The usual lieutenant abbreviation is Lt., a capital L, a lowercase t and a period, written before a name: Lt. Maria Ortiz. That form works in letters, news stories, police reports and most everyday writing.
The military adds its own codes, written in capitals without periods. The Army uses 2LT for second lieutenant and 1LT for first lieutenant, and the Navy and Coast Guard use LT and LTJG. Longer titles that contain the word, such as lieutenant colonel or lieutenant governor, have their own short forms too. This page sorts out which one to use and where.
Quick facts
Main abbreviation
Lt. (with a period)Older form
Lieut.Army codes
2LT, 1LT, LTC, LTGNavy codes
LTJG, LT, LCDRPlural
Lts. or LieutenantsHow to say it
US: loo-TEN-ent; UK: lef-TEN-entNot to be confused with
Lt. as in light (in recipes it is lt or lite)
The standard lieutenant abbreviation: Lt.
For general writing, shorten lieutenant to Lt. and place it directly before the person's name. Use the full word when it stands alone or comes after the name.
- Correct: "Lt. James Park led the briefing."
- Correct: "The lieutenant led the briefing."
- Correct: "James Park, a lieutenant with the fire department, led the briefing."
- Avoid: "The Lt. led the briefing."
The older form Lieut. still appears in historical documents and on some monuments. It means the same thing but is rarely used now. News style, as used by most American papers, uses Lt. before a full name on first reference and the last name alone after that.
Lieutenant ranks across the services
Each branch writes its rank codes in its own way. The table shows the forms the services use in their own records.
| Rank | Army | Navy and Coast Guard | Air Force | Marine Corps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second lieutenant | 2LT | Not used | 2d Lt | 2ndLt |
| First lieutenant | 1LT | Not used | 1st Lt | 1stLt |
| Lieutenant junior grade | Not used | LTJG | Not used | Not used |
| Lieutenant | Not used | LT | Not used | Not used |
| Lieutenant commander | Not used | LCDR | Not used | Not used |
| Lieutenant colonel | LTC | Not used | Lt Col | LtCol |
| Lieutenant general | LTG | Not used | Lt Gen | LtGen |
Note that a Navy lieutenant sits at the same pay grade, O-3, as an Army captain. Our page on the captain abbreviation covers that rank, and the government and military acronyms hub lists many more service terms.
Lieutenant in police and fire departments
Many police and fire departments use lieutenant as a supervisor rank, usually above sergeant and below captain. In department paperwork and on name plates you will often see Lt. or LT. Local rules decide the style, so follow the format your department already uses.
On an incident report: "Reviewed by: Lt. D. Hayes, Patrol Division." Here Lt. is the officer's rank, and the report is signed by a shift supervisor. For the rank just below, see the sergeant abbreviation.
Lieutenant governor and other compound titles
Lieutenant also appears in titles that mean "second in command" or "deputy." The short forms build on Lt.:
- Lt. Gov. for lieutenant governor, the official who steps in when a state governor cannot serve.
- Lt. Col. for lieutenant colonel, the rank below colonel. See the colonel abbreviation page.
- Lt. Gen. for lieutenant general, a three-star rank.
- Lt. Cmdr. for lieutenant commander in the Navy and Coast Guard.
The plural of the full title puts the s on the main noun: lieutenant governors, lieutenant colonels.
How to say lieutenant
Americans say "loo-TEN-ent." In Britain and many Commonwealth countries, the army rank is said "lef-TEN-ent," while the navy often keeps a sound closer to "le-TEN-ent." The spelling is the same everywhere. The word comes from French and means one who holds the place of another, which is why it is used for deputies and seconds in command.
No matter how you say it, the written short form stays Lt. or the branch code. Nobody reads "Lt." aloud as letters; you say the full word.
Quick tips for writing the rank
- Use Lt. before a name in everyday writing.
- Use the branch code, such as 1LT or LTJG, in military forms, signature blocks and personnel records.
- Spell out lieutenant when it is not followed by a name.
- Keep the capital L and lowercase t. "LT" in capitals is a code, not a general abbreviation.
- For more ways to shorten titles, see how to abbreviate.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for lieutenant?
The general abbreviation is Lt., used before a name. The military also uses codes such as 2LT, 1LT, LT and LTJG, depending on the branch and grade.
How do you abbreviate first lieutenant?
In the Army it is 1LT. The Air Force writes 1st Lt and the Marine Corps writes 1stLt. In news writing, 1st Lt. is common.
What does LTJG mean?
LTJG stands for lieutenant junior grade, a Navy and Coast Guard officer rank at pay grade O-2. It sits between ensign and lieutenant.
Is Lt. capitalized?
Yes, when it is a title before a name, as in Lt. Ana Ruiz. The full word lieutenant is lowercase on its own, without a name after it.
What is the abbreviation for lieutenant colonel?
Lt. Col. in general writing. The Army code is LTC, the Air Force uses Lt Col and the Marine Corps uses LtCol.