Is Superbowl One Word? Super Bowl vs. Superbowl Explained
Super Bowl is written as two words, and both words are capitalized when referring to the National Football League’s championship game.
Correct:
- We watched the Super Bowl on Sunday.
- The Super Bowl attracts a large television audience.
- They are hosting a Super Bowl party.
Incorrect:
- Superbowl
- SuperBowl
- super bowl, when naming the official event
The NFL and major dictionaries consistently use the two-word form Super Bowl.
Quick Answer
Use:
Super Bowl
Do not normally use:
Superbowl
Examples:
- What time does the Super Bowl start?
- She performed during the Super Bowl halftime show.
- We bought snacks for our Super Bowl party.
A simple memory rule is:
The Super Bowl is a special bowl game, so keep “Super” and “Bowl” separate.
Is Super Bowl One Word or Two?
Super Bowl is two words.
It is the official name of the NFL’s annual championship game. Because it is a proper name, both Super and Bowl begin with capital letters. Merriam-Webster defines Super Bowl as the annual championship game of the National Football League.
Correct:
- the Super Bowl
- a Super Bowl victory
- Super Bowl Sunday
- Super Bowl commercials
Incorrect:
- the Superbowl
- a SuperBowl victory
- Superbowl Sunday
Even though people may pronounce the phrase quickly, the words remain separate in writing.
Why Is Super Bowl Written as Two Words?
The name combines the adjective super with the noun bowl.
In American football, the word bowl has long been used in the names of important postseason games, such as the Rose Bowl. The NFL adopted Super Bowl as the name of its championship game.
Because super describes the type or importance of the bowl game, the two words remain separate.
The structure is similar to:
- Super Tuesday
- Super Bowl
- World Series
- Stanley Cup
These are multiword proper names rather than closed compound words.
Is Superbowl a Word?
Superbowl is not the standard spelling of the NFL championship game.
You may see the one-word form in:
- social media hashtags
- usernames
- website addresses
- informal text messages
- search queries
For example, a hashtag may appear as:
#SuperBowl
Spaces cannot be used inside hashtags, so the words are joined for technical reasons. That does not change the correct spelling in an ordinary sentence.
Correct sentence:
- We are having a Super Bowl party.
Possible hashtag:
- #SuperBowlParty
Should Super Bowl Be Capitalized?
Yes. Capitalize both words when referring to the official NFL event:
Super Bowl
Examples:
- The team reached the Super Bowl.
- She sang at the Super Bowl.
- We watched several memorable Super Bowl commercials.
The official NFL website also consistently presents the name with two capitalized words.
Do not write:
- super bowl
- Super bowl
- super Bowl
Super Bowl in a Sentence
Examples:
- The family watched the Super Bowl together.
- Tickets to the Super Bowl can be expensive.
- The team celebrated its Super Bowl victory.
- We made several appetizers for the Super Bowl.
- The advertisement first aired during the Super Bowl.
- Fans traveled across the country for the Super Bowl.
- The singer performed at the Super Bowl halftime show.
- They hope their team reaches the Super Bowl next season.
In each sentence, Super Bowl refers directly to the NFL championship or something connected with it.
Is It Super Bowl Sunday or Superbowl Sunday?
The correct phrase is:
Super Bowl Sunday
Examples:
- We are having friends over on Super Bowl Sunday.
- Restaurants are often busy on Super Bowl Sunday.
- He prepares a large meal every Super Bowl Sunday.
Keep Super Bowl as two words and capitalize both parts.
Do not write:
- Superbowl Sunday
- Super bowl Sunday
- Super-Bowl Sunday
Is It Super Bowl Party or Superbowl Party?
The standard phrase is:
Super Bowl party
Examples:
- They are hosting a Super Bowl party.
- We bought chips for the Super Bowl party.
- Her annual Super Bowl party begins in the afternoon.
The words Super Bowl describe the type of party, but they retain the official two-word spelling.
No hyphen is needed.
Incorrect:
- Superbowl party
- Super-Bowl party
- Super Bowl-party
Is It Super Bowl Halftime Show?
Yes. The standard phrase is:
Super Bowl halftime show
Examples:
- Millions of viewers watched the Super Bowl halftime show.
