The standard colonel abbreviation in everyday and news writing is Col., placed before a name, as in Col. Maria Diaz. The armed forces have their own versions: the US Army writes COL in capitals, while three other services, the Air Force, the Marines and the Space Force, write Col without a period. All of them name the same rank, the highest officer grade below the generals.
The word itself trips people up because it is spelled with an l but said with an r sound, "KER-nul." This page covers each written form, the lieutenant colonel version, and the places the title turns up outside the military.
Quick facts
General form
Col.US Army
COLAir Force, Marines, Space Force
ColLieutenant colonel
Lt. Col. (LTC in the Army, Lt Col in the Air Force and Marines)Pay grade
O-6Navy equal
CaptainPlural
Cols. (or colonels, spelled out)
Colonel abbreviation by branch
| Where | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel |
|---|---|---|
| General writing and news | Col. | Lt. Col. |
| US Army | COL | LTC |
| US Air Force | Col | Lt Col |
| US Marine Corps | Col | LtCol |
| US Space Force | Col | Lt Col |
The Navy and Coast Guard do not use the rank. Their officer at the same pay grade, O-6, is a captain, which is why a Navy captain and an Army colonel hold equal rank. The captain abbreviation page explains that overlap. For other service terms, see the government and military acronyms hub.
Where a colonel fits in the ranks
In the four services that use the rank, the officer ladder runs from second lieutenant up through captain, major, lieutenant colonel and colonel, and then on to the general officer ranks. A colonel often leads a brigade or a large unit, commands a base or holds a senior staff job.
The insignia is a silver eagle. A lieutenant colonel wears a silver oak leaf, one step below. Writers sometimes call a lieutenant colonel "colonel" in speech, which is a common courtesy, but on paper the full rank or its correct short form should be used.
Unit email signature: "COL J. Park, Brigade Commander." An Army officer writing for an Army audience uses the capitalized form without a period.
Why colonel sounds like kernel
English borrowed two spellings of the word centuries ago. One form, closer to a French and Spanish version, had an r, something like coronel. Another came from the Italian colonnello, with an l. Over time the l spelling won on paper, while the r sound stayed in speech. The result is a word spelled one way and said another, "KER-nul," sounding the same as kernel.
The abbreviation does not affect the sound. You read Col. Diaz aloud as "Colonel Diaz," never as "call Diaz."
How to write Col. in a sentence
- Before a name: shorten it and capitalize it, Col. Ruth Okafor.
- Alone: spell it out in lowercase, "the colonel spoke first."
- Plural: Cols. before two names, or spell out "colonels."
- Retired officers: news style is often "retired Col. Ruth Okafor" or "Col. Ruth Okafor (ret.)."
- Article: "a colonel," because the word starts with a k sound.
Local news line: "Col. Ruth Okafor, the base commander, said the gates will open at 7 a.m." Later in the story: "Okafor said the colonel's staff will post updates."
Colonel outside the armed forces
Several state police and highway patrol agencies use colonel as the title of their top officer. Some fire departments and sheriff's offices do too. In those cases, local style usually follows the general form, Col.
Kentucky and a few other states also grant an honorary title of colonel to civilians for service or good works. It is a courtesy title and has no military meaning. Writers typically spell it out with the state name in front.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for colonel?
In general writing it is Col. The Army writes COL. Airmen, Marines and Guardians write Col, no period.
How do you abbreviate lieutenant colonel?
In general writing, use Lt. Col. The Army writes LTC, the Air Force and Space Force write Lt Col, and the Marine Corps writes LtCol.
Why is colonel pronounced kernel?
English took in two forms of the word, one with an r and one with an l. The l spelling stuck in writing and the r sound stuck in speech.
Is a colonel higher than a captain?
In the Army, Air Force and Marines, yes, a colonel is three steps above a captain. A Navy captain, though, is the same pay grade as a colonel.
Is colonel capitalized?
Capitalize it before a name, as in Col. Lee or Colonel Lee. Use lowercase when it stands alone, as in "the colonel arrived."