father (used as a name) | my father |
| Lake Superior | a picturesque lake |
| the Capital Center | a center for advanced studies |
| the South | a southern state |
| Wrigley Field | a baseball stadium |
| University of Wisconsin | a state university |
| Geology 101 | geology |
| the Democratic Party | a political party |
| the Enlightenment | the eighteenth century |
| Advil | a painkiller |
Months, holidays, and days of the week are treated as proper nouns; the seasons and numbers of the days of the month are not.
Our academic year begins on a Tuesday in early September, right after Labor Day.
Graduation is in late spring, on the second of June.
exception: Capitalize Fourth of July (or July Fourth) when referring to the holiday.
Names of school subjects are capitalized only if they are names of languages. Names of particular courses are capitalized.
This semester Lee is taking math, physics, French, and English.
Professor Obembe offers Modern American Fiction 501 to graduate students.
The terms Web and Internet are typically capitalized, but related common nouns are not: home page, operating system. Usage varies widely, however, so check with your instructor about whether you should follow the guidelines for MLA, APA, or Chicago style (57a, 62a, or 63e, respectively).
caution: Do not capitalize common nouns to make them seem important.