How To Correctly Use AP (and APA) Style Title Case
After spending time and energy coming up with the perfect title for your article or blog post, do you really want to take even more time debating how to format it correctly? For instance, what words do you capitalize in the title? Which words are not capitalized in a title? Is “your” capitalized in a title? Is “and” capitalized in a title?
When writing for an internet audience, using a standardized title case can help you avoid criticism and confusion. AP style title case has a few easy rules that will help showcase your title. (Note: These rules are the exact same for APA style, the only difference being that AP style does not recommend the use of title case for newspaper headlines, but rather sentence case.)
To master AP title case, learn the capitalization rules below. If you want a simple cheat sheet to have at your side, feel free to download the “Rules of AP Title Case” infographic we’ve created at the bottom of the page.
Capitalize the Principal Words in a Title
What words do you capitalize in a title? You should capitalize all of the principal words. The principal words of a title include the first and last words of that title, which you should always capitalize. You should also capitalize all verbs (including infinitives), nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs and some conjunctions. Finally, capitalize every word that is more than three letters long.
Title Capitalization Examples:
Creating the Perfect Centerpiece for Your Party Increase Curb Appeal With New Shutters How To Look For a Paid Internship
In the last example, note that the entire verb phrase “to look for” is capitalized.
What Not To Capitalize in a Title
So what words are not capitalized in a title? The short answer is don’t capitalize articles, prepositions or conjunctions that have fewer than four letters. That leaves a pretty short list of words that often aren’t capitalized*:
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a |
for |
so |
||
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an |
in |
the |
||
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and |
nor |
to |
||
|
at |
of |
up |
||
|
but |
on |
yet |
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|
by |
or |
*Remember to focus on how a word functions in the title to determine if it should be capitalized. For example, “yet” should be capitalized while acting as an adverb, but lowercase while acting as a conjunction.
Pay Special Attention to Prepositions
When you write titles that contain prepositions, your word processor will likely tell you that you should leave words like “with,” “about,” and “around” lowercase. Defiantly look past the squiggly line indicating a potential error, and remember that in AP title case, prepositions with four or more letters should be capitalized.
Examples of Capitalizing Prepositions in a Title:
The Dangers of Hiking Without Proper Shoes Working Your Way Around Office Politics
X Questions about the Importance of Renters Insurance
X What’s Lurking beneath Your Home?
Capitalizing The Verb “Is”
Many writers make the error of leaving “to be” verbs lowercase. Even though “is,” “are,” “was,” and “be,” are all short words, they should still be capitalized in a title because they are verbs.
Examples Capitalizing the Verb “Is”:
Why Sunless Tanning Is a Hot Trend Satin Sheets Are a Luxury You Can Afford
X How to be More Aware of Bank FraudX Simple Reasons Why I am Never Bored
Title Capitalization Conclusion
The title of your article or blog post is the first thing that your readers will see. By using an intriguing title and formatting it correctly, you can draw your readers in and build their trust. Throughout your article, make sure that the headings within the body of your work follow the same formatting guidelines as your title. When you do this, you are well on your way to creating an article that is both fun to read and visually appealing.
If you have any comments on the subject (or funny examples), leave them below! Click here if you’d like to freshen up on some more AP Style rules.
Rules of AP Title Case Cheat Sheet:
Was going to use your site to help me with capitalization rules, but when I see a glaring misuse of the word principal, I decided I really shouldn’t trust your site. Principal is the “pal” of the school….. Principle is the correct use of the word.
Kali,
Thanks for reading our blog and referring to it for AP title case rules.
Our use of the word “principal” is actually correct in this case. The definition of principal is most important, consequential, or influential. See Merriam-Webster for more on that.
We’d love for you to continue using our writing and grammar tips moving forward. Have a great day!
That was beautiful. 🙂
In some ways it’s similar to “affect” and “effect.” When I was in school, some teachers would over-simplify and say, “affect is a verb; effect is a noun” (similar to the “principal is your pal” mnemonic). It turns out, of course, that “effect” can be a verb as well. I’ve had to explain it to several people over the years when I’ve used it that way.
