Is Mississippi River Capitalized?
Mississippi is one of the most recognizable rivers in the United States, renowned as the largest and longest river in the country, traveling more than 2,000 miles before draining into the Gulf of Mexico. It is perhaps unsurprising that the name of this iconic river is used in a way that causes head-scratching and debate. Is Mississippi river capitalized when referred to in written English or not? The answer is best understood by examining the stylistic conventions related to river capitalization.
What are the conventions?
Style guides such as The Associated Press Stylebook, The Chicago Manual of Style, and The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers all offer direction on river capitalization, though their guidelines may vary to a degree. Generally speaking, rivers are capitalized when referred to by their full name as a unique, proper noun, such as The Mississippi River. If a shortened version of the river name is used, such as Mississippi, then it must remain lowercase following normal capitalization conventions for other nouns and adjectives.
Additionally, rivers that form a border between two distinct political entities (countries, states, etc.) should be capitalized when referred to in any context. For example, the Rio Grande is often referred to in both the United States and Mexico, and as it serves as a major dividing line between the two countries, it should be properly capitalized.
How does this relate to Mississippi?
In the case of the Mississippi River, the proper form of capitalization depends on the context in which it is being referred to. When referring to the entirety of the river from its origin as Lake Itasca through its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico, it should be capitalized. This holds true no matter how the river name is abbreviated (e.g. the Mississippi, MS, or Miss.). However, if one is only referring to a smaller portion of the river, such as a stretch of the river forming part of a state border or flowing through a certain area, then it should remain lowercase.
For example, the Yellowstone River is often referred to in the context of national parks or other attractions along it, and in such cases, it should be lowercase. It is only when the entire length of the Yellowstone is being referred to collectively, from its source to its mouth, that it should be capitalized.
What about Mississippi as a state?
The U.S. state of Mississippi is unconnected to the Mississippi River, and yet it bears the same name and needs to be capitalized. In this case, the ‘state rule’ applies, resulting in a capitalization of the word Mississippi when referring to the state. This style is universally accepted, and the need for proper capitalization of the name of the state is just as important for style and clarity as it is for rivers.
Why Does Proper Capitalization Matter?
Whether one is writing a book, a newspaper article, an email, or a blog post, proper capitalization of words and names is essential. Rivers are no different, and it is important to consider the context of usage when deciding whether they should be capitalized or lowercased. By following established conventions of capitalization, writers can ensure clarity and precision in their writings.
Which individual bodies of water are capitalized?
When referring to individual bodies of water (i.e., lakes, streams, creeks, bays, etc.) it is recommended to capitalize those words, even when written in a fully unique name. For example, Lake Erie should be capitalized, even though there is only one Lake Erie and no other body of water with that name. This rule can be ignored on occasion, such as when referring to rivers within an area (e.g. the hudson river, the snake river) as these are sufficiently general cases, but it should be kept in mind when referring to any body of water, regardless of size.
How does capitalization affect pronunciation?
Although capitalization has little to no effect on pronunciation, it is still important to consider. For example, the Mississippi River is pronounced by saying each word separate, with the ‘M’ being said in full – Moody-ssip-ah. The fact that the ‘M’ is capitalized is often used to signify the intended pronunciation to newcomers unfamiliar with the river’s name, and can be helpful in providing further clarity in writing.
What about other forms of writing?
Capitalization of river names is not as important in spoken English, but is especially important in written English. Style guides and standard conventions of English composition dictate that capitalization should be used when referring to bodies of water by their proper name, though exceptions may be made in certain contexts. Additionally, capitalization should be avoided when referring to other geographic features unless specifically referring to a proper noun (e.g. Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, etc.).
What is the precise capitalization convention?
The precise capitalization conventions for rivers and other bodies of water can vary from location to location, and even from publication to publication. Ultimately, however, the most important consideration is to remain consistent. If a publication has established a set of rules for river capitalization, then these should be followed for all written pieces produced for that publication. Otherwise, following the more general conventions discussed above should provide ample guidance in writing about the Mississippi River and other bodies of water.
