✔️ when it’s part of a proper noun, holiday, or title.
| Scenario | Capitalization | Example | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | General reference to the season | | The leaves are turning in the fall. | | At the start of a sentence | Capitalize | Fall is beautiful here. | | Part of a proper name/title | Capitalize | The Fall Semester schedule. | | Personification (Poetry) | Capitalize | Fall’s chill breath. | | Preceded by "the" (usually) | Lowercase | I hate the fall rain. |
Good question. "Fall" and "Autumn" follow the exact same rules.
If you’ve ever found yourself hovering over the delete key, wondering whether to hit 'Shift' or not, you are not alone. The lowercase "fall" (and its fancy cousin, "autumn") trips up even the best writers.
There are four primary instances where you must use an uppercase :
Check your specific style guide here. The AP Stylebook generally keeps seasons lowercase even with a year attached ( fall 2024 ), but many university internal style guides capitalize it ( Fall 2024 ). Consistency is key!
However, if you are referring to the specific semester as a proper title of a term, some institutions and guides prefer capitalization.