“Affect” can also be a noun, when the accent is on the first syllable. Example: He had a rather stilted affect, which I found unusual for a clown.
Explanation beautifully done.
Bravo!
Hah! Kali…Roasted
Touché…
Thanks for the blog, which is really useful. I was wondering if I should capitalize “so that” in a title. According the your blog, so that belongs to conjunction words and they should not be capitalized, however, “that” has more than three letters and should be capitalized. On the other hand, it is these two words that form the conjunction phrase, not sure if capitalize one of them and leave the other not capitalized would make sense?
Thanks for your comment, Elena. If “so” and “that” are both working as conjunctions (even as a pair), you can safely follow the associated rules: “Don’t capitalize articles, prepositions, or conjunctions that have fewer than four letters.” Go with “so That.” Happy writing!
Thank you for you prompt reply, it helps me a lot!
For AP style titles, What about prepositions such as “up” and “in” that are being used as adverbs (i.e., Gearing Up/up for Summer; New Product Rolls Out/out Ahead of Schedule; etc.)?
Great question, Tim. Focus on how the word functions within the title. If “up” is working as an adverb or adjective, then it should be capitalized. Thanks!
I question the inclusion of ‘so’ on the NOT to uppercase list. With a title like “Why Is This So Complicated?” the word so is modifying complicated, so I believe so would be an adverb. Or would it be an adjective? Either way, the word so should be capitalized. As noted in the above comment, the word up also depends on context. I might suggest in your list that you add an asterisk and a footnote by the words that depend on context. Thank you for this great reference!
Great suggestion, Ellie. We updated the blog to point out that some words can be used as multiple parts of speech.
Also, “so” is an adverb in “Why Is This So Complicated?”
Thanks!
please I need to know if my title is properly capitalized :
ESP Learners’Attitudes Towards The Inquiry-Based Approach
shall i capitalise attitudes , the , based, approach
Go with this:
“ESP Learners’ Attitudes Toward the Inquiry-Based Approach”
Thanks!
Do you capitalize the word summer in a title?
Hi, Melinda. “Summer” can be used as a noun (“the warm summer”), a verb (“We summer in Hawaii.”) or an adjective (“your summer home”). Nouns, verbs and adjectives always should be capitalized in titles, so you can confidently do so with “summer.”
Thanks!
I was wondering how should we deal with “and so on” and “in order to” in title? After looking up the dictionary, “so” appears to be an adverb, should we capitalize it? What about on? I cannot figure out it’s part of speech. As for “in order to”, am I right in thinking “order” should be capitalized in a title?
Hi Elena,
Thanks for your question! Let’s take this one phrase at a time:
1. “and so on” – Both “so” and “on” are acting as adverbs and should be capitalized.
2. “in order to” – “In” and “to” are prepositions with only two letters, so they should remain lowercase. “Order” is a noun that needs to be capitalized.
Remember that regardless of how a word is being used, you should capitalize anything with more than three letters. That takes some of the pressure off of trying to identify how these words function! 😀
Thank you for such a prompt and help answer!
Actually” to” in “in order to…” is a particle portion of an infinitive verb that would be specified in the context. As such, shouldn’t it be capitalized?
ConnedSumer:
You’re right that “in order to” is used with an infinitive form of a verb, which means that “to” should be capitalized. At the time of the original comment, infinitives were treated differently. AP has since taken a firm stance on capitalizing the “to” in infinitives.
Thanks!
Here is my question – when drafting a press release, does AP Style recommend using title case or sentence case? News releases are generally written in the style of a news story which makes it easier to place – that is the intention. However I’m hearing conflicting opinions on whether or not releases should use sentence case for the headline (such as is recommended for news articles) or title case. Please advise.
Veronica Vera
Good question, Veronica! AP calls for sentence case when writing press release headlines. Typically only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized in sentence case, though AP style does capitalize the first word after a colon.
Example: How millennials get news: An AP discussion at General Assembly
Thank you so much for your quick reply! Very helpful!
I just read Jon Bingham’s blog of 3/16/17. “6 Questions to Ask to Make Your Content More Share-Friendly.”
