What is Title Case?
Title Case is a capitalization style where the first letter of most words is capitalized. It's commonly used for book titles, article headlines, movie names, and section headings.
Example:
The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog
Basic Rules
- Always capitalize: The first and last word
- Always capitalize: Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs
- Usually lowercase: Articles (a, an, the)
- Usually lowercase: Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, for, nor)
- Usually lowercase: Prepositions (in, on, at, to, by, for)
- Exception: Capitalize prepositions of 5+ letters (About, Through, Between)
Examples
Input: the complete guide to web development
Output: The Complete Guide to Web Development
Input: how to build a successful startup in 2024
Output: How to Build a Successful Startup in 2024
Input: understanding the basics of machine learning
Output: Understanding the Basics of Machine Learning
Style Guide Variations
Different style guides have slightly different rules for Title Case:
AP Style
Capitalizes all words of four letters or more. Capitalizes prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.
Chicago Manual of Style
More complex rules including capitalization of the first word after a colon if it begins a complete sentence.
APA Style
Similar to Chicago but with specific rules for hyphenated words and words after colons.
Common Use Cases
- 📚 Book Titles: "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Great Gatsby"
- 📰 Article Headlines: "Breaking News From Around the World"
- 🎬 Movie Titles: "The Lord of the Rings"
- 📝 Section Headings: Document and report sections
- 🎵 Song Titles: "Stairway to Heaven"
- 🎮 Product Names: "iPhone Pro Max"
Best Practices
- ✓ Be consistent with your chosen style guide
- ✓ Always capitalize the first and last word
- ✓ Capitalize important words to improve readability
- ✓ Use Title Case for headings and headlines
- ✗ Don't overuse - not suitable for body text
- ✗ Avoid mixing Title Case with other styles
SEO Considerations
While search engines don't directly favor Title Case, proper capitalization in headlines can:
- • Improve click-through rates from search results
- • Make titles more professional and trustworthy
- • Enhance readability in meta descriptions
- • Create better social media previews