Is High School Capitalized? Detailed Guide on Proper Usage in Writing

Is High School Capitalized? Detailed Guide on Proper Usage in Writing

It can be difficult to understand the capitalization requirements for various grade levels and school kinds. Knowing when to capitalize them or not is important because sometimes words can be capitalized based on the circumstances.

In this guide, we will look at whether “high school” should be capitalized or not.

Should the word high school be capitalized?

No, This is because, generally speaking, “high school” is not regarded as a proper noun unless it appears in the official name of a particular institution, like “Atlas High School.” It is regarded as a common noun in daily speech, and common nouns are typically not capitalized.

Is it spelled “high school” or “highschool”?

High school is the proper spelling, with a space between the two terms. It is simply a typo of the word “high school,” which isn’t an actual word. 

Do you capitalize “high school diploma”?

No, unless it appears in a specific title or official document, “high school diploma” is not capitalized.

When referring to generic degrees, majors, and minors, use lowercase letters. Only the official diploma title should be capitalized when listing a major or degree program.

When not to capitalize:

• In 2023, I received my high school diploma.
• Her goal is to get her high school diploma.

When to Capitalize:

• If it appears in an official document or formal title:
  • The “High School Diploma of Excellence” was given to her.
  • Gate Academy’s High School Diploma Program has a stellar reputation.

Since “high school diploma” is a general noun rather than a proper noun, it is typically lowercase.

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Top 13 Guidelines for Capitalization and Examples

Let’s examine which terms require capitalization and when.

#1. Capitalize a sentence’s initial word.

You should capitalize the first letter of the first word every time you begin a sentence. For example:

• This is a cat.
• Are you coming to practice?

#2. Capitalize the pronoun “I.”.

Put a capital “I” whenever I use it as a pronoun in a phrase. For example:

• I ran home when I heard her call for me.

#3. Capitalize proper nouns and names.

A proper noun is a kind of noun that uses its name to identify a certain person, location, or object. No matter where they appear in a phrase, proper nouns in English are always capitalized. It is the opposite of common nouns, which name general individuals, places, or things. First and last names are capitalized because they are proper nouns. Similarly, capitalize nicknames, middle names, and suffixes such as Sr. For example:

• Jefferson Jr. is my hero.
• After getting his start in wrestling, Terry “Hulk” Hogan became a popular actor.

Capitalize prominent or historical names that contain descriptive words while small words, such as the or of, are not capitalized. For example:

• Have you ever wondered how Alexander the Great got his name?
• Eleanor of Aquitaine had four children.

Usually lowercase, directions like north and west are capitalized when they are part of a geographic designation, such as North London. For example:

• The map says we should head north for 30 more miles.
• Being from the West Coast is a source of pride for her.

#4. Capitalize the majority of titles.

Books, movies, songs, poetry, podcast episodes, comic book issues, and other creative works all need capitalization in their titles, but only specific words are capitalized.

• A title’s initial word is always capitalized.
• Capitalize all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in titles.

Little words like articles (the, a, and an) are frequently lowercase unless they are the initial word in a title. Conjunctions (and, yet, if) and prepositions (to, at, in) may or may not be capitalized, depending on your style guide. For example:

• To Kill a Mockingbird
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

#5. Capitalize job titles, positions, and honors

When titles and positions are used as part of a proper noun, they are capitalized; when they refer to the general job or position, they are lowercase.

• The next mayor may be from a different region than Mayor Robinson.

Abbreviated honorifics like Mr. and Mrs. are typically capitalized.

• Have you seen Dr. Patel around the neighborhood lately?

#6. Capitalize places

Make sure to uppercase any place names you use. For example:

• My favorite place to visit is Los Angeles.
• Did you know Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake?

But if you are describing a place with a general term rather than its name, don’t capitalize that word.

• Let’s swing by the bakery on our way home.
  I think the bakery with the best pastries is Sweet Treats.

#7. Capitalize languages, nations, and nationalities.

Languages, nations, and nationalities are capitalized in English. Because country names are classified as places, they are capitalized, as are the names of the inhabitants and the adjective form of their culture. This includes languages. For example:

• Our favorite soccer team will be competing in France this summer.
• Do you think they’re prepared to go up against a team of French players?
• I hope they enjoy authentic French cuisine during their trip.
• I hear the team is learning how to speak French beforehand.

#8. Capitalize organizations (businesses, schools, brands, firms, etc.).

Additionally, proper nouns are used in the names of institutions such as firms, brands, companies, and other organizations. In these names, some minor words, such as prepositions, might still be lowercase. For example:

• I’m thinking of buying a new Toyota.
  She’s worked at Chase Bank for years.

Capitalize the department’s full name if you’re referring to it by that name. When referring to a broad department as a common noun, however, use lowercase letters. For example:

• She’s a professor in the English Department.
• I didn’t even know our school had an English department.

#9. Capitalize particular times and occasions.

You should capitalize eras and events that employ proper nouns in the title or allude to certain eras.

