Capitalization Rules for Writers (Part 1 of 8)

(Kathy Ide wrote this eight-part series.)

Family Relationships

“Kinship names” (father, brother, aunt, cousin, etc.) should be lowercased when used generically or when preceded by a modifier. Examples:

* my dad

* the youngest mother in the group

* her aunt Shelly

When used in place of the name, kinship names are to be capitalized. Examples:

* I know that Mother’s middle name is Janice.

* Does Aunt Becky have a book signing on Saturday?

* Will her Uncle Ed be at the birthday party?

* Hey, Dad, are we going fishing today?

Terms of Endearment

Terms of affection—aka “pet names” (honey, dear, sweetheart)—are lowercased … although some book publishers (mainly publishers of romance novels) have a house preference of capitalizing them.

Kathy Ide is a published author, ghostwriter, and freelance editor. She speaks at writers’ conferences, teaches online writing and editing courses, and mentors new writers. She’s the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). Learn more at www.KathyIde.com.