"Capital" is the seat-of-government city or money; "Capitol" is the congressional building.
Capital city (seat of government). Also: money or assets. As adjective: uppercase letter, or of utmost importance.
Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States.
The startup needs more capital to expand into new markets.
Always begin a sentence with a capital letter.
The specific building where congress or a legislature meets. In the US, always capitalized: the Capitol.
The senator gave a speech on the steps of the Capitol.
Tourists line up every day to tour the Capitol building in Washington.
The Capitol dome is one of the most recognizable silhouettes in American architecture.
Common mistake
Writing "the Capitol city" when you mean "the capital city". Or "the capital building" when referring to the congressional building. Easy rule: city or money — capital (with A). Legislative building — Capitol (with O, almost always capitalized).
Trick to remember it
Capitol (with O) = the building with the dOme. The O in capitol and the O in dome remind you that capitol is the building. Everything else — city, money, uppercase letters, importance — is capital with A.
Quick rule
Capital (A) = seat-of-government city, money, uppercase letter. Capitol (O) = the building where congress meets.
Did you know?
"Capitol" comes from Latin "Capitolium", the name of the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill in Rome — the most sacred place in ancient Rome. When the US founders named the congressional building, they deliberately chose that name to evoke the grandeur of the Roman republic.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Buenos Aires is the _____ of Argentina and one of the largest cities in South America.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The senator was seen entering the _____ building early this morning before the vote.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Capital (A) = seat-of-government city, money, uppercase letter. Capitol (O) = the building where congress meets.
Writing "the Capitol city" when you mean "the capital city". Or "the capital building" when referring to the congressional building. Easy rule: city or money — capital (with A). Legislative building — Capitol (with O, almost always capitalized).
Capitol (with O) = the building with the dOme. The O in capitol and the O in dome remind you that capitol is the building. Everything else — city, money, uppercase letters, importance — is capital with A.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy