What is Title Case? A Complete Guide with Examples
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.
What is 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.
Which Words Are Capitalized in Title Case?
As a general rule, capitalize:
- Nouns — person, place, thing, or idea (Book, River, Technology)
- Verbs — action or state words (Run, Is, Become)
- Adjectives — describing words (Beautiful, Fast, Blue)
- Adverbs — words modifying verbs/adjectives (Quickly, Never, Always)
- The first word of the title, regardless of its type
- The last word of the title, regardless of its type
- Proper nouns — specific names (London, JavaScript, Amazon)
Do not capitalize (unless they are the first or last word):
- Articles: a, an, the
- Short prepositions (under 4–5 letters): in, on, at, by, to, of, up, for
- Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet
Title Case Examples
| 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 |
Title Case Rules by Style Guide
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 Style (American Psychological Association)
APA title case is used in psychology, education, and social sciences. The rules:
- Capitalize all major words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns)
- Capitalize words of four or more letters (including prepositions like "with", "from", "about")
- Lowercase: articles (a, an, the), short conjunctions, and prepositions under 4 letters
- Always capitalize the first word, the last word, and any word after a colon or em dash
Example: "A Study of the Effects of Sleep on Learning and Memory"
MLA Style (Modern Language Association)
MLA is used widely in humanities and liberal arts. Rules are similar to APA but slightly different:
- Capitalize nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns
- Lowercase articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions regardless of length
- Always capitalize the first and last word
- Capitalize words of any type following a colon
Example: "The Representation of Women in Contemporary American Fiction"
Chicago Style (The Chicago Manual of Style)
Chicago style is widely used in book publishing and general non-fiction. Rules:
- Capitalize all major words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns)
- Capitalize prepositions of four or more letters (Over, Between, Through, Without)
- Lowercase prepositions of fewer than four letters (in, at, by, for, of)
- Lowercase articles and coordinating conjunctions
Example: "The History of the United States Through the Eyes of Its Immigrants"
AP Style (Associated Press)
AP style is used by most newspapers and news websites in the US. It uses a simpler approach:
- Capitalize nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns
- Lowercase articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions
- Verbs of any length, including short ones like "is", "be", "are", are capitalized
Example: "Scientists Find New Approach to Treating Heart Disease"
Style Guide Quick-Reference Table
| 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 |
When Should You Use Title Case?
- Book, film, and album titles — always use title case
- Academic paper titles — required by APA, MLA, and Chicago
- News headlines — AP style, used by most newspapers
- Blog post titles — common in American content, though sentence case is increasingly popular
- Section and chapter headings — varies by publisher's style guide
- Job titles used before a name — e.g., "President Biden" (not after a name)
Title Case vs Sentence Case
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is title case?
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.
Which words are NOT capitalized in title case?
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.
Is title case the same in APA and MLA?
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.
Should blog post titles use title case or sentence case?
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