Capital vs Capitol: Understanding the Difference

"Capital" and "capitol" sound identical but have completely different meanings. One refers to cities, money, and letters, while the other refers specifically to a government building. This guide will help you never confuse these two words again.

Quick Answer

• Capital = city, money, letter, or main/important (multiple meanings)
• Capitol = government building where legislators meet (one specific meaning)

Capital: Definition and Usage

Capital has multiple meanings and is used in many different contexts as both a noun and an adjective.

Main Meanings of "Capital":

1. Capital City (Noun)

Definition: The city where a government is located

Examples:

• Paris is the capital of France.
• What's the capital of Australia? (Canberra)
• Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States.
• The capital of Japan is Tokyo.

2. Capital Letter (Noun/Adjective)

Definition: An uppercase letter (A, B, C vs. a, b, c)

Examples:

• Always start a sentence with a capital letter.
• Write your name in capital letters.
• The word "Monday" begins with a capital M.
• Use capitals for proper nouns.

3. Financial Capital (Noun)

Definition: Money or assets used to start or run a business

Examples:

• The startup needs more capital to grow.
• She invested her capital in real estate.
• The company raised capital through investors.
• They lack the capital to expand.

4. Excellent/Important (Adjective) - Formal/Old-Fashioned

Definition: First-rate; principal; most important

Examples:

• That's a capital idea! (old-fashioned)
• A matter of capital importance.

5. Capital Punishment (Adjective)

Definition: Relating to the death penalty

Examples:

• Capital punishment is legal in some states.
• He was convicted of a capital crime.

Common Phrases with "Capital":

• Capital city
• Capital letter
• Capital gains (finance)
• Capital punishment
• Working capital
• Venture capital

Capitol: Definition and Usage

Capitol has ONE specific meaning: a building where a legislature meets.

The Only Meaning of "Capitol":

Definition: The building where a state or national legislature meets

Key Points About "Capitol":

1. Always refers to a building
2. Used for government legislative buildings
3. Often capitalized when referring to a specific building
4. Spelled with an "o"

Examples of "Capitol":

The U.S. Capitol (specific building in Washington, D.C.):

• The U.S. Capitol is in Washington, D.C.
• Tourists visit the Capitol building.
• Congress meets at the Capitol.
• The Capitol dome is iconic.

State capitols (state legislative buildings):

• The California capitol is in Sacramento.
• We toured the state capitol.
• The Texas capitol is in Austin.
• The New York capitol is in Albany.

Important Note on Capitalization:

"Capitol" with capital "C":

• Refers to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
• Example: "The Capitol dome needs repairs."

"capitol" with lowercase "c":

• Refers to a state capitol building
• Example: "The state capitol is downtown."

Key Differences

Capital	Capitol
Multiple meanings	One meaning only
City, money, letter, important	Government building
Spelled with -al	Spelled with -ol
Used in many contexts	Used only for legislative buildings
Can be noun or adjective	Usually a noun

Memory Tricks

1. The "O" for "dOme" Trick

CapitOl has an O like the dOme on top of the building.

• Think: The CapitOl building has a dOme

Capital has an A for Almost everything else.

2. The "Building" Association

CapitOl = O = Only the building Capital = A = All other meanings

3. Visual Memory

Picture the Capitol building with its distinctive O-shaped dome.

• CapitOl → dOme

4. Limited vs. Broad

Capitol = specific (one building) Capital = broad (many meanings)

Common Mistakes and Corrections

✗ Incorrect:

1. Paris is the capitol of France. (Wrong!)
2. The company needs more capitol to grow. (Wrong!)
3. Start your sentence with a capitol letter. (Wrong!)
4. We visited the capital building in Washington. (Wrong when referring to the legislative building!)
5. The state capital is beautiful. (Ambiguous - could mean city or building)

✓ Correct:

1. Paris is the capital of France.
2. The company needs more capital to grow.
3. Start your sentence with a capital letter.
4. We visited the Capitol building in Washington.
5. The state capitol is beautiful. (when referring to the building) OR: The state capital is Sacramento. (when referring to the city)

Context Examples

Capital (City):

• Geography: What's the capital of Canada?
• Politics: The president lives in the capital.
• Travel: We're visiting several European capitals.

