The points of the compass in English

Abbreviation Phrase
N North
NNE North North East
NE North East
ENE East North East
E East
ESE East South East
SE South East
SSE South South East
S South
SSW South South West
SW South West
WSW West South West
W West
WNW West North West
NW North West
NNW North North West
N North

We capitalize the points of a compass when we speak about place names or regions. (North Dakota, South Africa, the Far East)

Sample sentences:

  1. Dover lies in the south of England.
  2. The Shetland islands are north of Scotland.
  3. The wind is coming from the north.
  4. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
  5. Canada lies to the north of the USA.
  6. I live in the Northwest.
  7. Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1911.