Learn the difference between proper and common nouns with easy examples. Perfect for Class 4-6 students. Master when to use capital letters.
1. Quick Difference
| Common Noun | Proper Noun |
|---|---|
| General name | Specific name |
| Starts with small letter | Starts with CAPITAL letter |
| Example: boy, city, school | Example: Rohan, Delhi, DPS |
2. Common Nouns - General Names
Common nouns are names we use for general things, not specific ones.
| Category | Examples | In Sentences |
|---|---|---|
| People | boy, girl, teacher, doctor | A boy plays cricket. |
| Animals | dog, cat, bird, elephant | The dog barks loudly. |
| Places | city, park, school, hospital | We go to school daily. |
| Things | book, pen, table, computer | This book is interesting. |
| Days/Months | day, month, year, holiday | Summer is a hot season. |
3. Proper Nouns - Specific Names
Proper nouns are special names for particular people, places, or things. They ALWAYS start with capital letters.
| Category | Examples | Capital Letter Rule |
|---|---|---|
| People Names | Rahul, Priya, Mr. Sharma | Rahul studies hard. |
| City/Country | Delhi, Mumbai, India, Japan | Delhi is the capital. |
| Schools/Companies | DPS, Google, Tata, CBSE | I study in DPS. |
| Days/Months | Monday, January, Diwali, Christmas | Sunday is a holiday. |
| Books/Movies | Harry Potter, Ramayana, Titanic | Harry Potter is magical. |
| Rivers/Mountains | Ganga, Yamuna, Himalayas | Ganga is a holy river. |
4. Side-by-Side Comparison
| Common Noun | Proper Noun | Sentence Example |
|---|---|---|
| boy | Rohan | The boy → Rohan is a good boy. |
| girl | Neha | A girl → Neha is a smart girl. |
| teacher | Mr. Gupta | The teacher → Mr. Gupta teaches us. |
| city | Jaipur | A city → Jaipur is a pink city. |
| river | Yamuna | The river → Yamuna flows in Delhi. |
| school | KV School | My school → KV School is big. |
| book | Panchatantra | A book → Panchatantra has stories. |
| festival | Diwali | The festival → Diwali has lights. |
5. Capital Letter Rules for Proper Nouns
| Rule | Example | Wrong |
|---|---|---|
| First letter always capital | Delhi, January, Rahul | delhi, january, rahul |
| All main words capital in titles | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Harry potter and the chamber of secrets |
| Capitalize "I" as pronoun | Rohan and I are friends. | Rohan and i are friends. |
| Days, months, festivals capital | Monday, March, Holi | monday, march, holi |
| Geographical names capital | Indian Ocean, Mount Everest | indian ocean, mount everest |
Golden Rule: Proper Noun = Proper (Special) Name = Capital Letter
Think: Would this name appear on a birth certificate? → Yes = Proper Noun
6. Quick Practice (5 Questions)
7. Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Wrong ❌ | Right ✅ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| my name is rahul. | My name is Rahul. | Sentence start & proper noun capital |
| i went to delhi. | I went to Delhi. | "I" always capital, city name capital |
| on sunday we play. | On Sunday we play. | Day name needs capital letter |
| the ganga river. | The Ganga river. | River name is proper noun |
| dr. sharma teaches. | Dr. Sharma teaches. | Title and name both capital |
📝 Practice Proper & Common Nouns
Test with our 20-question worksheet!
Download Nouns WorksheetIncludes answer key • Printable PDF
8. Memory Aids
Common = Common People
Boy, girl, teacher → Many people have these names
Proper = Particular Person
Rahul, Priya, Delhi → Specific one person/place
Capital Letter Test:
Ask: Is this the ONLY one with this name?
Yes = Proper Noun = CAPITAL LETTER
Exam Tip: Look for CAPITAL LETTERS in sentences
Names with capital → Probably Proper Nouns
Check: People names, Place names, Day/Month names
