Are days of the week proper nouns?

Yes. Monday, Tuesday, and the months and holidays all name one specific thing on the calendar, so they're proper nouns with capitals. The common-noun cousins (day, month, holiday) stay lowercase. Sorting those pairs side by side is the fastest way to teach it.

What about multi-word names like Lake Michigan?

The whole name is one proper noun, and each important word gets a capital: Lake Michigan, Grand Canyon, Maplewood School. Third graders who've learned single-word proper nouns often stumble here, so our 3rd grade lists include multi-word names on purpose.

3rd grade common and proper nouns

3rd grade common and proper nouns worksheets

Common nouns name a general kind (river, holiday, teacher); proper nouns name a specific one and are capitalized (Lake Michigan, Thanksgiving). Third graders sort trickier pairs and explain why each word does or doesn't get a capital.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.2.2.a.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of words you'll sort

Write each word from the bank in the correct column. Give every proper noun its capital letter when you write it.

Maplewood SchoolRiverside ParkrestaurantgardenstreetfirefighterTokyoOak Street

Columns: Common nouns and Proper nouns. "street" belongs under common nouns; "Maplewood School" belongs under proper nouns.

Every print pulls a new set of words at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 3rd grade sheet

3rd grade sheets draw from 170 words, 14 to a page. All 100 of 2nd grade's words are here too, plus 70 more.

Some of the words:

boylaketreehillvalleymeadowKenjiDiegoTuesdayJanuary

Sorting. Write each word from the bank in the correct column. Give every proper noun its capital letter when you write it. 14 words per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Push on the boundary cases: day/Monday, month/July, lake/Lake Michigan, school/Maplewood School. Multi-word proper nouns deserve attention since students often capitalize only the first word. When a student missorts, ask "could there be more than one of these?" More than one means common.

Watch for: A word isn't proper just because it starts a sentence with a capital. The capital has to belong to the word itself. Days, months, and holidays are proper nouns. School subjects like math are not.

Common questions about 3rd grade common and proper nouns

Are days of the week proper nouns?: Yes. Monday, Tuesday, and the months and holidays all name one specific thing on the calendar, so they're proper nouns with capitals. The common-noun cousins (day, month, holiday) stay lowercase. Sorting those pairs side by side is the fastest way to teach it.
What about multi-word names like Lake Michigan?: The whole name is one proper noun, and each important word gets a capital: Lake Michigan, Grand Canyon, Maplewood School. Third graders who've learned single-word proper nouns often stumble here, so our 3rd grade lists include multi-word names on purpose.

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Aligned to Common Core L.2.2.a. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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