No, “House” is only capitalized when it’s part of a proper title like “House of Representatives,” not when used generically (e.g., “the house on the corner”).
Is White House a common or proper noun?
The White House is a proper noun because it refers to the specific presidential residence in Washington, D.C.
Proper nouns name unique entities, and the White House fits that rule—it’s not just any building, but the official home of the U.S. president. Compare it to “the house on the corner,” which is a generic term. When in doubt, ask yourself: “Does this refer to one specific thing?” If yes, capitalize.
Do you capitalize White House?
Yes, always capitalize “White House” when referring to the presidential residence in Washington, D.C.
It’s a proper noun, like “the Eiffel Tower” or “Mount Everest.” Lowercase only if you’re using “white house” descriptively—e.g., “a white house with black shutters”—but even then, it’s rare. Style guides like the AP Stylebook and Chicago Manual of Style agree: this is a capitalized proper noun.
Do you capitalize former president?
No, “former” is not capitalized unless it’s part of a title before a name, like “Former President Barack Obama.”
When used after a name or as a standalone title, “former president” stays lowercase—e.g., “Barack Obama, former president of the United States.” But in formal titles like “Former President Jimmy Carter,” “former” gets capitalized as part of the title. Think of it like “ex-president” in other contexts: lowercase unless it’s part of the official title.
Is House capitalized when referring to House of Representatives?
Yes, capitalize “House” when part of the official title “House of Representatives.”
It’s the same rule as “Senate” or “Supreme Court”—when the word is part of the institution’s proper name, capitalize it. So: “the U.S. House of Representatives,” “a member of the House,” but “the lower house of Congress” (lowercase when generic). This applies to both the full title and abbreviations like “the House.”
How do you know when to capitalize?
Capitalize nouns, verbs, adjectives, proper nouns, and the first word of a sentence; lowercase articles, conjunctions, and short prepositions
Think of it like dressing for a formal event: proper nouns (names of people, places, things) get the tuxedo treatment—capitalized. Common nouns and small words (the, and, in, at) are like casual clothes—lowercase, unless they start the sentence or are part of a title. For example: “The President signed the Infrastructure Bill” (all major words capitalized) vs. “The president signed the bill” (generic use, lowercase).
Is Congress capitalized Chicago Manual of Style?
Yes, “Congress” and “U.S. Congress” are always capitalized when referring to the legislative body
The Chicago Manual of Style treats “Congress” as a proper noun when it refers to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives together. It’s not capitalized when used generically—e.g., “congresses around the world often debate climate policy.” But in American political contexts, it’s always “Congress.”
Is Aunt capitalized?
Capitalize “Aunt” only when it’s part of a title before a name, like “Aunt Jane” or “Aunt Margaret Smith.”
In most sentences, “aunt” is lowercase—e.g., “My aunt lives in Ohio.” The exception is formal titles or direct address: “Please visit Aunt Sarah.” This mirrors the rule for “uncle,” “grandmother,” etc. It’s similar to how “doctor” is lowercase unless it’s “Dr. Smith.”
How do I write a former president?
In writing, address a former president as “The Honorable [Full Name]” or “President [Surname],” but avoid “former president” as a standalone title
For example: “The Honorable Jimmy Carter” or “President Carter.” While it’s polite to say “Mr. President” to a former president in conversation, in formal writing, drop the “former.” AP and Chicago style guides agree: use the title without “former.” So: “President Obama” not “Former President Obama.”
Is the word president a proper noun?
The word “president” is a proper noun when it’s part of a title (e.g., “President Biden”), but a common noun when used generically
Compare: “President Biden addressed the nation” (proper noun, part of the title) vs. “Every president faces challenges” (common noun, general statement). The key is whether it’s tied to a specific, named individual. This mirrors rules for other titles like “doctor” or “professor.”
Is Speaker of the House capitalized AP style?
Yes, capitalize “Speaker” when it’s part of the formal title before a name, like “Speaker Mike Johnson”
The AP Stylebook states that titles like “Speaker,” “Senator,” or “Governor” are capitalized when they precede a name. So: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi” but “the speaker of the House.” Lowercase when it’s a generic description—e.g., “the speaker called for a vote.”
Do you spell out United States in AP style?
In AP style, spell “United States” with periods as “U.S.” within text, but use “US” without periods in headlines
So in a sentence: “The U.S. economy grew by 2.1%.” But in a headline: “US Announces New Trade Deal.” AP’s rule is designed to save space in headlines while keeping things clear in body text. This avoids confusion with other abbreviations like “US” for “user services” or “United Service Organizations.”
Is the First Amendment capitalized?
Yes, “First Amendment” and all named amendments, laws, and acts are capitalized
This includes the “Fourteenth Amendment,” “Civil Rights Act,” or “Affordable Care Act.” The rule applies to any official document name—think of it like naming a person or place. Lowercase only when the term becomes genericized, like “a bill of rights” (referring to any set of guarantees).
What words do you not capitalize?
Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), coordinate conjunctions (and, but, or), or short prepositions (in, on, at, to, with)
These small words are like the “glue” in a sentence—they don’t carry much meaning, so they stay lowercase. The exception? If a preposition is five letters or longer (e.g., “between,” “during”), some style guides say to capitalize it—like in book titles (“Love in the Time of Cholera”). But in sentences, they’re still usually lowercase.
What are the 10 rules of capitalization?
Capitalize the first word of a sentence, proper nouns, titles before names, “I,” the first word of a quoted sentence, and the names of days, months, and holidays
Here’s a quick checklist:
- First word of every sentence.
- Proper nouns (names of people, places, things).
- Titles before names (e.g., “President Biden”).
- “I” and contractions with “I” (e.g., “I’m,” “I’ve”).
- The first word of a quoted sentence.
- Days of the week, months, and holidays.
- Historical events, periods, and documents (e.g., “World War II,” “Renaissance”).
- Brand names and trademarks.
- Academic degrees when abbreviated (e.g., “Ph.D.”).
- Geographical names (e.g., “Lake Michigan,” “Rocky Mountains”).
What does to Capitalise mean?
To capitalize is to record an expense as an asset on a balance sheet, spreading its cost over time instead of expensing it immediately
For example, if a company buys a $10,000 machine, it might capitalize the cost and depreciate it over 5 years ($2,000/year) rather than taking a $10,000 hit in year one. This is common in accounting for long-term assets like buildings or software development costs. In another context, “capitalize” can mean converting an idea into a business venture—e.g., “She capitalized on her cooking skills by opening a café.”
