harry's (Harry's)

Lowercasing a proper name can change meaning, make writing look careless, or confuse readers. Use the short rules and copy-paste corrections below to spot errors and fix sentences quickly.

If a name looks wrong in context, test the whole sentence: context often makes the correct casing obvious.

Quick fix

Capitalize the first letter of any proper name-people, places, organizations, products, events and official course or job titles when used as part of a name. Keep generic nouns lowercase unless they form part of an official title; follow a brand's preferred casing when precision matters.

People and family names: Maria, Smith-Jones.
Places and geographic features: Mount Rainier, Paris.
Organizations and products: Acme Corp., iPhone (use brand case when required).
Titles: capitalize when used before a name (Mayor Lopez); lowercase when generic (the mayor).
Possessives and punctuation: keep the name capitalized with apostrophes or prefixes (Harry's, O'Neill).

Core explanation: what counts as a proper name

A proper name identifies a single, named entity: a person, organization, place, product, event or titled work. Capitalize names that refer to that unique entity in context.

Official names: capitalize (University of Toronto, Nike).
Generic uses: keep lowercase (the university, the company) unless the phrase is the official title.
When a brand or institution stylizes its name unusually (e.g., lowercase), prefer that styling in quotations or branded contexts; follow your style guide elsewhere.

Example - people vs. generic: wrong → right: dr. chen → Dr. Chen; the doctor → the doctor.
Example - institutions: wrong → right: university of michigan → University of Michigan; the university → the university.

Grammar rules checklist (quick scan)

Run these checks in order. If any answer is yes, capitalize the word or phrase.

Is it the official name of a person, place, organization, product or event? → Capitalize.
Is it a formal title used immediately before a name? → Capitalize that title.
Is it a generic noun describing a type (department, university, company) without an official name attached? → Lowercase.
Does a brand or product use special casing (e.g., iPad, eBay)? → Match the brand when precision matters.

Check examples: wrong → right: marketing department → Marketing Department (only if the org uses that as a proper name) vs. the marketing department (generic).
Check examples: wrong → right: apple released an update → Apple released an update; use iPhone for the product name.

Common wrong/right pairs you can copy-paste

Use these pairs for quick search-and-replace or as instant corrections.

harry's → Harry's
acme corp → Acme Corp.
paris france → Paris, France
the university of chicago → the University of Chicago
mayor johnson → Mayor Johnson (before a name); the mayor → the mayor (generic)
o'neill → O'Neill
springfield → Springfield (when it's the town name)

Real usage: work, school and casual examples

Context affects tone and which capitalization rules apply. Below are ready-to-use corrections grouped by setting.

Work: sent the deck to finance → Sent the deck to Finance.
Work: meeting with acme tomorrow → Meeting with Acme tomorrow.
Work: handed off to human resources → Handed off to Human Resources (if it's the official team name).
School: i'm taking history 101 → I'm taking History 101.
School: submitted to the english department → Submitted to the English Department.
School: oxford university → University of Oxford.
Casual: met jane for coffee → Met Jane for coffee.
Casual: saw google's new ad → Saw Google's new ad.
Casual: going to springfield this weekend → Going to Springfield this weekend.

Try your own sentence

Test the full sentence rather than an isolated word-surrounding words often clarify whether a name is proper.

Hyphenation and spacing: hyphenated names, particles and apostrophes

Follow the individual's or institution's preferred spelling. When unsure, capitalize the main elements and the letter after punctuation where convention requires it.

Hyphenated surnames: capitalize both parts (Smith-Jones).
Apostrophes and O- prefixes: capitalize the conventional form (O'Neill, D'Angelo).
Name particles (de, van, la): usage varies-follow the person's styling; if unknown, capitalize the principal surname according to local convention (De la Cruz or de la Cruz).

smith-jones → Smith-Jones
o'connor → O'Connor
de la cruz → De la Cruz (or de la Cruz-use the person's preference)

Fix your sentence: quick rewrite templates

Pick a template, swap in the correct capitalized name, and check punctuation. These templates resolve most cases.

Template A (person): "[Verb] [Name] [rest]." - e.g., "met harry at noon" → "Met Harry at noon."
Template B (organization): "[Sent/Forwarded] to [Official Name]." - e.g., "sent to acme corp" → "Sent to Acme Corp."
Template C (title): "[Title] [Full Name] [verb]..." - e.g., "mayor johnson announced" → "Mayor Johnson announced..."
Template D (possessive): "[Name]'s [noun]." - e.g., "harry's folder" → "Harry's folder."

met harry about the proposal → Met Harry about the proposal.
sent budget to finance department → Sent budget to the Finance Department.
professor lee will review the draft → Professor Lee will review the draft.

Memory trick: three fast checks to catch lowercase names

Use these quick mental tests when scanning text.

Ask: Is this a unique, named entity? If yes, capitalize.
If a job title appears immediately before a name, capitalize the title.
If unsure about a brand or course title, copy the casing from the official source.

Mnemonic: Replace the word with "Company" or "Person." If the sentence still points to a specific entity, capitalize the original.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Fix lowercase names and also scan for these related errors to keep text consistent.

Days, months and holidays: capitalize (Monday, January, Easter).
Languages and demonyms: capitalize (Spanish, Canadian).
Titles after a name: usually lowercase (Jane Doe, director of research) unless the title is part of an official heading.

i speak english → I speak English.
met senator brown yesterday → Met Senator Brown yesterday.
tuesday meeting → Tuesday meeting.

FAQ

Should I capitalize a family name after an initial (e.g., o'neill)?

Yes. Use the conventional capitalization: O'Neill, D'Angelo. When in doubt, check the person's own profile or official records.

Do I capitalize job titles after a name (e.g., John Doe, president)?

Usually no: John Doe, president of the company. Capitalize the title when it appears before the name (President John Doe) or in formal headings.

How should I handle brands that stylize in lowercase (like adidas)?

Use the brand's styling in marketing or quoted text. In formal or academic contexts, follow your style guide if it specifies otherwise; otherwise, using the brand's form is acceptable for accuracy.

Is it okay to lowercase names in casual texts and social media?

Casual contexts allow looser capitalization, but standard capitalization improves readability and avoids suggesting carelessness. If your audience intentionally lowercases everything, be consistent with that choice.

How can I quickly check many documents for lowercase names?

Use a grammar or style checker that flags proper-noun capitalization, then cross-check flagged items against official sources or a style guide for ambiguous cases.

Check a sentence right now

If a name looks wrong, paste the full sentence into a quick checker or apply one of the rewrite templates above. Verify house style and brand spellings when accuracy matters.