Capital vs. Capitol: It's All About the "O"

Do you have a homophone that is your nemesis? I thanked @polomex on Twitter for tipping me off yesterday to the BBC tutorial on how to remember the difference between stationary and stationery. He replied by saying:

"Funnily enough, those homophones don't confuse me. Capitol/capital always trips me up though."

Capital vs. capitol is a common spelling mix-up.


Definitions:

• capital (adj.) - a town or seat that is the seat of state government; upper case (as in a capital "C"); punishable by death; chief in importance; wealth in the form of money or property; and a whole lot of other definitions.
• capitol (n.) - a building in which a state legislative body meets; the building in which the United States Congress meets in Washington.

Nifty Mnemonics:

• You almost always use capital with an "a"  because capital can have many meanings but capitol has only one.
• Think "o" for capitol. It refers to a building with a roof, usually where the governor works. Most capitols have a dome.
• Use a capital "C" when referring to the building where Congress meets.