• 3-minute read
• 8th September 2023

Are Seasons Capitalized?

Capitalization rules in English can be tricky. Knowing what and when to capitalize can stall your writing progress. You may be aware of capitalization rules regarding weekdays and months. However, you may also wonder whether seasons should be capitalized. To shed some light on this topic, we’ll explore the rules and conventions of capitalizing seasons. By the end of this post, you’ll know when to capitalize – and when not to capitalize – seasons.

The General Ruleproper nouns

In most cases, we don’t capitalize seasons. Spring, summer, fall (also called autumn), and winter are usually written in lowercase:

However, there are times when seasons need to be capitalized – and you may already have spotted one of them above.

Exceptions to the Rule

Exception 1: At the Beginning of a Sentence

When a season name starts a sentence, it must – like any word that starts a sentence – be capitalized:

Exception 2: When Part of a Proper Noun

We typically capitalize proper nouns in English. Likewise, although seasons are not proper nouns, if one forms part of a proper noun, we would capitalize it. One typical example of this is when a season is associated with a specific event, like this:

It’s also important to be aware that Summer is a given name for a woman. In that case, you would need to capitalize Summer because it’s a proper noun:

Exception 3: In Titles and Headlines

We capitalize seasons when they appear in a title or headline:

Exception 4: In Specific Contexts

In certain contexts, such as poetry or artistic writing, we can give an animal or object the qualities and attributes of a human, which is called personification. We can also personify seasons; when we do, we need to capitalize them.

Let’s consider an example in a passage from “The Human Seasons” by the late English poet John Keats:

This is less common in standard prose; however, it’s worth mentioning, especially if you happen to take literature courses in college.

Examples of Correct Capitalization of Seasons

Common Errors To Avoid

Conclusion

In conclusion, the general rule is that seasons are not capitalized unless they:

·  Start a sentence

·  Are part of a proper noun

·  Appear in titles or headlines

·  Are capitalized for stylistic reasons

If a woman’s name is Summer, we would capitalize it because it’s a proper noun.

Adhering to these guidelines will help you correctly capitalize seasons when writing about them and ensure your writing looks polished and professional.

If you’re working on an essay that involves writing about seasons, we strongly recommend proofreading it once it’s finished. Proofreading can be challenging, so we recommend asking our proofreading experts to review your writing. They can check that you have correctly capitalized seasons. Additionally, they will check your grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Consider submitting a 500-word document for free!