Uppercase and Lowercase Letters

Kindergarten · English · Study Guide

Learn the difference between big (uppercase) letters and small (lowercase) letters.

There are two ways to write every letter of the alphabet. Uppercase letters are the big versions, and lowercase letters are the small versions. For example, A and a are the same letter, just written differently.

Uppercase letters are also called capital letters. We use them in special places: at the very beginning of a sentence, for people's names, and for the word 'I' all by itself.

Lowercase letters are used for most of the writing we do. When you write a sentence, only the first word starts with an uppercase letter, and the rest of the words use lowercase letters (unless they are names).

The alphabet has 26 letters. Each one has an uppercase and a lowercase form. Some pairs look very similar, like C and c or S and s. Others look quite different, like A and a or G and g.

Learning both forms of each letter is important for reading and writing. Books use both kinds, so you need to know both. Practice writing your own name — it starts with an uppercase letter!

Key terms

uppercase
The big form of a letter, also called a capital letter (A, B, C)
lowercase
The small form of a letter (a, b, c)
capital letter
Another name for an uppercase letter
alphabet
The 26 letters used to write English words
sentence
A complete thought written in words, starting with a capital letter

Flashcards

A / a
Uppercase A looks like a triangle with a line. Lowercase a looks like a circle with a tail.
B / b
Uppercase B has two bumps on the right. Lowercase b has one bump on the bottom right.
C / c
Uppercase C and lowercase c both look like a curved arc, but C is bigger.
D / d
Uppercase D has a big curved bump. Lowercase d has a small circle with a tall stick.
E / e
Uppercase E has three horizontal lines. Lowercase e has a small curved shape.
G / g
Uppercase G is a curved C with a shelf. Lowercase g has a circle and a curved tail going down.
Capital letter rule
Use a capital (uppercase) letter at the start of a sentence and for names.
Lowercase rule
Use lowercase letters for most words in a sentence.

Questions

  1. What do we call the BIG form of a letter?

    1. Lowercase
    2. Uppercase
    3. Silent
    4. Vowel
    Show answer

    Answer: Uppercase

    The big form of a letter is called uppercase or capital.

  2. Every sentence starts with an uppercase letter.

    Show answer

    Answer: True

    Every sentence must begin with an uppercase (capital) letter.

  3. The lowercase version of the letter A is ___.

    Show answer

    Answer: a

    The lowercase version of A is a.

  4. When do we use an uppercase letter?

    1. In the middle of every word
    2. At the start of a sentence and for names
    3. Only in math
    4. Only when writing the letter Z
    Show answer

    Answer: At the start of a sentence and for names

    We use uppercase letters at the start of sentences and to write people's names.

  5. The letters B and b look exactly the same.

    Show answer

    Answer: False

    B is a large letter with two bumps, while b is a smaller letter with one bump — they look different.

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