Capital vs. Capitol: Which Spelling Do You Need?

What are the differences between the words capital and capitol? What do they mean, and what are the proper spellings? These are common questions that we’ll address in today’s post.

First Things First: Both Capital and Capitol Can Be Grammatically Correct

Let’s begin by pointing out that capital and capitol are two different words that are spelled and pronounced in a similar way. Their meanings also can sometimes be almost identical.

The Meaning of the Word Capital

Capital (with an “a”) can be a noun or an adjective. As a noun, it can mean:

the city where a government is located (Juneau is the state capital of Alaska).

the uppercase form of a letter (We use a capital for a first letter when spelling someone’s name).

a financial resource for investment (By bringing on new partners, we gained the capital needed to open a new factory).

Capital is also sometimes used as an adjective to:

describe law involving or punishable by death (First-degree murder is considered a capital offense in Texas).

indicate an uppercase letter (We use a capital first letter when spelling someone’s name).

colloquially suggest something is “great” or “excellent” (Jean had a capital idea to grab some pizza after the game).

The Meaning of the Word Capitol

Capitol (spelled with an “o”) refers to a specific building in which a legislature operates. That can make things confusing, especially since capital also has an association with government.

For most people, the best way to tell these two words apart is to remember that the “o” in capitol refers to a single physical structure, rather than the entire area comprising a government seat. So, while the capital of the United States might be Washington, D.C., the building where Congress meets is the Capitol.

We would capitalize U.S. Capitol and the Capitol when referring to the building in Washington. We would also capitalize references to other specific state capitol buildings: The Illinois Capitol in Springfield was designed by John F. Rague.

We would not capitalize capitol if our reference is more general as opposed to specific: State policy decisions are made by senators and representatives at the state capitol.

Pop Quiz

Choose the correct word in each sentence below.

1. Rome, like most European [capital / capitol] cities, has a busy airport.
2. Bruce wants to start a business but doesn’t have the [capital / capitol] he needs for office space yet.
3. Some people don’t like to receive text messages in all [capital / capitol] letters.
4. I have an appointment with my congressman, so I will leave early for the [capital / capitol] building.
5. Investigators are looking into [capital / capitol] crimes that may have been committed.

 

Pop Quiz Answers

1. Rome, like most European capital cities, has a busy airport.
2. Bruce wants to start a business but doesn’t have the capital he needs for office space yet.
3. Some people don’t like to receive text messages in all capital
4. I have an appointment with my congressman, so I will leave early for the capitol
5. Investigators are looking into capital crimes that may have been committed.

 

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