Spring Semester Writing Guide: Current Capitalization Rules for 2026
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Style guides rarely show complete unity. On the Oxford comma or headline capitalization, editorial guidelines fracture. On seasonal names, however, modern authorities stand together in lockstep.
The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, the standard reference for journalism and corporate communications, states clearly that seasons must be lowercased in all running text. Reprints from the wire service follow this without exception: "spring," "summer," "fall," and "winter" take lowercase letters even when paired directly with a specific year, such as "spring 2026."
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), the primary authority for book publishing and historical papers, delivers the exact same guidance in section 8.87 of its 17th and 18th editions. Chicago specifies that seasons are lowercase whether they stand alone or accompany a specific year. The text explicitly bars writers from styling periods as "Spring of '26" or "the Winter months."
The American Psychological Association (APA), which directs social science and academic research papers, matches this stance in its 7th edition manual. APA writers must lowercase seasons when discussing timelines, data-gathering windows, or semester cohorts. Similarly, the Modern Language Association (MLA) instructs literary researchers to use lowercase seasons in body paragraphs and throughout works-cited entries, demanding "spring 2024" over "Spring 2024" when citing quarterly academic journals.
| Writing Context | Governing Rule | Correct Usage | Incorrect Common Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Running Text | Always lowercase common noun | "We expect a mild spring this year." | "We expect a mild Spring this year." |
| Season Paired with Year | Lowercase even with specific dates | "Data collection concluded in spring 2026." | "Data collection concluded in Spring 2026." |
| Academic Semester | Lowercase in narrative sentences | "She registered for the spring semester." | "She registered for the Spring Semester." |
| Proper Name or Official Event | Capitalize as part of a formal proper title | "The 2026 Spring Festival parade" | "The 2026 spring festival parade" |
| Vacation Period | Lowercase unless designated as a formal title | "Campus closes during spring break." | "Campus closes during Spring Break." |
| Poetic Personification | Capitalize when treated as an active human agent | "Come, gentle Spring, and breathe life anew." | "Come, gentle spring, and breathe life anew." |
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