Capital (Money):

• Business: They raised capital from investors.
• Finance: Capital gains are taxable.
• Economics: The company has sufficient working capital.

Capital (Letter):

• Grammar: Use a capital letter for names.
• Writing: Write "USA" in all capitals.
• Education: Proper nouns need capital letters.

Capitol (Building):

• Tourism: The Capitol tour takes two hours.
• Politics: The bill passed in the state capitol.
• Architecture: The Capitol dome is being restored.
• History: The Capitol was built in 1800.

Using Both Words in Context

Sometimes you might use both words together:

• The state capitol is located in the capital city.

  • (The building is in the city)

• We toured the Capitol in Washington, the nation's capital.

  • (Building in the capital city)

• Albany is New York's capital, and we visited the state capitol there.

  • (City and building)

Special Cases

Washington, D.C. Context:

When discussing Washington, D.C., be specific:

The city:

• Washington, D.C. is the nation's capital.
• The capital has many monuments.

The building:

• The U.S. Capitol is on Capitol Hill.
• Congress meets in the Capitol.

Both together:

• The Capitol is in Washington, the nation's capital.

State-Level Examples:

California:

• Sacramento is the capital of California. (city)
• The California capitol is in Sacramento. (building)

Texas:

• Austin is the capital of Texas. (city)
• The Texas capitol is in Austin. (building)

Related Terms

Capital-Related Words:

• Capitalism - economic system
• Capitalize - to write with capital letter; to fund
• Capitalist - person who invests capital
• Capital-intensive - requiring large investment
• Capitalization - total value of company's stock

Capitol-Related Words:

• Capitol Hill - area in Washington, D.C.
• Capitoline - ancient Roman hill (historical reference)

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct word for each sentence:

1. London is the _____ of England.
2. Congress meets at the _____.
3. We need more _____ to start the business.
4. Write your name in _____ letters.
5. The state _____ building is being renovated.
6. What's the _____ of Brazil?
7. The U.S. _____ is in Washington, D.C.
8. She invested all her _____ in stocks.
9. Use a _____ letter at the start of a sentence.
10. We toured the _____ on our class trip.

Answers:

1. capital, 2) Capitol, 3) capital, 4) capital, 5) capitol, 6) capital, 7) Capitol, 8) capital, 9) capital, 10) Capitol/capitol (depending on which one)

Capitalization Rules

When to Capitalize "Capitol":

Capitalize when referring to a specific building:

• The U.S. Capitol
• The California State Capitol
• The Capitol building

Lowercase for general reference:

• Every state has a capitol building.
• The capitol will be closed for repairs.

When to Capitalize "Capital":

Capitalize in proper nouns:

• National Capital Region
• Capital Airlines

Lowercase for common usage:

• The capital city
• We need more capital
• Use capital letters

Summary Table

Use	Meaning	Example
Capital	City	Paris is the capital of France
Capital	Money	Need capital to start business
Capital	Letter	Write in capital letters
Capital	Important	A capital idea (old-fashioned)
Capitol	Building	Visit the state capitol
Capitol	U.S. Building	The Capitol is in D.C.

Quick Decision Guide

Ask yourself: Am I talking about a government building where lawmakers meet?

• YES → Use Capitol

  • The legislators met at the Capitol.

• NO → Use Capital

  • Everything else uses Capital:
    • City: Brasília is Brazil's capital
    • Money: raise capital
    • Letter: capital A
    • Important: capital offense

Conclusion

The difference between "capital" and "capitol" is straightforward once you remember the key distinction:

Capitol (with an O):

• Only refers to the legislative building
• Think: dOme on the building
• One specific meaning

Capital (with an A):

• Everything else
• City, money, letters, important
• Multiple meanings

Memory Aid: If you're talking about the domed building where Congress or state legislators meet, use capitOl (with an O like the dOme). For everything else—cities, money, letters—use capital!