Los Angels (Los Angeles)

Is "Los Angels" correct? No. The correct city name is Los Angeles - two words, both capitalized. Below are tight rules, plenty of wrong/right sentence pairs you can copy, quick memory checks, hyphenation and spacing notes, and a short checklist to fix sentences before you send them.

Quick answer

Always write Los Angeles (two words, capitalized). "Los Angels" is a misspelling and should be corrected.

Correct: Los Angeles
Wrong: Los Angels
Use "Los Angeles" in formal writing; "LA" is fine in informal contexts or after you define it.

Core explanation

"Los Angeles" comes from Spanish (Los Ángeles). In English we drop the accent and keep two words: Los Angeles. Replacing Ángeles with the English word "Angels" changes the proper name into a typo.

Origin: Spanish "Los Ángeles" → English "Los Angeles".
"Angels" is an English noun, not the city name; using it is a spelling error.

Wrong: I moved to Los Angels last year.
Right: I moved to Los Angeles last year.

Spelling, spacing, and hyphenation

Keep two words: Los Angeles. Do not join with a hyphen or remove the space in running prose. Hyphenate compound modifiers per your style guide (for example, "Los Angeles-based" or "Los Angeles-based").

Correct spacing: "Los Angeles" (never "LosAngeles" in prose).
Compound modifier: "Los Angeles-based team" (hyphenate or use an en dash per style guide).
Addresses: "Los Angeles, CA" (use the comma between city and state).

Wrong: Send the package to LosAngeles, CA.
Right: Send the package to Los Angeles, CA.
Usage note: Social handles or hashtags often remove the space (#LosAngeles); that's fine there but not in normal sentences.

Grammar and capitalization

Capitalize both words: Los Angeles. Treat it like any proper noun in sentences, headings, and lists.

Correct: "The Los Angeles office opens Monday."
Incorrect: "the Los angeles office" or "Los angels office".
Compound modifiers before a noun: "a Los Angeles-area study" or "Los Angeles-area study" per your style guide.

Wrong: the Los angels office opens tomorrow.
Right: The Los Angeles office opens tomorrow.

Memory tricks to stop typing "Angels"

Use quick checks that catch the mistake before you send a message: link the name to "City of Ángeles" in your head, let autocomplete finish "Los Angeles," and search your draft for "Angels" to confirm each occurrence.

Mnemonic: City of Angels → Ángeles → Los Angeles (remember the "el" sound in the middle).
Type "Los An..." and accept your editor's autocomplete for "Los Angeles."
Search the document for "Angels" to find possible misuses (the word is correct only for teams or the nickname).

Examples: common wrong/right sentence pairs (copy-ready)

Below are realistic wrong/right pairs you can copy directly. They cover travel, headlines, addresses, sports references, and map captions.

Wrong: I visited Los Angels last summer. -
Right: I visited Los Angeles last summer.
Wrong: Flights to Los Angels are expensive in July. -
Right: Flights to Los Angeles are expensive in July.
Wrong: Los Angels Lakers won the game easily. -
Right: Los Angeles Lakers won the game easily.
Wrong: Job posting: Remote position in Los Angels. -
Right: Job posting: Remote position in Los Angeles.
Wrong: The conference is in Los Angels next spring. -
Right: The conference is in Los Angeles next spring.
Wrong: Map marks Los Angels west of Santa Monica. -
Right: Map marks Los Angeles west of Santa Monica.
Wrong: Attendees from Los Angels should register here. -
Right: Attendees from Los Angeles should register here.
Wrong: Ticket pickup at the Los Angels venue will start at 6 p.m. -
Right: Ticket pickup at the Los Angeles venue will start at 6 p.m.

Context-specific examples - wrong + fixed:

Work - Wrong: Please schedule the audit in Los Angels for Q3. -
Right: Please schedule the audit in Los Angeles for Q3.
Work usage - Use full address in contracts: 200 Market St, Suite 5, Los Angeles, CA.
School - Wrong: My research focuses on urban planning in Los Angels. -
Right: My research focuses on urban planning in Los Angeles.
School usage - List affiliation like: "Department of Urban Studies, University X, Los Angeles."
Casual - Wrong: Meet me in Los Angels for the concert. -
Right: Meet me in Los Angeles for the concert.
Casual usage - Short, correct: "I grew up in Los Angeles - love the local food scene!"

Try your own sentence with the widget below:

Rewrite help: ready-to-use rewrites (paste into your text)

Swap in these tighter rewrites when a sentence uses "Los Angels" or feels clumsy.

Original: "I'll be speaking in Los Angels next week at 3pm." -
Rewrite: "I'll be speaking in Los Angeles next week at 3 p.m."
Original: "Conference center Los Angels downtown." -
Rewrite: "The conference takes place at the downtown Los Angeles conference center."
Original: "Visiting Los Angels for research." -
Rewrite: "Visiting Los Angeles for field research."
Original: "Send invoices to our Los Angels office." -
Rewrite: "Send invoices to our Los Angeles office (Los Angeles, CA)."
Original: "Tickets available at Los Angels box office." -
Rewrite: "Tickets are available at the Los Angeles box office."
Short formal fix: Original: "Event will be held in Los Angels, please RSVP." -
Rewrite: "The event will be held in Los Angeles; please RSVP."

Similar mistakes and real impact

A misspelled city name looks careless to recruiters, editors, professors, and clients. It also reduces discoverability in search engines and maps, since automated systems expect the correct spelling.

Professional impact: typos lower credibility and can filter you out of searches or automated checks.
Searchability: incorrect place names reduce findability on search and map services.
Other frequent errors: "San Fransisco" → "San Francisco"; "SantaMonica" → "Santa Monica"; inconsistent use of accents ("Los Ángeles" vs "Los Angeles").

Wrong: San Fransisco is north of Los Angels. -
Right: San Francisco is north of Los Angeles.
Usage tip: If you use Spanish forms in a document, pick one style for consistency: "Los Ángeles" (Spanish) or "Los Angeles" (English).

FAQ and quick check

Is "Los Angeles" one word or two?

Two words. The correct English form is "Los Angeles" (two separate words, both capitalized).

Can I use "LA" instead of Los Angeles in formal writing?

Use "Los Angeles" in formal writing. "LA" is acceptable in informal contexts or after you define it (e.g., "Los Angeles (LA)").

Should I include the state after Los Angeles?

Include the state (Los Angeles, CA) when clarity is needed-addresses, official documents, or when there's potential confusion with another place.

Why do people write "Los Angels"?

Because "Angels" is a familiar English word and sounds similar to "Angeles." It's a common typo or memory slip, but it's incorrect for the city's proper name.

How can I quickly check sentences that mention Los Angeles?

Search your document for "Angels" and check each occurrence. Use spell-check/autocomplete and paste suspect sentences into a grammar checker before sending.

Quick editing checklist: search for "Angels," replace with "Angeles" when the context is the city, confirm capitalization and punctuation, and add the state when needed. These small fixes sharpen clarity and credibility in professional and academic writing.