In this blog post, you will learn the difference between common and proper nouns, essential for mastering proper capitalization in English. Common nouns are everyday names for general things, places, or people, like ‘city’ or ‘car.’ Proper nouns, however, are specific names like ‘New York’ or ‘Toyota,’ and they always begin with a capital letter. By understanding these distinctions, you can improve your writing clarity and avoid common mistakes.
What are Common and Proper Nouns?
Common nouns are everyday names for things, places, or people, like apple, city, or teacher. Think of them as the undercover nouns—they don’t need fancy capital letters. Proper nouns, on the other hand, are the VIPs of nouns. They’re specific names, like New York, Mr. Smith, or Eiffel Tower, and always start with capital letters.
Examples:
- Common Noun: apple, car, dog, city
- Proper Noun: Granny Smith, Toyota, Fido, Paris
Common Nouns vs Proper Nouns
Here’s the list of 100 English words: a list of common noun vs proper nouns:
| Common Noun | Proper Noun |
|---|---|
| book | Harry Potter |
| chair | Eiffel Tower |
| table | Amazon |
| car | Toyota |
| house | White House |
| dog | Buddy |
| cat | Whiskers |
| tree | Oak Tree |
| school | Harvard University |
| city | New York |
| river | Nile River |
| mountain | Mount Everest |
| ocean | Pacific Ocean |
| street | Broadway |
| country | Japan |
| state | California |
| country | France |
| company | |
| magazine | Time |
| newspaper | The New York Times |
| president | Abraham Lincoln |
| artist | Picasso |
| musician | Beethoven |
| journalist | Anderson Cooper |
| chef | Gordon Ramsay |
| astronaut | Neil Armstrong |
| director | Steven Spielberg |
| painter | Van Gogh |
| singer | Adele |
| dancer | Michael Jackson |
| golfer | Tiger Woods |
| tennis player | Serena Williams |
| soccer player | Lionel Messi |
| baseball player | Babe Ruth |
| football player | Tom Brady |
| basketball player | LeBron James |
| boxer | Muhammad Ali |
| swimmer | Michael Phelps |
| skier | Lindsey Vonn |
| gymnast | Simone Biles |
| pilot | Amelia Earhart |
| soldier | General Patton |
| sailor | Captain Cook |
| teacher | Ms. Johnson |
| nurse | Florence Nightingale |
| firefighter | Chief Baker |
| police officer | Officer Smith |
| author | J.K. Rowling |
| comedian | Robin Williams |
| filmmaker | Martin Scorsese |
| producer | Quincy Jones |
| editor | Anna Wintour |
| publisher | Penguin Books |
| librarian | Ms. Green |
| coach | Coach Taylor |
| mentor | Mr. Johnson |
| principal | Mr. Thompson |
| counselor | Ms. White |
| psychologist | Dr. Adler |
| psychiatrist | Dr. Freud |
| sociologist | Dr. Weber |
| anthropologist | Dr. Mead |
| economist | Dr. Keynes |
| historian | Herodotus |
| geographer | Ptolemy |
| linguist | Chomsky |
| mathematician | Euclid |
| physicist | Newton |
| chemist | Curie |
| biologist | Darwin |
| doctor | Dr. Seuss |
| nurse | Florence Nightingale |
| firefighter | Chief Baker |
| police officer | Officer Smith |
| author | J.K. Rowling |
| comedian | Robin Williams |
| filmmaker | Martin Scorsese |
| producer | Quincy Jones |
| editor | Anna Wintour |
| publisher | Penguin Books |
| librarian | Ms. Green |
| coach | Coach Taylor |
| mentor | Mr. Johnson |
| principal | Mr. Thompson |
| counselor | Ms. White |
| psychologist | Dr. Adler |
| psychiatrist | Dr. Freud |
| sociologist | Dr. Weber |
| anthropologist | Dr. Mead |
| economist | Dr. Keynes |
| historian | Herodotus |
| geographer | Ptolemy |
| linguist | Chomsky |
| mathematician | Euclid |
| physicist | Newton |
| chemist | Curie |
| biologist | Darwin |
| doctor | Dr. Seuss |
Understanding the distinction between common and proper nouns helps in proper capitalization and adds clarity to your writing.
Difference Between Common and Proper Nouns
| Common Nouns | Proper Nouns |
| band | The Beatles |
| song | Imagine |
| movie | Titanic |
| holiday | Christmas |
| store | Walmart |
| brand | Nike |
| continent | Africa |
| computer | MacBook |
| pet | Buddy |
| game | Monopoly |
| language | Spanish |
| building | Empire State Building |
| park | Central Park |
| road | Route 66 |
| writer | Shakespeare |
| play | Hamlet |
| queen | Elizabeth II |
| king | Henry VIII |
| emperor | Napoleon |
| scientist | Einstein |
| philosopher | Plato |
| teacher | Mrs. Smith |
| coach | Coach Carter |
| doctor | Dr. Brown |
| lawyer | Attorney Jones |
| actor | Brad Pitt |
| actress | Angelina Jolie |
| athlete | Michael Jordan |
| musician | Mozart |
| poet | Robert Frost |
| president | George Washington |
| prime minister | Winston Churchill |
| explorer | Columbus |
| inventor | Edison |
| businessman | Bill Gates |
| entrepreneur | Elon Musk |
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