• During the Jazz Age, cultural movements flourished across the world.
• The Industrial Revolution brought significant technological advancements.

Additionally, you should not capitalize time periods that refer to general periods, like centuries or decades, or to nonspecific events. For example:

• People in the seventies witnessed rapid changes in technology.

#10. Capitalize holidays, months, and days.

You should capitalize days and months since they are proper nouns. For example:

• This year, Thanksgiving fell on the last Thursday in November.

Words like “day” and “month” are not capitalized. They are capitalized and count as proper nouns, though, if they are components of a holiday name. For example:

• What day is Independence Day?

#11. Capitalize seasons in titles only.

The following seasons are not capitalized: spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter. Like other common nouns, they are written in lowercase letters.

• Last autumn and winter were unusually cold—this spring should be warmer.

Nonetheless, when seasons are used in titles, they are capitalized and a part of a proper noun in this instance. For example:

• Gucci’s Winter 2023 collection received high praise compared to Dior’s Summer 2022 collection.

#12. Capitalize acronyms.

Acronyms combine the first letters of various words to produce a new word. Typically, these use all capital letters. But only when the acronym is a proper noun is its spelled-out form capitalized. For example:

• NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
• FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

The term “scuba” was originally an abbreviation for “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus,” but it is now a common word on its own that is typed in lowercase letters since it is used so frequently that it has become a separate word.

#13. Capitalize family titles

It can be challenging to know whether to capitalize family titles like “dad” or “aunt” because they can be either proper or common nouns. In other words, capitalize them when they are used as proper nouns and not when they are used as common nouns.

For example:

• I have to ask my mom.
• Can I go to the park, Mom?

An article (the, a, an) or a possessive adjective (mine, your, our, etc.) is typically used before family titles when they are used as common nouns. If an article or possessive adjective appears in the family title, keep it lowercase. For example:

• She was excited to become a grandmother.
• My cousin doesn’t like it when I call him Cousin Mike because it sounds too formal.

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Guidelines for Capitalization and punctuation

Here are some guidelines on the relationship between punctuation and capitalization.

#1. Capitalization and quotes

Even if the quote starts in the middle or at the end of a sentence, capitalize the first word in a complete sentence that contains a direct quote. For example:

• In reality, Galileo never said, “And yet it moves.”

Do not capitalize the quote if it is a sentence fragment that continues the main sentence. This is most frequently used when quoting a single word or phrase rather than a whole text. For example:

• The coach called our performance “sloppy and uninspired.”

#2. Capitalization and colons

If a list is introduced with a colon, do not capitalize it. For example:

• We need the following supplies for the trip: sleeping bags, a flashlight, and extra batteries.

You should capitalize the first word following the colon if it is a proper noun. For example:

• Here’s what we need from the store: Pepsi, cheddar cheese, apples, and bread.

#3. Capitalization and semicolons

Unless it is a proper noun, the first word after a semicolon should not be capitalized. The first word in the sentence after the semicolon does not need to be capitalized unless it is customary to do so because a semicolon is not a terminal punctuation mark like a period, question mark, or exclamation mark.

• Ethan loves to read historical fiction; Olivia prefers science fiction.

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Rules for Capitalizing Offices and Departments

Capitalize

• Vice President and Provost’s Office for Academic Affairs
• Biological Sciences Department
• School of Arts
• Health and Human Services College
• Intercollegiate Athletics Division
• Chinese Studies Light Center

Do not capitalize

• academic affairs, the provost’s office, and the office
• the department of biological sciences
• the school, the music school
• the college’s health and human services
• athletics, the division, and intercollegiate competition
• the institute, the center

FAQs on Capitalization

What are English capitalization rules?

According to English capitalization laws, some words must have their first letter capitalized. In particular, proper nouns like names, the pronoun I, and the first word of a phrase are capitalized.

What words need to be capitalized?

In general, you should capitalize names of persons, places, titles of works, countries, languages, institutions such as companies, historical eras, days, months, holidays, initials, and acronyms.

How do you capitalize job titles?

Job titles are capitalized when they are part of a proper noun but not when they are used in a general context. For example: President Donald Trump

How do I write “highschool” correctly?

Note that “highschool” is grammatically wrong when used in place of “high school.” ‘High school’ should always be written as two separate terms.

Is high school capitalized or not?

The word “high school” should only be capitalized when used as a proper noun. Instead of using the word as a general term, you should capitalize it when referring to the name of a particular high school. For example:

Is high school one word?

High school is the proper spelling, with a space between the two terms. It is simply a typo of the word “highschool,” which isn’t an actual word.

Is “high school diploma” capitalized?

No, unless it appears in an official document or title, “high school diploma” is not capitalized.

Is freshman capitalized?

When discussing the classification of a student, do not capitalize the terms freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate, nor do you capitalize organized groups or classes of students.

Should you put a hyphen between “high school”?

Since “high school” is an open compound, a hyphen should not be used between the two terms. When high school is a noun, this is always the case.

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