Why is “to” not capitalized? Is the infinitive an exception to the “verb rule” of headline capitalization?
And while I’m at it, why is 6 not spelled out?
Thanks.
We follow AP style, and over the years, AP editors have flip-flopped on whether infinitives and complete verb phrases should be capitalized when using title case. In February of this year, they called it “kind of a gray area,” but stated that infinitives “can be capped.” Last month, around the time that our blog was published, AP took a more definitive stance and now says that infinitives should be capitalized because they function as principal words.
As for six not being spelled out, that is due to AP style rules for titles.
“As for six not being spelled out, that is due to AP style rules for titles.”
What rule is that?
AP editors have indicated that they “use numerals in headlines, including for those under 10.”
Can your title be more than one line long?
Hi Susan,
Title length depends on what the title is for and where the work is being published, but using a more succinct title is generally ideal. If you want tips on creating an attention-grabbing title, check out this blog: https://www.bkacontent.com/the-art-of-creating-attention-grabbing-titles/.
Thanks!
Hi guys,
currently writing my bachelor’s thesis and I’m quite unsure of a couple of things. First off, which one should I choose: Bachelor’s Thesis or Bachelor Thesis. Furthermore, does “thesis” have to be capitalized – “Thesis” or rather “thesis”?
What if I didn’t use capitalisation for my title and just leave it like this (of course this is not my real title): “Bla bla bla bla and so on” instead of “Bla Bla Bla Bla and So On”? Would it make a bad impression?
Best,
Nik
Hi Nik,
AP style allows for “bachelor’s degree,” so “Bachelor’s Thesis” would appropriately follow AP’s guidance. Note that the entire phrase should be capitalized when following AP title case rules. However, if you’re going to use the full program name, don’t use the possessive. Ex: “Bachelor of Arts in English Thesis.”
Capitalizing only the first word of a title is called sentence case. Whether using sentence case is appropriate for the title of your thesis would depend on the rules set out by your university. Your school’s writing center should be able to help.
Best of luck on your thesis!
Hi Amber,
thank you so much for your answer. My thesis has just been submitted and I’m hoping for the best!
Best,
Nik
My title is “Quality Improvement Project: Educating Nurses on Vasopressors through Peripheral Intravenous Access” Should I capitalize the “t” in through?
Hi Alisha,
Yes, “through” should be capitalized in your title.
Thanks!
Amber
Here is my question, do you continue to capitalize QUality Improvement (QI) throughout the paper in APA 7. I cannot find this in the book. Help.
Hi, Laura:
Context matters here, and I’m not sure what “Quality Improvement” is referring to. If it’s a general term, it should not be capitalized. All instances of “QI” should be capitalized.
Thanks!
Amber
Picking Nits, maybe, but aren’t articles technically adjectives?
nits 🙂
Interesting point, Bill. However, if you look up “an” in the dictionary, it’s listed as an article, not an adjective. AP style mentions that articles (“the,” “a,” and “an”) should be capitalized only if they are used as the first or last words in a title.
Thanks for contributing!
Amber
I’d be really curious to see a title ending in “the,” “a,” or “an.”
I could imagine a title of “What The…”
Of course you can always construct one like “Treatise on the History of the Word An” — but is that cheating since it’s not really being used as an article? Dunno.
(Hopefully I’ve capitalized these correctly!)
Correct capitalization, but you’d have to set “An” apart. Here’s how:
Treatise on the History of the Word ‘An’
(Use single quote marks in titles, never double quote marks.)
Thanks!
Hi There!
I believe I capitalized everything correctly, I just want to check. Here is my title:
Fifth Year Senior Gives Her All and
Perseveres Through Her Last Semester
Thank you!
– Mo
Go with “Fifth-Year Senior,” but otherwise it looks great. Thanks, Mo!
Struggling with “What’s in it for You”… or is it “What’s In It for You”?
Hi Joy,
“What’s in It for You” follows AP title case rules.
Thanks!