- The artist was announced as the Super Bowl halftime performer.
- They discussed the Super Bowl halftime show the next morning.
The NFL itself uses Super Bowl Halftime Show in official headings and promotional materials.
In a normal sentence, halftime show may remain lowercase unless the full phrase is being used as an official title.
Is It Super Bowl Commercial or Superbowl Commercial?
Use:
Super Bowl commercial
Examples:
- The company released a new Super Bowl commercial.
- That Super Bowl commercial quickly became popular online.
- Advertisers spend large amounts on Super Bowl commercials.
Again, Super Bowl remains two words because it is the name of the event.
Is Super Bowl Hyphenated?
No. Do not place a hyphen between the words.
Correct:
- Super Bowl
Incorrect:
- Super-Bowl
A hyphen is also unnecessary when the name appears before another noun:
- Super Bowl party
- Super Bowl advertisement
- Super Bowl champion
- Super Bowl appearance
The proper name already functions clearly as a unit.
Is It “The Super Bowl” or “Super Bowl”?
Both forms may appear, depending on sentence structure.
Use the Super Bowl when naming the event in a sentence:
- We watched the Super Bowl.
- She hopes to perform at the Super Bowl.
- Their team won the Super Bowl.
The article may be omitted when Super Bowl modifies another noun:
- a Super Bowl party
- the Super Bowl champion
- several Super Bowl advertisements
- his first Super Bowl appearance
What Is the Plural of Super Bowl?
The plural is:
Super Bowls
Only Bowl receives the plural ending.
Examples:
- The team has won several Super Bowls.
- Those two Super Bowls had dramatic endings.
- He played in three Super Bowls.
Do not write:
- Supers Bowl
- Super Bowl’s, when forming a plural
- Superbowl games
An apostrophe is used only for possession.
Possessive example:
- The Super Bowl’s audience was enormous.
Plural example:
- The team appeared in two Super Bowls.
Super Bowl or Championship Game?
Super Bowl is the official and familiar name of the NFL championship game.
The phrase championship game is a general description.
Examples:
- The winners will meet in the championship game.
- The winners will meet in the Super Bowl.
Use Super Bowl when specifically discussing the NFL.
Use championship game when referring to another league, sport, or competition.
Why Do People Write Superbowl?
The mistake usually occurs because the phrase is spoken as one continuous unit.
English contains many compound words that eventually become closed:
- football
- basketball
- teamwork
- kickoff
This may lead people to assume that Super Bowl should also become Superbowl.
However, proper names do not automatically follow the spelling pattern of ordinary compound words. The established official form remains Super Bowl.
People may also become familiar with joined forms from hashtags and URLs, where spaces are unavailable.
Common Mistakes
Joining the words
Incorrect:
- We watched the Superbowl.
Correct:
- We watched the Super Bowl.
Capitalizing only one word
Incorrect:
- Super bowl
- super Bowl
Correct:
- Super Bowl
Adding a hyphen
Incorrect:
- Super-Bowl party
Correct:
- Super Bowl party
Using an apostrophe for the plural
Incorrect:
- The team won two Super Bowl’s.
Correct:
- The team won two Super Bowls.
Confusing a hashtag with normal spelling
Hashtag:
- #SuperBowl
Normal sentence:
- The Super Bowl begins this evening.
How to Remember the Spelling
Think of bowl as the main noun and super as the word describing it:
super + bowl
The same separation appears in the names of bowl games:
- Rose Bowl
- Orange Bowl
- Sugar Bowl
- Super Bowl
A useful memory sentence is:
The Super Bowl is a super bowl game, so it needs two words.
You can also remember that official event names often contain spaces:
- World Cup
- World Series
- Super Bowl
Final Answer
Super Bowl is written as two words, with both words capitalized when referring to the NFL championship game.
Correct:
- the Super Bowl
- Super Bowl Sunday
- a Super Bowl party
- Super Bowl commercials
Incorrect:
- Superbowl
- SuperBowl
- Super-Bowl
The joined spelling may appear in hashtags or website addresses, but it should not replace the standard two-word form in a normal sentence.
Remember:
The Super Bowl is two words and two capital letters.
