Overusing capital letters is a common error in business communications. This mistake often arises from a well-intentioned desire to convey respect or emphasise the significance of certain words. However, the overuse of capital letters detracts from the overall readability and professionalism of the communication.
Capital letters should be used:
- at the start of a sentence
- for writing the pronoun “I”
- for proper nouns: people, organisations, countries, cities, states, historical events, government bodies or agencies
- for calendar events: days of the week, months, and holidays
- for geographic regions
- for people’s titles when they appear before their name
- for important words of titles
- for abbreviations and acronyms
Do not use capital letters:
- for seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter
- for cardinal directions: north, south, east, west
Contents
Common Capitalisation Errors
Position Titles
Capitalise position titles when they act as proper nouns. When position titles are used as common nouns, use lowercase.
In other words, titles should have a capital letter when used in conjunction with a name.
For example:
- The proposal was presented to Vice President Sarah Johnson.
- Captain Robert Harris oversees the daily operations of the ship.
- Lead Developer Alex Ramirez is known for his innovative coding solutions.
- Professor Emily Brown will be conducting the seminar.
- Marketing Coordinator Mark Taylor is responsible for the upcoming campaign.
Where a position title is descriptive or a generic reference, treat it as a common noun and do not capitalise.
For example:
- The company hired a marketing coordinator to enhance its online presence.
- The project manager carefully reviewed the timelines with the team.
- She consulted with the human resources specialist regarding employee benefits.
- Our department collaborates with the financial analyst to optimise budgeting.
- The lead engineer is responsible for troubleshooting technical issues.
Exceptions
Formal Listings and Signatures
Capitalise job titles in formal listings and signatures, such as mail and email signatures, website profiles, bylines, and other situations where names and job titles are formally presented. Typically, the job title follows the name and is separated by a comma.
Resume
Capitalise a job title in your resume or CV when it appears as the name of a position you held. However, do not capitalise it when the job title is mentioned within a description of the work you performed.
Job Title Initials
Initials, such as those used for C-suite positions like CEO or COO, are capitalised. For instance, “The CFO requested a financial report for the upcoming meeting.” However, if the job title is written out, follow common noun capitalisation rules. For example, “The chief financial officer requested the financial report.”
Job Titles in Names of Places and Institutions
Capitalise job titles when they are part of an institution’s name. For instance, ” Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet”
Writing Out Abbreviations
Where upper-case abbreviations are shortened versions of proper nouns, then the written-out version should be capitalised.
For example:
| ABS | Australian Bureau of Statistics |
| ACCC | Australian Competition and Consumer Commission |
| AICD | Australian Institute of Company Directors |
| ANZAC | Australia and New Zealand Army Corps |
| ASIC | Australian Securities and Investments Commission |
| ATO | Australian Tax Office |
| NSW | New South Wales |
| RBA | Reserve Bank of Australia |
If the shortened form represents a common noun, do not capitalise.
For example:
| ATM | automated teller machine |
| ATS | applicant tracking system |
| B2B | business-to-business |
| BOM | bill of materials |
| COO | chief operating officer |
| CTA | call to action |
| DIY | do-it-yourself |
| EEO | equal employment opportunity |
| EIS | environmental impact statement |
| FAQ | frequently asked question |
| FYI | for your information |
| GDP | gross domestic product |
| GPS | global positioning system |
| GST | goods and services tax |
| HR | human resources |
| HRIS | human resource information system |
| IT | information technology |
| KPI | key performance indicator |
| KSC | key selection criteria |
| PPE | personal protective equipment |
| ROI | return on investment |
| SME | subject matter expert |
| SOP | standard operating procedure |
| SWOT | strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats |
| UFO | unidentified flying object |
| WHS | workplace health and safety |
If in doubt…
If in doubt about when to use initial capital letters, check your organisation’s writing style guide or the Australian Government Style Guide