*Definitely* not defiantly. Sorry I was reading the APA rules and it caught my eye. I don’t want to be that annoying person that points out mistakes on websites, but I am sure you want your rules as clean as possible. I love how kindly you respond to people and their questions. People can be so brash sometimes. 🙂
Sorry about the confusion, Jenny. I wrote, “Defiantly look past the squiggly line indicating a potential error” to encourage writers to be defiant and challenge their word processor’s authority when it comes to capitalizing prepositions. Thanks for being on the lookout for potential errors!
Regarding subheadings WITHIN a longer article:
Should the titles of the sections be capitalized in title case, or only the first word in sentence case?
Hi Jo,
Good question! Unfortunately, AP style doesn’t go into that level of detail. Perhaps you could mirror the formatting of articles written by others in your industry. Best of luck!
AP Style uses sentence case for both blog titles and news articles/stories. I think it is important that you mention this.
You’re definitely right, Al. This article is specific to AP title case, but we do have plans to discuss AP sentence case in another blog. Thanks for reading!
Thank you for writing these rules up in an easy to follow format! My question is your definition of “principal words.” I noticed that you go into great detail about what principal words are (e.g., verbs, nouns, pronouns, etc.). But the 2017 AP Stylebook doesn’t actually define “principal words.” Is this your definition or AP’s definition of “principal words”? The reason I ask is, in the “composition titles” section, the stylebook also says, “Capitalize an article — the, a, an — or words fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in a title.” This suggests that any word fewer than four letters that is not the first or last word in a title is not capitalized. So what if a “principal word” (whatever that is) is fewer than four letters? Please help!
Hi, John. Great question. Through the “Ask the Editor” online feature, AP editors have given this instruction: “Principal words include all verbs and nouns, as well as prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters. Capitalize articles — the, a or an — or words of three or fewer letters as the first or last word in a title.” The editor added that “modifiers are usually capitalized as principal words.”
Principal words always should be capitalized, no matter how long they are or where they reside in the title.
Last month I was encouraged to see that an AP editor stated that flexibility should be allowed if the capitalization simply doesn’t look right.
I hope that adds clarity!
What about hyphenated words in a title or headline?
For example, College-Wide Open House or should it be College-wide Open House.
It’s a burning question here in the department of marketing!
Hi Lauri,
I’m happy to help end the friendly debate. Always capitalize both parts of the hyphenated word. Ex: “College-Wide”
Thanks!
Amber
The second part of a hyphenated word in a headline is not capitalized when using AP Style. Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized: https://www.apstylebook.com/ask_the_editor_faq (Scroll down to “News Media”), so: “First-year teachers gather to celebrate holiday.”
Actually, in the example you give, there would be no hyphen, as the AP Stylebook has done away with most hyphens in this case: From the AP: “No hyphen in these and similar examples: citywide, nationwide, continentwide, statewide, countrywide, worldwide.”
Hi, Denis:
You’re right that AP style prefers sentence case, but this article focuses on AP style title case rules (for composition titles). Many organizations prefer to use title case for titles and headings.
Thanks for reading!
Amber
Hi,
Are these titles correct in the APA style?
US Mediation in the Eritrean-Ethiopian conflict: understanding the underlying Causes of Failed Mediation through the impact of Context and Ripeness
Negotiating the Nuclear Deal: Understanding and Evaluating the United States’ Tactics Leading up to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action from the Hard Bargaining Paradigm
Hi Lise,
You’re close!
– U.S. Mediation in the Eritrean-Ethiopian Conflict: Understanding the Underlying Causes of Failed Mediation Through the Impact of Context and Ripeness
– Negotiating the Nuclear Deal: Understanding and Evaluating the United States’ Tactics Leading Up to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action From the Hard Bargaining Paradigm
Thanks for reading!
Hello! I have a question. In APA style, how would I capitalize “Hand-to-Hand Combat Maneuvers”? The problem I’m having is with the “to.” I think it should be lowercase because it’s a preposition, even though it is part of a hyphenated compound. (Also, “Hand-To-Hand” looks weird to me.) Am I right about leaving it lowercase?
