Captain Abbreviation: Capt., CPT and CAPT by Service

The usual captain abbreviation is Capt., written with a capital C and a period before a name: Capt. Rosa Diaz. It works for military officers, police and fire captains, ship captains and airline pilots in ordinary writing.

The armed forces add their own official forms. The US Army writes CPT, the Navy and Coast Guard write CAPT, and the Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force use Capt. The title also means different ranks in different services, which surprises many readers.

Quick facts

General form
Capt.
US Army
CPT
Navy and Coast Guard
CAPT
Air Force, Marines, Space Force
Capt
Plural
Capts. (or captains, spelled out)
Capitalize
Before a name; lowercase when used alone
Related titles
Lt., Col.

Captain abbreviation by branch of service

How each US service writes captain
Service	Official form	Pay grade
Army	CPT	O-3
Marine Corps	Capt	O-3
Air Force	Capt	O-3
Space Force	Capt	O-3
Navy	CAPT	O-6
Coast Guard	CAPT	O-6

Military paperwork, name tapes and signature blocks follow the official forms, usually without periods. News writing and general text use Capt. for all of them, so a newspaper story would say "Capt. Ellis" whether Ellis serves in the Army or the Navy.

Why a Navy captain outranks an Army captain

In the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force, a captain is a junior officer at pay grade O-3, often leading a company of soldiers or serving as a staff officer. In the Navy and Coast Guard, captain is a senior rank at O-6, equal to a colonel in the other services, and is often the commanding officer of a large ship.

The Navy's O-3 rank is called lieutenant instead. So when you see "CAPT" in all capitals on Navy papers, think of a very senior officer. For the nearby ranks, see the pages on lieutenant, colonel and sergeant.

Police, fire, ships and airlines

Police: a police captain usually ranks above a lieutenant and below a major, deputy chief or chief, depending on the department. A captain often runs a precinct, district or division. The written form is Capt.
Fire service: a fire captain commonly leads one engine or ladder company on a shift.
Ships and boats: the captain is the person in command of the vessel. On a cruise ship or a fishing boat, Capt. before the name is normal.
Airlines: the captain is the pilot in command, sitting in the left seat, with a first officer beside them.

Cabin announcement: "This is Capt. Dana Hale speaking from the flight deck." Written out in a newsletter, the airline would use Capt. Hale, just as a police department would for a precinct commander.

How to write Capt. correctly

Before a full name: abbreviate and capitalize. "Capt. Jordan Price led the drill."
Alone or after a name: spell it out in lowercase. "Price, the captain, led the drill."
In direct address: spell it out. "Thank you, Captain."
In formal letters and invitations: many writers spell out the full title, "Captain and Mrs. Price."
Plural: "Capts. Price and Lee" works in news style, but "Captains Price and Lee" reads more smoothly.

Avoid informal forms such as Cpt., Cptn. or Capn. in formal writing. Cpt. may look like the Army's CPT, but it is not a standard civilian style. Browse government and military acronyms for more ranks, units and service terms.

Captain in sports and everyday use

Outside uniforms, captain means a leader of a group. A team captain is a player chosen to lead the team, and in ice hockey the captain wears a C on the jersey, with A for alternate captains. Schools have club captains and debate captains. These uses are rarely abbreviated except for that single C.

"She was named captain of the soccer team."
"Ask the captain where the life jackets are stored."
"Capt. Brooks will brief the night shift."

Questions people ask

What is the abbreviation for captain?

In general writing, it is Capt., used before a name. The armed forces use their own forms: CPT in the Army, CAPT in the Navy and Coast Guard, and Capt in the Air Force, Marines and Space Force.

Is it CPT or CAPT?

Both are correct for different services. CPT is the Army form, for an O-3 officer. CAPT is the Navy and Coast Guard form, for an O-6 officer.

Is a Navy captain higher than an Army captain?

Yes. A Navy captain is pay grade O-6, the same level as an Army colonel. An Army captain is O-3.

How do you abbreviate police captain?

Use Capt. before the name, such as Capt. Ana Ruiz. Write captain in full when no name follows it.

Do you capitalize captain?

Capitalize it before a name or when speaking to the person directly. Use lowercase when it is a plain job description, as in "the captain of the ship."