Proper Nouns
Learn Proper Nouns in English and start identifying names of people, places, and specific things with confidence.
A proper noun is the name of one person, one place, or one specific thing. A common noun is a general word for a person, place, or thing. Proper nouns usually begin with a capital letter in English.
Names of people are proper nouns. First names and family names begin with capital letters. Titles can also be part of a proper noun when they are used with a name.
| Rule |
|---|
| Use a capital letter for each part of a person's name 👤. |
| Use a capital letter for a title before a name 👑. |
| Do not use a capital letter for a general job name without a name 💼. |
Names of countries, cities, streets, rivers, and buildings are proper nouns. These names begin with capital letters. Some place names use words like the as part of the name, but many do not.
| Word or Phrase | Definition |
|---|---|
 country | A country name is a proper noun and begins with a capital letter. |
 city | A city name is a proper noun and begins with a capital letter. |
 street | A street name is a proper noun and begins with capital letters. |
 river | A river name is a proper noun and begins with capital letters. |
 building | A building name is a proper noun and begins with capital letters. |
The names of days and months are proper nouns in English. They begin with capital letters. Seasons are often common nouns, so writers often use lower-case letters for them.
| Rule |
|---|
| Use a capital letter for every day name 📅. |
| Use a capital letter for every month name 🗓️. |
| Use a lower-case letter for season names in many styles 🍂. |
Some proper nouns name specific things, such as holidays, brands, books, and schools. These names usually begin with capital letters. In some cases, style can differ for brand names and titles, so the exact form may depend on the source.
| Word or Phrase | Definition |
|---|---|
 holiday | A holiday name is usually a proper noun and begins with capital letters. |
 brand | A brand name is usually a proper noun, but the written style can follow the company form. |
 book | A book title is a proper noun and important words are often capitalized. |
 school | A school name is a proper noun and begins with capital letters. |
Proper nouns often do not use a, an, or the. Names of people, cities, days, and months usually appear without an article. Some proper nouns take the as part of normal use, and this can vary by name and style.
| Rule |
|---|
| Do not use an article with most person names 👤. |
| Do not use an article with most city names 🏙️. |
| Do not use an article with days and months 📅. |
| Use the with some names because it is part of normal usage 📰. |
Proper nouns are easy to see in signs, messages, maps, and books because they usually have capital letters. A capital letter can help you know that a word is a name, not a general word. You can now identify and use proper nouns for people, places, days, months, and other specific things in basic English.