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Citizenship · General

The officer dictates: 'Washington is the capital.' Which spelling of the key word is correct?

Correct answer

capital — meaning the city that is the seat of government (Washington, D.C. is the capital); note 'capitol' with an 'o' refers to the building where Congress meets

  1. A capitol
  2. B capital — meaning the city that is the seat of government (Washington, D.C. is the capital); note 'capitol' with an 'o' refers to the building where Congress meets
  3. C capitel
  4. D capatal

Why this is the answer

CAPITAL (with an 'A') is correct here — it means the city that is the seat of government (Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States). Note the distinction: CAPITAL (city/seat of government) vs CAPITOL (with an 'O' — the building where Congress meets). Memory aid: the CapitOl building has a dОme (both have 'O'). The USCIS writing test may use 'capital'; spelling it correctly (C-A-P-I-T-A-L) demonstrates the required writing ability. This capital/capitol distinction is a common point of confusion.
Source: USCIS Writing Test — Capital

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