When should I capitalize the word mom? What about sir or ma’am?
Today, I want to address some of the most common capitalization errors I see in the manuscripts I edit. When you know the basic rule, capitalization becomes much easier.
When to Capitalize Mom and Dad
We all know that proper names are capitalized. No one ever wonders whether to capitalize their name. But what about mom and dad? When do I capitalize them and when don’t I?
When you use the terms mom or dad (mother, father or any form of) as a proper name, you will always capitalize it.
Examples:
Peanut butter was Mom’s favorite food.
Both Mom and Dad served in the Marine Corps.
This same rule applies to grandma, grandpa, brother, sister, etc. If you are using the term as a proper name, then capitalize it.
However, when you put a possessive pronoun with it, it will always be lowercase.
Examples:
My mom loved peanut butter.
Both my mom and dad served in the Marine Corps.
There are 8 possessive pronouns: my, mine, our, ours, its, his, her, hers, their, theirs, your, and yours.
Terms of Endearment
Here’s another one that trips up many writers.
Honey, hon, sweetheart, dear, babe, baby, sweetie…and the list goes on. These are all terms of endearment, not names. You do not capitalize them.
Some Miscellany
Sir or sir? Ma’am or ma’am?
The only time you capitalize them is in the opening address of a letter, Dear Sir, Dear Ma’am, or as an honorific, Sir Patrick Stewart, Dame Angela Lansbury.
In dialog: Yes, sir. No, ma’am.
If you have a butler in your story (or a servant of any kind) who always addresses his employer as sir or ma’am, then you might consider capitalizing it. In that case, the term is being used more as a name than as a term of address.
“Will Sir require an aperitif tonight?”
French fries or french fries?
This issue is a bit trickier and depends on what manual of style you follow. In the publishing world, The Chicago Manual of Style rules. (It is the primary book this editor uses.)
Proper nouns are usually capitalized, as are some of the terms derived from or associated with proper nouns. For the latter, Chicago’s preference is for sparing use of capitals—what is sometimes referred to as a ‘down’ style. Although Brussels (the Belgian city) is capitalized, Chicago prefers brussels sprouts—which are not necessarily from Brussels.”
Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition, 8.1, 387
Thus french fries, not French fries; spanish green beans, not Spanish green beans.
MS Word and Scrivener flag such lowercase treatments of what is normally a proper noun. Any Grammarly users out there? If so, leave a comment and let us know whether Grammarly flags french fries.
There you have it. When to capitalize and when not to. When in doubt, ask yourself, “Is this a proper name?” Or bookmark this post so you can come back to it whenever you need it.
If you have a question about capitalization this post didn’t answer, leave your question in the comments.
Are you a Christian author wondering what religious terms need to be capitalized? Find the answers in Self-editing & Publishing Tips for the Indie Author.
You’ll also discover how to correct common punctuation errors, how to publish on KDP, and much more!
I learned a couple of things. I thought Ma’am (when you are writing yes ma’am would be a proper noun as you are using it as a name. Glad I haven’t had to find out the hard way. Great blog, Debra. Good reminders as well.
Glad this was helpful. In your example, it may seem like you’re using ma’am as a name, but not really.
When someone is using a term of endearment do you capitalize it then, dear/Dear?
No, terms of endearment are never capitalized (unless it’s at the beginning of a sentence).