Hi, Sarah. AP style editors answered a similar question about “Drop-Off Procedures” vs. “Drop-off Procedures.” AP’s guidance was to go with “Drop-off Procedures.” Therefore, I suggest you write “Hand-to-Hand Combat Maneuvers.”
Thanks!
Amber
Hi Amber, I was wondering whether “up” in the hyphenated “hang-up” should be capitalized. Is “up” an adverb or a preposition in this word?
how to capitalize “as-received”
Go with “As-Received.” Thanks for reading!
Would I capitalize the word “as” in a subtitle? For example: Enemy Aliens As American Soldiers
Hi, Laura. Good question, but I’m not sure how you intend “as” to act in that subtitle. If you’re going for something similar to “like,” then “as” is acting as a preposition and should not be capitalized.
Thanks!
Amber
Hi, quick question: when starting a sentence with a subject/noun that is stylistically lowercase (e.e. cummings, elephantWORLD, etc.) does AP require capitalizing anyway? Starting the sentence with, “E.e. Cummings…”?
Hi, Kate. AP editors have covered this very concept, luckily! Here’s what they said: “AP capitalizes at the start of sentences, regardless of the general styling of a name. For example: IPads are on sale today. E.e. cummings might have composed on one.”
I’m having trouble with a title I’m trying to write in AP Style. I’m currently enrolled at college and just recently learned this style last semester. Is this the proper way I should be capitalizing my title?
Shine Bright With These Five Highlighters This Summer
Also, I know for small numbers it’s spelled out. Does this change for titles? Thanks ! xx
Hi, Mel. Your title is capitalized correctly if you’re using title case. If you want AP headline style, you’d go with “Shine bright with these 5 highlighters this summer.”
Thanks for reading!
Hello, Thanks for your blog. Two questions: 1. If “A” or “An” are the first words in a title – are they capitalized? (Per the first word rule?) 2. If the subject matter expert prefers to abbreviate “versus” how would it appear in a slide title? i.e., “vs.” or “Vs.” or “VS.”?
Hi, Pola:
1. Yes, always capitalize the first word of a title, no matter what it is.
2. I cannot find a definitive answer on whether to capitalize the abbreviated version of “versus” when using AP style. I’ll update you if I do.
Best!
Amber
Hi! In the headline “Gift Boxes By You,” should the “by” be uppercase or lowercase? Thank you!
Hi, Andrea:
“By” is acting as a preposition in that headline, so the word should remain lowercase.
Thanks!
Amber
Hey there,
For subtitles, do you stick with title case or switch to standard capitalization? Visually, it look really intense when title case is used on both title and subtitle.
Thanks,
Valerie
Hi, Valerie. AP Stylebook editors haven’t given feedback on that. I suggest you follow whatever style others in your industry are using.
Hah, I feel like years of editing have given me an eagle eye… but I do want to note that you gave us a sample headline & did not capitalize “am” which is a verb. Right? Is that a typo or is there a weird rule about that?
Hi, Wendy. That example is showing that leaving “am” lowercase is incorrect.
Thanks for reading!
Desperately seeking guidance on using footnotes in titles and headings. I say footnotes should only be used in contexts (not titles nor headings). Also, it looks odd and inconsistent with the cadence of the other footnotes. Only exception might be table headings.
Your guidance appreciated.
Hi, James:
AP style doesn’t use footnotes. You’d have to look at the rules of other style guides to see what they do.
Thanks!
Hi there – I wanted to give you a heads-up that your claim in the second paragraph that “These rules are the exact same for APA style, the only difference being that AP style does not recommend the use of title case for newspaper headlines, but rather sentence case” is simply not true. APA style requires the capitalization of ONLY the first word (and the first word after a colon or dash) in titles of books, films, and articles, i.e., sentence case. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/elements-list-entry
Hi, Rachel:
When the title of the work appears within the text of the article, APA requires title case. When the work is mentioned in the reference list, sentence case is used. Thanks for reading!
Amber
Hi! I refer to this page all the time, so thanks for creating it! I have a question about how to capitalize a title when you have a main title and then a subtitle (I guess?) in parentheses. For example: How to Retire Early (Because 50 is the new 60). Would you capitalize “Is” and “New” or leave it sentence-style? I’m not sure how to word that, so it’s hard to look it up in my AP style guide, and I don’t know if there’s a specific rule for that.
