- EM |
- Articles |
- Style |
- Capitalization
Neha Karve
Summary
Avoid capitalizing corporate job titles and designations like director, manager, chef, team lead, or associate.
Examples
- She became managing director last year.
- The manager will see you now.
- Would you like to meet the chef?
- Was the chairman present?
- Send an email to the team lead, Joan Russo.
- Anita works as a hiring associate at Nusquam Inc.
Job titles may be capitalized when used as part of a name or to directly address someone, but should be lowercased when used descriptively or as common nouns.
Examples
- He was hired by Director Brown.
- Yes, Chef!
- Meet Max Brown, director of operations.
- My sister is a chef at an Italian restaurant.
but
When to capitalize
Job titles and designations are capitalized when they are used as titles just before a name and form part of it (Director Jones) or when used in direct address (Yes, Mr. Chairman). They are also sometimes capitalized to refer to a specific person (e.g., “the Director” to refer to the director of a department), although lowercasing is generally preferred in formal writing. On nameplates and letterheads, in signatures and addresses, and in lists of corporate officers, job titles are generally capitalized.
As title before name
Capitalize job titles when they form part of a name—that is, when they are used as titles immediately before a name.
Examples
- This order comes straight from Director Carey’s office.
- This case is being investigated by Detective Garcia.
- You need Coach Eriksen’s permission.
- The parents’ pleas had no effect on Principal Brown.
- Stay tuned for an interview with Commissioner Abbas.
- Was Station Officer Singh present?
- We asked Fire Marshal Rogers for more information.
- This picture was taken by Chief Danny Connor in ’92.
- Please hand this slip to Nurse Raghavan.
- This menu was created by Chef Radha Watkins.
- She worked for President Obama.
Note that most corporate job titles like team lead, manager, analyst, and associate are not generally used as part of a name and are therefore not capitalized.
Examples
- Poor: I have written to Team Manager Jones.
Better: I have written to the team manager, Angela Jones. - Poor: This report was prepared by Analyst Jim Adler.
Better: This report was prepared by an analyst, Jim Adler. - Poor: You will report directly to Head of Department Tom Deakins.
Better: You will report directly to the head of department, Tom Deakins.
In direct address
In general, capitalize titles used in place of a name to directly address a person.
Examples
- Broccoli’s done, Chef!
- Thank you, Director.
- Yes, Chief!
Note
Capitalization is a matter of style rather than grammar. Even in direct address, nouns need not always be capitalized. For example, words like sir and ma’am are generally lowercased (“Hello, sir”). Pick a style, and follow it consistently in your book or document.
In specific references
In organizational documents, job titles of senior officials are often capitalized when used to refer to a specific person. Such usage is common in internal communication within an organization.
Examples
- The Director of Operations has resigned.
- Our Chief Financial Officer is available to take questions.
- Performance awards will be presented by the Managing Director.
- This policy has been reviewed the Chairman.
In formal writing, however, prefer to lowercase such titles, unless they are used as part of a name.
Example
- Nusquam Inc.’s director of operations has resigned.
After a name
In running text, capitalize titles that appear before a name and form part of it, but lowercase job titles that appear after.
Example
- The is for Director Watson.
but
This is for Alice Watson, director of operations.
However, titles may be capitalized even after a name when it makes sense to do so—on nameplates and visiting cards, in letterheads and signatures, or in a list of corporate officers in an organizational chart or annual report.
Examples
- Managing Director
on a nameplate
- Alice Walker
Manager of Operationson a visiting card
- Raman Rao, Chairman
Luis Pereira, Chief Financial Officer
Rebecca Johnson, Chief Operations Officerin an annual report
Caution
Don’t unnecessarily capitalize common nouns like company in business reports and other official documents.
Example
- Poor: The Company’s profits increased 3% year over year.
Better: The company’s profits increased 3% year over year.
When not to capitalize
Avoid capitalizing words like director, chairman, manager, and team lead when they are used descriptively or as common nouns.
As common nouns
Don’t capitalize job titles when they are used as common nouns.
Examples
- Submit your applications to the head of the department.
- She worked as an analyst for two years.
- The team lead reports to the team manager, who in turn reports to the principal program manager.
- Are any of the partners here yet?
- We have hired twenty new associates this year.
- Please wait to speak with our customer service executive.
- The chairman of the company must be held responsible.
- The entire board of directors has resigned.
- I need to speak with the detective in charge of this case.
- Who is the new chief of police?
- My mother was my basketball coach in high school.
- Go straight to the principal’s office.
- The commissioner will hold a conference at 6 p.m. today.
- What is the difference between a station officer and a fire marshal?
- My sister is a doctor, and her partner is a lawyer.
- A nurse has been called.
- The doctor will see you shortly.
When used descriptively
Don’t capitalize job titles like manager, director, and chairman when used descriptively with someone’s name instead of as a title that is part of the name. In other words, don’t capitalize job titles used in apposition. (An appositive is a noun that appears beside another noun and describes it.)
Examples
- We spoke with Tom Jones, director of sales and marketing.
- Former directors Gina Marino and Sandy Griffith were present at the inauguration.
- Venkat Rao, chairman and CEO of Nusquam Industries, appeared before the panel.
- Team managers John Carey and Priya Nath are in charge of recruitment.
- In an interview, then chief of police Bill Braxton clarified his stance.
Caution
Remember that job titles before a name are capitalized only when they form part of the name, not when they are used descriptively.
Examples
- Incorrect: We asked commissioner Brown to comment.
Correct: We asked Commissioner Brown to comment. - Incorrect: We asked then Commissioner Joan Brown to comment.
Don’t capitalize titles in apposition.
Correct: We asked then commissioner Joan Brown to comment.
but
Job titles used in apposition may be capitalized in a list—for example, in a list of officers in an organization’s annual report.
Examples
- Jennifer Gleason, Chairman and CEO
- Stacey Takahashi, Vice-President of Operations
- Nida Fatima, Director of Sales
Other official titles
The general rule for official titles, including civil, academic, royal, religious, and military, is the same: capitalize when part of a name or to address someone directly; lowercase otherwise.
Examples
- In 2014, President Obama met with Pope Francis to discuss economic inequality.
- We all watched Oprah interview the Duke and duch*ess of Sussex.
- The charge was led by General Cauthon.
- The president is the head of state.
- When was he made a duke?
- Because he was a general, his writing was full of guns and politics.
but
