A capitonym is a word that changes its meaning (and sometimes pronunciation) when it is capitalized, and usually applies to capitalization due to proper nouns or eponyms. It is a compound word of the word capital with the suffix -onym. Capitonyms are a form of homonym.
Obviously, capitonyms can cause confusion when capitalized for other reasons—when starting a new sentence, for example.
Capitonyms
Internet is a commonly misspelled capitonym.
Other common examples:
- August / august
- August: the eighth month of the year
- august: inspiring awe or admiration
- Polish / polish
- Reading / reading
- Reading: a town or city name
- reading: to examine and understand the meaning of written words
Poem
The following poem, of unknown origin, is an excellent example of the use of capitonyms:
Job's Job
In August, an august patriarch
Was reading an ad in Reading, Mass.
Long-suffering Job secured a job
To polish piles of Polish brass.
Herb's Herbs
A herb store owner, name of Herb,
Moved to a rainier Mount Rainier.
It would have been so nice in Nice,
And even tangier in Tangier.
See also
