Which is the correct spelling of the name of the first U.S. President?

GEORGE WASHINGTON is on the USCIS WRITING VOCABULARY list under PEOPLE. Correct spelling: 'G-E-O-R-G-E W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N.' Note the order of letters in 'Washington' — the trickier letter combinations include 'sh' (s-h) and the ending '-ing-ton.' Common dictation sentences using Washington: 'George Washington was the first President.' 'George Washington was the Father of Our Country.' 'Washington was the first President.' 'Washington, D.C., is the capital.' Note: 'Washington' can mean either the person (George Washington) or the place (Washington, D.C., the capital city; or Washington state). Context tells you which.

Writing tips: (1) Practice the names BEFORE your interview — spell them aloud as you write them; (2) Watch for tricky combinations: 'George' has 'g-e-o-r-g-e' which is unusual; 'Washington' has 'w-a-s-h-i-n-g-t-o-n'; (3) Don't worry about cursive vs. print — clearly written print is fine; (4) Capitalize names properly (capital letters at the start of first and last names). The full vocabulary list is published on the USCIS website and on the M-480 'Welcome to the United States' handbook.