This is a very useful blog.. Is this a correct title?
“Psychological Safety – Sharing Your Views Without Fear”
We are in a bit of a debate on the capitalization of “for” in our titles and often refer to capitalizemytitle.com for help but it has only added more confusion for us recently. When using the site, it suggests “Registration Open For 2021 Camp” and “Accepting Submissions for 2021 Contest” as the correct use of AP style title case. Why is “for” capitalized in one and not the other?
Hi, Molly:
I just played around with capitalizemytitle.com to see what you were experiencing. I got “Registration Open for 2021 Camp” (lowercase “for”) when choosing AP title case. Perhaps you accidentally had the “First Letter” option selected for AP?
The lowercase “for” is correct in both cases if you’re following AP title case.
Best,
Amber
Just use https://capitalizemytitle.com.
So much easier.
I work as a proofreader for a small newspaper and my boss constantly capitalizes open house. I have found absolutely no rules to justify this, but she is my boss and has been working in this industry much longer than I. Can you please tell me if it is supposed to be capitalized? She capitalizes all instances of it, not just a formal name of an event. For example, in the sentence “Please join us for an open house on…” she would have capitalized the O and H in open house. Is she correct? Or should I continue to fix this when I see it?
Hi, Michelle:
We all have our writing quirks, and capitalizing “open house” seems to be a quirk your boss has. There is no reason to capitalize “open house” outside of a formal name.
You could point this out to her and ask if the house style guide mandates that you always capitalize “open house.” If you do not have a house style guide, I suggest you keep fixing the mistake. 😀
Best of luck!
Amber
Hi, just curious why ‘as’ does not show up on your list of 17 words that should not be capitalized in a title? I know that it should be capitalized when acting as an adverb, but when it is acting as a preposition or conjunction, should it not be lowercase?
Hi, Justin:
You’re correct that AP title case has you capitalize a word depending on how it is being used in a title or heading. The words listed in the “What Not To Capitalize in a Title” section are lowercase more than they are capitalized. Because “As” is often capitalized, it doesn’t belong in the list.
Thanks for reading!
Amber
I have been struggling with something for a while, and that is the correct treatment of the word “one” in titles when it is a pronoun.
For example, “One of the Cheapest Cars to Insure Just Got Better”
(silly title, just made up for this question).
Should that be “1 of the Cheapest Cars to Insure Just Got Better” because AP style says not to type out numbers in titles?
The first example looks more correct to me, but I can’t find an answer anywhere.
Thanks for your help!
Hi, Alex:
Because the word is acting as a pronoun, go with “One of the Cheapest …” You will usually use the numeral when the number is an adjective: “4 Cheap Cars.”
Thanks,
Amber
thank you for the useful information
Would “not” be capitalized in a title such as “To Restrain or not to Restrain”? Grammar is not my strong suit, so definitions of parts of speech don’t come easy for me. Also, what about “my”… would that be capitalized? Thanks!
Hi, Jonathan:
Go with “To Restrain or Not To Restrain” because “not” is an adverb. Also “To Restrain” is an infinitive, and all verb forms are capitalized.
“My” is also capitalized because it is a pronoun.
These rules can be tricky, but a title case converter such as https://capitalizemytitle.com/ can help!
Best,
Amber
Do you capitalize “all” words in sub-title level 1? regardless of the words? For example, is this correct? “Comparing Management in the 20th and 21st Century”?
Hi, Geneva:
Your example is correct. Check out our list of what not to capitalize in a title.
Thanks for reading!
Amber
thanks for your nice suggestion
How about vs, such as John Doe vs. Mary Smith?
the Good vs. the Evil?
Hi, Melanie:
Go with “John Doe vs. Mary Smith.”
Thanks!
Amber
Hi, I go back and worth on whether to capitalize Its in the title AP style, can you confirm if it is capitalized or not?
Hi, Lilian:
Yes, both “It’s” and “Its” are capitalized when following AP title case.
Thanks!
Amber