The only difference between the words “title” and “tittle” is the additional letter “t” in the latter. So, you may not notice that these words are different if you are unkeen. Are you ready for a title vs tittle discussion on all the differences between these words to know the correct one?
Title and tittle are both correct words with different meanings. Title means “a prefix or suffix added to a person’s name to signify their position, veneration, academic qualifications, or profession. In contrast, tittle means “a small or insignificant amount.” Both words have multiple meanings.
Many speculate about using these words as synonyms or alternative spellings. It’s because of the lack of understanding regarding the correct one. For this reason, this post will explore every element about these words to clarify the correct spelling.
Definitions Of Title And Tittle
When you look at the words “title” and “tittle,” you’ll probably assume that one of the words is incorrect. Since “title” is the more famous word, many may think it is the correct spelling. However, you cannot confidently say this without researching these words and learning more about them.
The first and perhaps most vital step in researching English words is to find their definitions. So, let us discuss the various meanings of title and tittle.
Definitions Of Title
Title refers to “a prefix or suffix added to a person’s name to indicate their marital status, official position, academic qualification, or profession.” For example, Mrs. Juma, Dr. Patel, and Professor James.
In art and linguistics, a title is “the distinguishing name given to a book, poem, picture, piece of music, or any art or literary work.”
Another meaning related to the above for title is “a descriptive heading or caption for a chapter, section, performance, or any part of a book,” like the title page. An example sentence is “The book’s title was quite attractive.”
In writing, a title is “the subject of a writing that summarizes the entire topic or subject” or “an inscription at the start of a book containing its subject and other vital information like the author and publisher’s names.”
In the legal system, a title is “a legal right to ownership of something, especially a property.” So, a title is a deed or a certificate proving the legal ownership of a property.
In sports, a title is “a recognition given to the winner of a championship in a sports event,” like “Man City won the EPL title last year.”
In religion, a title refers to “a church to which a priest is ordained and has to reside.” Another source defines a title as “an informal right to something.”
As an adjective, title means “of or relating to a title.” For example, the title story, the title page, title scene. As a verb, title means “to furnish a book, item, person, or object with a title or designate by an appellation.” For example, “The parish will title the graduates after the event.”
Definitions Of Tittle
Tittle means “a dot or small mark in writing or printing, often used as a punctuation or a diacritic.” A tittle may indicate an omitted letter in a word. Another definition of tittle is “a small or insignificant amount or quantity.”
In topography, a tittle is “a small dot, stroke, or mark, usually part of a letter or letter-like abbreviation.” For instance, the dots over Latin letters are perfect examples of tittles.
How To Properly Use Title And Tittle In A Sentence
The content above concludes that tittle and title are both correct words. However, they have different meanings. Consequently, you cannot use them interchangeably or as synonyms. The next thing you should know regarding these words is how to use them. Here are some things to remember when using title and tittle in a sentence:
How To Use The Word Title
You Can Use Title In A Sentence As A Verb Or A Noun. However, its applications as a noun are more extensive. So, use this word as a noun in a sentence to describe the following:
- A text that declares something or a section’s name
- A caption or text that explains the subject of a writing or book
- An award, accolade, or special name bestowed on someone
- A right to claim legal ownership of something
- A term you can use instead of someone’s name to signify a rank, veneration, or academic qualification
- An opening page
- A league championship
On the other hand, you can use it as a verb in a sentence to refer to the following:
- To assign or designate a particular name or accolade to someone
- To appoint a person to a position
The plural form of title is “titles.”
How To Use The Word Tittle
Tittle is primarily a noun. So, you can use it in a sentence to refer to the following:
- A tiny, small, or insignificant amount or part of something
- The smallest imaginable part of a particle
The plural form of title is “tittles.”
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Title Vs Tittle: What Not To Do When Writing These Words
The first thing you should not do when writing these words is confuse their spellings. For instance, if you use title instead of tittle in a sentence, it will alter its meaning. For example, “Jane won the league title last year” and “Jane won the league tittle last year.” These sentences have entirely different meanings because of the varying definitions of title and tittle. So, when writing these words, you should always ensure you have the correct spelling depending on what you intend to communicate.
Something else you should not do is to confuse which parts of speech the words belong to. Note that tittle is exclusively a noun. Also, it does not take past or present tense forms. However, you’ll find some word forms when using the word in an informal setting.
On the other hand, title is both a noun and a verb. Therefore, when using it as a noun, you should not use other forms, like past tenses. However, when using it as a verb, you can use word forms like “titled” as the past tense and past participle and “titling” as the present participle.
List Of Examples Of Title And Tittle Use In Sentences
The content above covers all the vital information you should know about these words. So, please read it carefully so you can start using these words in sentences correctly. Additionally, we prepared the following sample sentences to show you how you can use title and tittle in sentences:
Example sentences of the word title
- Travis took home the tennis league championship title last week.
- The book’s title was not a true representation of its subject.
- The reverend’s title did not matter as much as he expected it to in the new parish.
- Kelly changed her title to Doctor after earning her Ph.D.
- George boasts a lot about his title to his siblings.
Example sentences of the word tittle
- Mark’s words mattered a tittle before his victim.
- Felicia waited for a tittle before walking away from the conversation.
- The students wanted a tittle of recognition for their role in the research.
- Mr. Leornard had a tittle secret that he kept from his wife.
- The tittle particle did not affect the experiment.
Conclusion
Tittle means a small or insignificant quality, while tittle is a name given to something or someone to signify a position or explain more about it. Both words have several meanings. However, the key takeaway from this article is that they are correct but different.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.