diff --git a/src/components/FreePlayPicker.vue b/src/components/FreePlayPicker.vue
index 33fbd70..629eb93 100644
--- a/src/components/FreePlayPicker.vue
+++ b/src/components/FreePlayPicker.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { ref, onMounted } from 'vue'
 import { STAGE_NAMES } from '@/config/game'
-import { formatQualityLabel } from '@/music/display'
+import { formatQualityLabel, isMinorSymbolLabel } from '@/music/display'
 import type { FreePlayStageAccess } from '@/stores/progress'
 import type { ChordQuality } from '@/music/data/chords'
 import type { ScaleMode } from '@/music/data/scales'
@@ -73,7 +73,10 @@ function selectSubStage(quality: ChordQuality | ScaleMode | IntervalGroup, acces
           v-for="(subStage, ssIndex) in stage.subStages"
           :key="ssIndex"
           class="sub-stage-btn"
-          :class="{ 'sub-stage-btn--locked': !subStage.accessible }"
+          :class="{
+            'sub-stage-btn--locked': !subStage.accessible,
+            'sub-stage-btn--symbol': isMinorSymbolLabel(subStage.quality),
+          }"
           :disabled="!subStage.accessible"
           @click="selectSubStage(subStage.quality, subStage.accessible)"
         >
@@ -162,6 +165,10 @@ function selectSubStage(quality: ChordQuality | ScaleMode | IntervalGroup, acces
   cursor: default;
 }
 
+.sub-stage-btn--symbol {
+  text-transform: none;
+}
+
 @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
   .stage-item {
     border-color: #444;
diff --git a/src/components/IdleView.vue b/src/components/IdleView.vue
index 997a888..2c5df6c 100644
--- a/src/components/IdleView.vue
+++ b/src/components/IdleView.vue
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { FEATURES } from '@/config/features'
 import FreePlayPicker from '@/components/FreePlayPicker.vue'
 import SubStageProgressBar from '@/components/SubStageProgressBar.vue'
 import TheoryModal from '@/components/TheoryModal.vue'
+import { formatQualityLabel, isMinorSymbolLabel } from '@/music/display'
 import type { ChordQuality } from '@/music/data/chords'
 import type { ScaleMode } from '@/music/data/scales'
 import type { IntervalGroup } from '@/music/data/intervals'
@@ -100,8 +101,8 @@ function onStageOpen(stageIndex: number): void {
     <main class="idle-main">
       <template v-if="idleMode === 'learn'">
         <div class="learning-position">{{ stageName }}</div>
-        <div class="quality-label">
-          <span>Quality: {{ quality }}</span>
+        <div class="quality-label" :class="{ 'quality-label--symbol': isMinorSymbolLabel(quality) }">
+          <span>Quality: {{ formatQualityLabel(quality) }}</span>
           <button
             v-if="FEATURES.THEORY_MODAL"
             class="info-btn"
@@ -241,6 +242,10 @@ function onStageOpen(stageIndex: number): void {
   text-transform: capitalize;
 }
 
+.quality-label--symbol {
+  text-transform: none;
+}
+
 .info-btn {
   background: transparent;
   border: 1px solid #aaa;
diff --git a/src/components/TheoryModal.vue b/src/components/TheoryModal.vue
index 88748d5..0ae2b7b 100644
--- a/src/components/TheoryModal.vue
+++ b/src/components/TheoryModal.vue
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import type { ScaleMode } from '@/music/data/scales'
 import { INTERVAL_CATALOG } from '@/music/data/intervals'
 import type { IntervalGroup } from '@/music/data/intervals'
 import { SCALE_DESCRIPTIONS, MODE_PARENT } from '@/music/data/theory'
-import { formatQualityLabel } from '@/music/display'
+import { formatQualityLabel, isMinorSymbolLabel } from '@/music/display'
 import { intervalToDegreeLabel } from '@/music/matrix'
 import PianoKeyboard from '@/components/PianoKeyboard.vue'
 
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ const catalogEntry = computed(() => {
 
 const intervals = computed<string[]>(() => catalogEntry.value?.intervals ?? [])
 
-const title = computed(() => capitalize(formatQualityLabel(props.quality)))
+const title = computed(() => {
+  const label = formatQualityLabel(props.quality)
+  return isMinorSymbolLabel(props.quality) ? label : capitalize(label)
+})
 
 const subtitle = computed<string | null>(() => {
   const meta = MODE_PARENT[props.quality as ScaleMode]
diff --git a/src/components/__tests__/FreePlayPicker.spec.ts b/src/components/__tests__/FreePlayPicker.spec.ts
index f9ace01..45db6c7 100644
--- a/src/components/__tests__/FreePlayPicker.spec.ts
+++ b/src/components/__tests__/FreePlayPicker.spec.ts
@@ -148,4 +148,35 @@ describe('FreePlayPicker', () => {
       expect(wrapper.emitted('play')).toBeUndefined()
     })
   })
+
+  describe('minor symbol casing', () => {
+    it('renders m7 text and disables capitalize transform for a minor tetrad sub-stage', async () => {
+      const access = makeAccess([
+        {
+          accessible: true,
+          subStages: [
+            { accessible: true, quality: 'm7' },
+            { accessible: true, quality: 'mMaj7' },
+          ],
+        },
+      ])
+      const wrapper = mount(FreePlayPicker, {
+        props: { freePlayAccess: access, initialStage: 0 },
+      })
+      await nextTick()
+      const buttons = wrapper.findAll('.sub-stage-btn')
+      expect(buttons[0]!.text()).toBe('m7')
+      expect(buttons[0]!.classes()).toContain('sub-stage-btn--symbol')
+      expect(buttons[1]!.text()).toBe('mΔ7')
+      expect(buttons[1]!.classes()).toContain('sub-stage-btn--symbol')
+    })
+
+    it('does not disable the capitalize transform for a triad sub-stage', async () => {
+      const wrapper = mount(FreePlayPicker, {
+        props: { freePlayAccess: ACCESS_STAGE0_PARTIAL, initialStage: 0 },
+      })
+      await nextTick()
+      expect(wrapper.findAll('.sub-stage-btn')[0]!.classes()).not.toContain('sub-stage-btn--symbol')
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/components/__tests__/IdleView.spec.ts b/src/components/__tests__/IdleView.spec.ts
index 70c9579..420f275 100644
--- a/src/components/__tests__/IdleView.spec.ts
+++ b/src/components/__tests__/IdleView.spec.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,25 @@ describe('IdleView', () => {
       expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('thirds')
     })
 
