In English, nouns are the words we use to name people, places, things, or ideas, but not all nouns are the same. Common nouns are general names, like city, teacher, or book, while proper nouns are specific names, like London, Mr. Smith, or Harry Potter. Understanding the difference between them is important for writing correctly, especially because proper nouns always begin with a capital letter. In this article, you will learn the learn difference between common nouns vs proper nouns, along with simple examples to help you use them correctly in everyday English.
What are Common Nouns?
Common nouns are the names of general people, places, things, or ideas, and they are not specific. They do not begin with a capital letter unless they start a sentence. For example, words like teacher, city, book, and happiness are common nouns because they refer to general names, not unique ones.
Key Points about Common Nouns
- They give general names.
- They are not capitalized unless at the start of a sentence.
- They can be singular or plural.
What are Proper Nouns?
Proper nouns are the special names of specific people, places, things, or events. They always begin with a capital letter. For example, Ali, London, Eiffel Tower, and Eid are proper nouns because they name one unique person, place, object, or occasion.
Key Points about Proper Nouns
- They give specific names.
- They are always capitalized.
- They usually do not change for singular or plural.
Comparison of Common Noun and Proper Noun
| Aspect | Common Noun | Proper Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | General name for a person, place, thing, or idea | Specific name for a person, place, thing, or idea |
| Capitalization | Not capitalized (except at the start of a sentence) | Always capitalized |
| Example Words | city, river, boy, car | London, Nile River, John, Toyota |
| Example Sentence | We went to the city. | We went to London. |
More Examples of Common and Proper Noun
| Common Noun | Proper Noun |
|---|---|
| teacher | Mr. Smith |
| river | Amazon River |
| mountain | Mount Everest |
| day | Monday |
| month | January |
| car | Toyota |
| country | Pakistan |
| building | Burj Khalifa |
| book | The Holy Quran |
| park | Central Park |
Common Nouns vs Proper Nouns in English
Tips to Remember the Difference
- If the noun names a specific person, place, or thing, it is a proper noun.
- If the noun names any general person, place, or thing, it is a common noun.
- Proper nouns are always capitalized.
- Common nouns are not capitalized unless they start a sentence.
List of Common Nouns
- boy
- girl
- city
- country
- teacher
- school
- river
- mountain
- park
- road
- car
- bus
- train
- house
- shop
- garden
- table
- chair
- book
- pen
- doctor
- hospital
- dog
- cat
- bird
- tree
- flower
- day
- month
- language
30 Proper Nouns
- John
- Mary
- London
- Pakistan
- Mr. Smith
- Oxford University
- Amazon River
- Mount Everest
- Central Park
- Wall Street
- Toyota
- Greyhound Bus
- Eurostar
- White House
- Walmart
- Rose Garden
- Times Square
- Victoria Chair Company
- The Holy Quran
- Parker Pen
- Dr. Brown
- Mayo Hospital
- Max (dog’s name)
- Kitty (cat’s name)
- Tweety (bird’s name)
- Oak Tree Cafe
- Red Rose School
- Monday
- January
- English
List of Common Nouns and Proper Nouns
Examples of Common Nouns vs Proper Nouns
| Common Noun Sentences | Proper Noun Sentences |
|---|---|
| The boy is playing in the park. | Ali is playing in the park. |
| The girl is reading a book. | Sara is reading a book. |
| I live in a city. | I live in Karachi. |
| We visited a country last year. | We visited Japan last year. |
| The teacher is in the classroom. | Mr. Ahmed is in the classroom. |
| The school is very big. | Oxford School is very big. |
| The river flows through the village. | The Nile River flows through the village. |
| The mountain is covered with snow. | Mount Everest is covered with snow. |
| We went to the park. | We went to Central Park. |
| The road is closed today. | Wall Street is closed today. |
| The car is very fast. | The Toyota is very fast. |
| The bus is full. | The Greyhound Bus is full. |
| The train is late. | The Eurostar is late. |
| The house is on the corner. | The White House is on the corner. |
| The shop sells clothes. | Walmart sells clothes. |
| The garden is beautiful. | The Rose Garden is beautiful. |
| The table is made of wood. | The Victoria Table is made of wood. |
| The book is on the desk. | The Holy Quran is on the desk. |
| The pen is blue. | The Parker Pen is blue. |
| The doctor is in the hospital. | Dr. Khan is in the hospital. |
Examples of Common Nouns vs Proper Nouns
