APA Style uses two types of capitalization for titles of works (such as paper titles) and headings within works: title case and sentence case.
In title case, major words are capitalized, and most minor words are lowercase. In sentence case, most major and minor words are lowercase (proper nouns are an exception in that they are always capitalized).
- major words: Nouns, verbs (including linking verbs), adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and all words of four letters or more are considered major words.
- minor words: Short (i.e., three letters or fewer) conjunctions, short prepositions, and all articles are considered minor words.
Learn more
Title case capitalization is covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 6.17 and the Concise Guide Section 5.7
This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition.
How to implement title case
In title case, capitalize the following words in a title or heading:
- the first word of the title or heading, even if it is a minor word such as “The” or “A”
- the first word of a subtitle
- the first word after a colon, em dash, or end punctuation in a heading
- major words, including the second part of hyphenated major words (e.g., “Self-Report,” not “Self-report”)
- words of four letters or more (e.g., “With,” “Between,” “From”)
Lowercase only minor words that are three letters or fewer in a title or heading (except the first word in a title or subtitle or the first word after a colon, em dash, or end punctuation in a heading):
- short conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “as,” “but,” “for,” “if,” “nor,” “or,” “so,” “yet”)
- articles (“a,” “an,” “the”)
- short prepositions (e.g., “as,” “at,” “by,” “for,” “in,” “of,” “off,” “on,” “per,” “to,” “up,” “via”)
When to use title case
Use title case for the following:
- titles of articles, books, reports, and other works appearing in text
In the book Train Your Mind for Peak Performance: A Science-Based Approach for Achieving Your Goals
In the article “Turning Frowns (and Smiles) Upside Down: A Multilevel Examination of Surface Acting Positive and Negative Emotions on Well-Being”
- titles of tests or measures, including subscales
Beck Depression Inventory–II
Last updated: July 2022Date created: September 2019
American Psychological Association. (2022). Title case capitalization. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/capitalization/title-case
`; if (document.getElementById('mainwrap') != null) { document.getElementById('mainwrap').insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', popup); } }
FAQs
In title case, major words are capitalized and most minor words are lowercase. If your title uses alternate capitalization where a letter other than the first letter of a word is used in the acronym and requires special emphasis, please capitalize as you feel is best indicated for your acronym.
What words are not capitalized in the title case? ›
Capitalize the first and the last word of titles and subtitles. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs (including phrasal verbs such as "play with"), adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions (major words). Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions of four letters or fewer.
What is an example of title case capitalization? ›
In title case, the first letter of each word in the title should be capitalized except for certain small words like “a,” “the,” and “of.” Example: Title case I read The Catcher in the Rye yesterday. Title case is used for capitalizing the words in a title, subtitle, or heading.
What are the rules for title capitalization? ›
The rules are fairly standard for title case: Capitalize the first and the last word. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs (including phrasal verbs such as “play with”), adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length).
How do you capitalize each word title case? ›
In title case, major words are capitalized, and most minor words are lowercase. In sentence case, most major and minor words are lowercase (proper nouns are an exception in that they are always capitalized).
Do you capitalize all in title case? ›
Title case is used to provide consistency in the system and in reporting. Please do not use ALL CAPITALS or all lowercase in proposal/project titles. In title case, major words are capitalized and most minor words are lowercase.
What is the difference between title case and all caps? ›
Title case, which capitalizes the first letter of certain words. Sentence case, in which you capitalize titles as though they're sentences. Initial case, where you capitalize the first letter of every word. All caps, where you capitalize the entire title.
What words are not capitalized in a title in MLA? ›
Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), the coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet), or the words to and as unless such a word is the first or last word in the title or subtitle.
What are example sentences for capitalization? ›
You should always capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence, no matter what the word is. Take, for example, the following sentences: The weather was beautiful. It was sunny all day. Even though the and it aren't proper nouns, they're capitalized here because they're the first words in their sentences.
What is it called when you capitalize every word? ›
Start case, initial caps or proper case is a simplified variant of title case. In text processing, start case usually involves the capitalisation of all words irrespective of their part of speech.
1) Capitalize the first word of the title or heading. 2) Capitalize the last word of the title or heading. 3) All other words are capitalized unless they are conjunctions (and, or, but, nor, yet, so, for), articles (a, an, the), or prepositions (in, to, of, at, by, up, for, off, on).
What is an example of a title case? ›
In title case, all major words are capitalized, while minor words are lowercased. A simple example would be Lord of the Flies.
When to capitalize job title? ›
That's your quick and dirty tip: capitalize job titles when they come before a name and are an official title, and lowercase job titles when they come after a name or are merely descriptive.
Why do you capitalize the first letter of every word in a title? ›
Capital letters are useful signals for a reader. They have three main purposes: to let the reader know a sentence is beginning, to show important words in a title, and to signal proper names and official titles. 1.
Which of the following is not capitalized in a title? ›
Exception: Do not capitalize little words within titles such as a, an, the, but, as, if, and, or, nor, or prepositions, regardless of their length.
Which words are not always capitalized? ›
Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs all need to be capitalized in titles as well. Small words like articles and prepositions are generally lowercased, unless they're the first word in a title.
What nouns are not capitalized? ›
A common noun, on the other hand, refers to a general, non-specific category or entity. Common nouns are not normally capitalized (unless they are the first word of a sentence or part of a title).
This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition.