+    it('shows lowercase m7 label and disables the capitalize transform', async () => {
+      const progress = useProgressStore()
+      // Stage 3 (Tetrads), subStage 3 → 'm7'
+      progress.state.learning = { stage: 3, subStage: 3 }
+      const wrapper = mountView()
+      expect(wrapper.find('.quality-label').text()).toContain('m7')
+      expect(wrapper.find('.quality-label').classes()).toContain('quality-label--symbol')
+    })
+
+    it('shows the formatted mΔ7 label instead of leaking the raw mMaj7 key', async () => {
+      const progress = useProgressStore()
+      // Stage 3 (Tetrads), subStage 4 → 'mMaj7'
+      progress.state.learning = { stage: 3, subStage: 4 }
+      const wrapper = mountView()
+      expect(wrapper.find('.quality-label').text()).toContain('mΔ7')
+      expect(wrapper.find('.quality-label').text()).not.toContain('mMaj7')
+      expect(wrapper.find('.quality-label').classes()).toContain('quality-label--symbol')
+    })
+
     it('reflects accumulatedScore progress in the progress bar', async () => {
       const progress = useProgressStore()
       // Default position is stage 1, subStage 1 → 'seconds' (3 intervals → 6 non-given cells,
diff --git a/src/components/__tests__/TheoryModal.spec.ts b/src/components/__tests__/TheoryModal.spec.ts
index 278e2c8..3d6af0c 100644
--- a/src/components/__tests__/TheoryModal.spec.ts
+++ b/src/components/__tests__/TheoryModal.spec.ts
@@ -65,4 +65,14 @@ describe('TheoryModal', () => {
       '5th mode of the harmonic minor scale',
     )
   })
+
+  it('shows lowercase m7 title without capitalizing the minor symbol', () => {
+    const wrapper = mount(TheoryModal, { props: { quality: 'm7' } })
+    expect(wrapper.find('.modal-title').text()).toBe('m7')
+  })
+
+  it('shows lowercase mΔ7 title without capitalizing the minor symbol', () => {
+    const wrapper = mount(TheoryModal, { props: { quality: 'mMaj7' } })
+    expect(wrapper.find('.modal-title').text()).toBe('mΔ7')
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/music/__tests__/display.spec.ts b/src/music/__tests__/display.spec.ts
index 41b5681..47df5b4 100644
--- a/src/music/__tests__/display.spec.ts
+++ b/src/music/__tests__/display.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
-import { formatPuzzleTitle } from '@/music/display'
+import { formatPuzzleTitle, isMinorSymbolLabel } from '@/music/display'
 
 describe('formatPuzzleTitle', () => {
   describe('triads', () => {
@@ -114,3 +114,41 @@ describe('formatPuzzleTitle', () => {
     })
   })
 })
+
+describe('isMinorSymbolLabel', () => {
+  it('returns true for m7', () => {
+    expect(isMinorSymbolLabel('m7')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('returns true for mMaj7', () => {
+    expect(isMinorSymbolLabel('mMaj7')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('returns false for the minor triad despite its m symbol', () => {
+    expect(isMinorSymbolLabel('minor')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('returns false for major', () => {
+    expect(isMinorSymbolLabel('major')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('returns false for sus2', () => {
+    expect(isMinorSymbolLabel('sus2')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('returns false for sus4', () => {
+    expect(isMinorSymbolLabel('sus4')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('returns false for dom7sus4', () => {
+    expect(isMinorSymbolLabel('dom7sus4')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('returns false for a scale mode', () => {
+    expect(isMinorSymbolLabel('ionian')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('returns false for an interval group', () => {
+    expect(isMinorSymbolLabel('seconds')).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/music/display.ts b/src/music/display.ts
index da064ce..b6af323 100644
--- a/src/music/display.ts
+++ b/src/music/display.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ const SCALE_LABEL: Record<ScaleMode, string> = {
   halfWholeDim: 'half-whole diminished scale',
 }
 
+export function isMinorSymbolLabel(quality: ChordQuality | ScaleMode | IntervalGroup): boolean {
+  if (!(quality in CHORD_CATALOG)) return false
+  const q = quality as ChordQuality
+  if (TRIAD_LABEL[q]) return false
+  return CHORD_CATALOG[q].symbol.startsWith('m')
+}
+
 export function formatQualityLabel(quality: ChordQuality | ScaleMode | IntervalGroup): string {
   if (quality in CHORD_CATALOG) {
     const def = CHORD_CATALOG[quality as ChordQuality]