Title case is one of the most commonly used — and most commonly confused — capitalization styles. This guide explains exactly which words to capitalize, how major style guides differ, and when to use title case.
Title case is a capitalization style where the first letter of most words in a phrase or heading is capitalized. It is used for titles of books, articles, films, and headings throughout many formal and journalistic writing styles.
The core rule is simple: capitalize major words, lowercase minor words. But the definition of "major" and "minor" varies slightly between different style guides — which is where the confusion begins.
As a general rule, capitalize:
Do not capitalize (unless they are the first or last word):
| Lowercase text | Title Case result |
|---|---|
| the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog | The Quick Brown Fox Jumps over the Lazy Dog |
| how to write better blog posts | How to Write Better Blog Posts |
| a guide to react for beginners | A Guide to React for Beginners |
| why the internet changed everything | Why the Internet Changed Everything |
| ten tips for a better morning routine | Ten Tips for a Better Morning Routine |
Different fields and publishers follow different style guides. Each has slightly different rules for which words to capitalize. Here is a summary of the four most common:
APA title case is used in psychology, education, and social sciences. The rules:
Example: "A Study of the Effects of Sleep on Learning and Memory"
MLA is used widely in humanities and liberal arts. Rules are similar to APA but slightly different:
Example: "The Representation of Women in Contemporary American Fiction"
Chicago style is widely used in book publishing and general non-fiction. Rules:
Example: "The History of the United States Through the Eyes of Its Immigrants"
AP style is used by most newspapers and news websites in the US. It uses a simpler approach:
Example: "Scientists Find New Approach to Treating Heart Disease"
| Word type | APA | MLA | Chicago | AP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles (a, an, the) | Lower | Lower | Lower | Lower |
| Short prepositions (<4 letters) | Lower | Lower | Lower | Lower |
| Long prepositions (4+ letters) | Capital | Lower | Capital | Lower |
| Coordinating conjunctions | Lower | Lower | Lower | Lower |
| Verbs (is, be, are) | Capital | Capital | Capital | Capital |
| First word | Capital | Capital | Capital | Capital |
| Last word | Capital | Capital | Capital | Capital |
While title case capitalizes most words, sentence case only capitalizes the first word and proper nouns — exactly as you would in a normal sentence. Modern web style guides (Google, Microsoft, Shopify) increasingly favor sentence case for UI elements and headings. See our full comparison: Sentence Case vs Title Case.
Convert any text to perfect title case instantly with our free Title Case Converter. It follows standard title case rules and handles edge cases automatically.
Title case capitalizes the first letter of most words — specifically major words like nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs — while leaving minor words (articles, short prepositions, conjunctions) in lowercase unless they start or end the title.
Articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet), and short prepositions (in, on, at, by, to, of, up) are typically lowercase unless they appear at the start or end of the title. Style guides differ slightly on prepositions of 4+ letters.
Not quite. APA capitalizes prepositions of four or more letters; MLA does not. Both capitalize verbs and major words. Chicago capitalizes prepositions of four or more letters. When in doubt, check the style guide required by your publisher, school, or employer.
Both are widely used. American publications typically use title case for blog titles. Many tech companies and modern publishers use sentence case. The most important thing is to pick one and apply it consistently across your site.
Related articles: Sentence Case vs Title Case • What is Sentence Case? • Uppercase vs Lowercase