Capitalisation and Spelling
Capitalise names, sentence starts and titles; learn spelling patterns.
About this topic
Capitalise the first word of a sentence, proper nouns (names, places, days, months, languages), the pronoun "I", titles of works and people (President Lincoln), and first words of quotations. Don't capitalise seasons or general directions. Spelling patterns help: "i before e except after c", doubling the final consonant before -ing (run, running), and dropping the silent e before a vowel suffix (make, making). Correct form makes writing look credible and easy to read.
Titles of people are capitalised when they come before a name (Professor Green) but not when used generally (the professor). Compass points are capitalised only for regions (the South of France) and not for directions (drive south). In titles, capitalise the main words and leave short articles and prepositions lower case unless they come first.
Worked example: "On Tuesday, Dr Patel flew east to Mumbai in spring" has capitals for the day, the title, the city and the first word, but not for east or spring. English spelling is hard because it has borrowed words from many languages, so memory tools help: separate has a rat in it, and necessary has one collar and two sleeves.
Common mistakes include confusing British and American spellings (colour and color, organise and organize), and trusting a spell checker that cannot catch real-word errors such as form for from. Keep a personal list of words you misspell and review it, and proofread aloud.
Key ideas
- i before e except after c (mostly)
- Homophones: their, there, they're
- Use a dictionary
Quick check
Use cases: where Capitalisation and Spelling helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Capitalisation and Spelling before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Capitalisation and Spelling without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Capitalisation and Spelling changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Capitalisation and Spelling in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Strong reading and writing are needed in every subject, job and exam.
Frequently asked questions
What is Capitalisation and Spelling?
Capitalise names, sentence starts and titles; learn spelling patterns.
What will I learn in Capitalisation and Spelling?
i before e except after c (mostly). Homophones: their, there, they're. Use a dictionary.
Is Capitalisation and Spelling part of English?
Yes. It is one of 60 English topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Capitalisation and Spelling lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Capitalisation and Spelling?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.