Is “dad” capitalized?
The answer is it depends on whether dad is used as a proper noun or a common noun in the text. As a proper noun, “Dad” should be capitalized. As a common noun, dad uses lowercase letters. First, let’s understand a couple of basic rules about grammar, the difference between proper nouns and common nouns, and when to capitalize—in the following section.
Usage Note
I’m going to ask Dad if I can go.
My dad bought a new car.
My Dad bought a new car.
I’m going to ask dad if I can go.
Back to the basics: proper nouns vs common nouns
One of the main capitalization rules in English grammar is that all proper nouns are capitalized, no matter where they appear in a sentence. Proper nouns name specific people, places, things, or ideas. A person’s name is a proper noun, and so is the name of a country or company. That said, simply writing ‘country’ or ‘company’, does not require these words to take on a capital letter.
This is because they are common nouns: they refer to a general category or type of thing and do not point out a specific thing or entity. This chart shows the difference between both common and proper noun forms:
Study TipCapitalization rules for “dad,” visualize “Dad” (capitalized) as a proper noun, like a name, and “dad” (lowercase) as a common noun, like a general term.
Examples of sentences with Dad as a proper noun:
The following sentences demonstrate the correct use of dad as a proper noun:
|
1. You should have seen Dad’s face. |
|
2. As far as that went, Mom did seem mighty upset for a while after Dad left. |
|
3. That night… was Dad‘s birthday. |
|
4. I guess I distrusted all men because of what Dad did. |
|
5. Dad would have given her anything she wanted. |
|
6. Like I said, Russie’s mother was always strange, but after Dad died, she really became eccentric. |
|
7. Mom and Dad wouldn’t let me come up here when I was little because they were afraid I would fall down the stairs. |
|
8. Dad said we were going to watch some horses race tomorrow. |
|
9. She had inherited violet eyes from her Mother, but what if the baby had blue eyes like Dad? |
|
10. In her mind’s eye, she could see Mom, gray-haired, wrinkled and tired-but still taking joy in putting food on the table for Dad. |
When to write dad or other family members in lowercase
Grammar rules for when to capitalize the names of family members: Use lowercase letters for names of family members (i.e., dad, mom, sister, brother, grandma, etc.) when they follow a possessive determiner, such as ‘my’. Example: ‘My dad took me to the football game last night.’ The following sentences demonstrate the correct use of dad as a common noun, or as a proper noun but in lowercase letters:
|
1. I’ve got a lot to learn about being a dad. |
|
2. After a divorce, children need to understand the way their mom and dad raise them will not change. |
|
3. After school, my dad took me to my piano lesson. |
|
4. My grades have lowered significantly, as a result, my dad grounded me. |
|
5. For every household, a dad is a vital pillar in supporting the family. |
Synonyms for dad
- Father
- Daddy
- Papa
- Old man
- Parent
- Guardian
- Tata
- Dada
What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
Worksheet
Which sentence correctly uses “Dad”?
FAQs
Should “dad” always be capitalized?
+
When is “Dad” a proper noun?
+
When is “dad” a common noun?
+
What’s the capitalization rule for family terms?
+
Is “My Dad” grammatically correct?
+
Yash, D. "Do You Capitalize Dad in Writing?." Grammarflex, Jun 22, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/should-you-capitalize-dad-which-is-correct-how-to-use-plus-examples/.
Sources
-
Sentence examples are from contentauthority.com
