I majored in history and I was a middle school social studies teacher. Yet, I found myself looking this up many times over the years. Hopefully this short guide will help other writers, teachers, and students out there.
Capital vs. Capitol
Capitol = Building
Capital = City
Therefore, the Capitol building is in the Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America.
And, yes, since the Capitol building a proper noun, it is capitalized.
Many Meanings of Capital
“Capital” can be used in many ways. Capital can refer to:
- upper case letters
- the city where a government has its headquarters
- wealth; an accumulated amount of money
- a punishment of death
- something very serious
Further Reading
- Capital vs. Capitol (Grammarly)
- Capital / Capitol (Vocabulary.com)
- Capital vs. Capitol (Dictionary.com)
