What is Title Case?

March 31, 2025 | Blog, Learning Center

Title case is a capitalization style commonly used for titles, headings, and subheadings. In title case, the first (and usually last) words of the title are capitalized, along with major words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and some conjunctions). Minor words, such as articles (a, an, the) and short prepositions (to, with, for, at), are usually lowercase unless they appear at the beginning or end of the title.

However, title case rules vary slightly among major style guides, including APA, Chicago, MLA, and AP. Each has its own specific rules on what should and shouldn’t be capitalized.

General Rules for Title Case

Regardless of the style guide, the following rules typically apply:

1. Capitalize the First and Last Word: The first word of the title is always capitalized, as is the last word in most styles.
2. Capitalize Major Words: Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and longer words regardless of type.
3. Lowercase Minor Words: Articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor), and most prepositions (in, on, at, for) are usually lowercase unless they are the first or last word.

Title Case in Major Style Guides

APA Style (American Psychological Association, 7th Edition)

In APA style:

• Capitalize all major words. This includes nouns, verbs (including linking verbs), adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and all words of four letters or more, including the second word in hyphenated compound words (Self-Report).
• Always capitalize the first word in a title or subtitle, and the first word after a colon, em dash, or end punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation point) in a heading.
• Only capitalize the last word in a title if it meets other capitalization rules.
• Lowercase all minor words, including articles and prepositions or conjunctions with three letters or fewer unless they appear at the beginning of the title.

Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition

In Chicago style:

• Capitalize all major words: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions.
• Always capitalize the first and last word in a title or subtitle.
• Capitalize the second element in a hyphenated compound formed with a prefix (Anti-War, Pre-Term).
• Capitalize the second element in hyphenated spelled-out numbers or fractions (Thirty-One, One-Third).
• Lowercase articles, coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor), and prepositions of fewer than five letters unless used adverbially or adjectivally (e.g., Turn Down), or as part of Latin expressions (In Situ).

MLA Style (Modern Language Association, 9th Edition)

In MLA style:

• Capitalize all major words: verbs, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and subordinating conjunctions (While, As, Because, If, Unless).
• Lowercase articles, coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), and prepositions regardless of length, unless they appear as the first or last word of the title.
• Lowercase articles (a, an, the) unless they appear as the first or last word of the title.
• Capitalize an article at the start of a subtitle.

4. AP Style (Associated Press Stylebook, 57th Edition)

In AP style:

• Capitalize all words in a title except those noted below.
• Lowercase all articles, as well as prepositions and conjunctions with three or fewer letters, unless they are the first or last word in the title.
• Capitalize the second word in hyphenated compound words (Long-Term Solution).
• Capitalize “to” when it appears as part of an infinitive (How To Succeed in Business).
• Officially uses sentence case for headlines but applies title case to composition titles.

Quick Reference Table for Title Case Rules

Some Special Cases

While many style guides are fairly consistent in their capitalization rules for title case, there are some unique variations. Below are some key words subject to different rules depending on the guide.

• As: Capitalize in MLA, lowercase in AP, APA, Chicago
• If: Capitalize in Chicago and MLA, lowercase in AP and APA
• So: Capitalize in Chicago, lowercase in AP, APA, MLA
• To: Capitalize in AP when used as part of an infinitive, lowercase in APA, Chicago, MLA
• Yet: Capitalize in Chicago, lowercase in AP, APA, MLA
• 4-letter prepositions (from, into, unto, with): Capitalize in AP and APA, lowercase in Chicago and MLA

Conclusion

Title case, which is required for many titles, headings, and subheadings, is generally straightforward, but each style guide applies slightly different rules. To ensure accuracy in academic or professional writing, consult the official guidance for your required style:

• APA Style Title Case Rules
• Chicago Manual of Style
• MLA Style Capitalization of Titles
• AP Stylebook

Using the correct title case conventions not only ensures consistency but also reflects attention to detail—an essential quality in academic and professional communication.