How to Capitalize a Title Correctly: Rules and Examples

A well-capitalized title makes an article, email, presentation, or book look polished. The difficulty is that title case has exceptions: not every word should be capitalized, and style guides do not always agree on every detail.

This guide gives you a practical set of title capitalization rules. When you need a fast result, use the free Title Case Converter to format a headline before you publish it.

What is title case?

Title case is a capitalization style used for headings and titles. The first and last word are capitalized, as are most important words in the middle.

For example:

• Sentence case: How to capitalize a title correctly
• Title case: How to Capitalize a Title Correctly

Title case is commonly used for article headlines, books, films, presentation slides, report headings, and email subject lines.

The basic title case rules

Use these rules for a reliable general-purpose title:

1. Capitalize the first and last word, whatever they are.
2. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
3. Usually lowercase short articles: a, an, and the.
4. Usually lowercase short coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet.
5. Usually lowercase short prepositions such as at, by, for, in, of, on, to, and with unless they begin or end the title.
6. Capitalize proper nouns, brands, and acronyms exactly as they are normally written.

Title capitalization examples

| Sentence-style title | Correct title case | | --- | --- | | how to write better email subject lines | How to Write Better Email Subject Lines | | a guide to json formatting | A Guide to JSON Formatting | | what to do before you publish a blog post | What to Do Before You Publish a Blog Post | | the best tools for working with csv files | The Best Tools for Working With CSV Files |

Notice that to, a, the, and with may remain lowercase in the middle of a title, while words such as Write, Guide, and Formatting are capitalized.

What about hyphenated words?

For a hyphenated compound in a title, capitalize the main words on both sides of the hyphen when they are important words. For example, A Well-Designed Landing Page and Step-by-Step Writing Tips are common forms.

Style guides differ on some compounds, so follow your publication's own style guide when one exists. Consistency across your site matters more than a single edge case.

Title case versus sentence case

Choose title case when you want a traditional, formal headline. Choose sentence case when you want a more conversational style often used in product interfaces, help articles, and modern blogs.

For a deeper comparison, read Sentence Case vs. Title Case: Which Should You Use?.

How to capitalize a title online

1. Type or paste your heading into the Title Case Converter.
2. Check the converted result.
3. Review proper nouns, brand names, and any house-style exceptions.
4. Copy the title into your document, CMS, email, or presentation.

The converter saves time, but a quick review is worthwhile when the title contains a product name, quotation, technical term, or unusual hyphenation.

Frequently asked questions

Should I capitalize "is" in a title?

Yes. Is is a verb, and verbs are capitalized in title case.

Should I capitalize "the" in a title?

Usually not when it appears in the middle of a title. Capitalize it when it is the first or last word.

Is title case required for blog titles?

No. Both title case and sentence case can work for blogs. Pick the style that matches your brand and use it consistently.