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'Capital' is the seat-of-government city or invested money; 'Capitol' refers specifically to a government building.
Side-by-side comparison
"Capital" has several meanings: the capital city of a country or state, uppercase letters, and investment money or assets. It is the broader, more common form.
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, not Toronto.
The startup raised three million in venture capital.
Corruption is a capital offence in some countries.
"Capitol" (with 'o') refers specifically to the building where a congress or legislature meets, especially in the United States. It is a specific building, not a city.
The US Congress meets at the Capitol in Washington D.C.
The tour group visited the state capitol building in Sacramento.
Security at the Capitol was significantly increased after the incident.
Common mistake
- •"Paris is the Capitol of France" is wrong: the capital city uses "capital" (with A).
- •"Capitol" with O is exclusive to the legislative building, primarily in the US context.
Trick to remember it
- •"Capitol" with O: think of the round dome on the building, shaped like an O.
- •"Capital" with A: think of "area" or "city", a broad open space.
Quick rule
- •"Capital" = a city, money, or uppercase letter.
- •"Capitol" = a specific legislative building (primarily the US context).
Did you know?
"Capitol" with an O is almost exclusively an Americanism for a legislative building. In other English-speaking countries, the parliament building is never called a capitol. The UK has Parliament, Australia has Parliament House, Canada has Parliament Buildings. The name comes from the Capitoline Hill in Rome, the sacred hill where the Temple of Jupiter stood, a symbolic reference the American founders consciously chose to evoke Rome's power.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Madrid is the _____ of Spain.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
You can visit the _____ building in Washington D.C. where Congress meets.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy