When to Use Capital vs. Capitol

I traveled with my daughter’s eighth grade class to Washington, D.C. this spring, and one of the things that struck me, besides how loud teens can be on a bus at 11pm, was that I still don’t know the difference between capitol, Capitol, and capital.

Clearly, a woman who prides herself on “Word Nerd Knowledge” should have this basic spelling issue resolved, especially during a presidential election year.  Do you know when to use which?

Let’s start with the one with the most inclusive definition first:

capital \ˈka-pə-t^əl\ from the Latin caput, head [Merriam-Webster]

Noun:

• the uppermost part of a column or pilaster

Adjective:

• describing an uppercase letter <A, B, C, etc>
• punishable by death <a capital crime>
• important or influential <capital ships>
• the seat of government <Richmond is state capital>
• relating assets that add to the long-term net worth of a corporation <capital improvements>
• excellent <a capital book>

Now, for capitol (switching the second “a” to an “o” makes a big difference here):

capitol, from the Latin Capitolium, temple of Jupiter at Rome on the Capitoline hill

• a building in which a state legislative body meets
• a group of buildings in which the functions of state government are carried out

Capitol (note capitalization)

• the building in which the United States Congress meets at Washington

[Merriam-Webster]

I think it’s cool how the word etymology reflects a significant difference in the different spellings here.

Word Nerd Workout

Choose the right word, (capital/ capitol / Capitol) for each of the sentences below.

1. We went on a field trip to Columbia, the state capital/capitol/Capitol of South Carolina.
2. Picketers were protesting outside of the capital/capitol/Capitol building in D.C.
3. Proper nouns should always begin with a capital/capitol/Capitol letter.

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

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