MineralMan's Visual Guide to Commonly Misspelled Words: Issue 6 [View All]

By popular request and because I really need to get some work done, I will be limiting the number of these threads to no more than one per day. Having been threatened with high dudgeon, I can see the riting on the wall. Today's visual guide will be a simple one. I have decided to illustrate the words "capitol," and "capital." This pair of homonyms is frequently confused, so I think it will be a capital idea to remove all mystery from their proper usage.

Here are the previous issues in reverse order
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1481954
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1481631
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1481332
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1480103
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1479832

Capitol

Unless the word you are trying to use represents one of the buildings below, it is not spelled capitol.

This is the United States Capitol. It is always spelled with a capital C.



Here is the Minnesota Capitol, the seat of that state's legislature. Right now, it is closed, due to the obstructionism of Republicans. Buildings housing state legislatures are all capitols. The capitalization of the word is optional.



Below is the Temple of Jupiter, on Capitoline Hill in Rome. It is the original Capitol building.



Capital

All other usages require the use of the word capital. If a legislative building is not involved, it's a capital idea to write capital, instead of Capitol. Some uses of capital may be seen below:




The State Capitals. You will find a Capitol in each capital.



Capital Punishment was done here: