Are you writing a book, song, blog post, editorial copy, or anything else and wondering what to capitalize in a title? Most people have difficulty writing titles since they are unsure of the best rules. Having proper capitalization helps the reader to understand what you are talking about.
The main rule when writing titles is to capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. It is essential to ensure you learn and adhere to this rule. But there are some exceptions and edge cases you need to keep in mind to come up with a perfect title.
There is a big difference when writing a sentence and a title. If you do not follow the set rules of writing a title, people would have difficulty differentiating a sentence from a title when they read your work, which can cause confusion. In some instances, if you do not title your work as required, your work might not have the same meaning as you intend. Read on to learn more about what to capitalize in titles.
Rules for Capitalizing Titles
You should always capitalize the first and the last word in a title. The rule applies even if the word does not fall under nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives.
When writing, a general rule is that the first word should be in capital letters no matter where it falls in the sentence tenses. The same case applies when writing a title; the only difference is that you capitalize the last word. Example: The Princess and the Pea.
Though the first word in the title is “the,” it is capitalized because that’s how the rule works. Again, according to the title capitalization rule, all the words that end a title need to be written in uppercase. That’s why “Pea” appears capitalized.
The rule is regardless of the role of the word as a part of speech. It must be written in uppercase as long as it is the first or the last word in a title. Interestingly, this rule of capitalization does not change regardless of the writing style that you are using.
Rules-Based on the Different Types of Titles
The first element after the hyphen should be in uppercase. That means each time you write a title and then use a hyphen, the word which follows the hyphen should be in capital letters.
Ideally, any word that follows a hyphen does not necessarily need to be capitalized. But because it is a title, and it has followed a hyphen, the rules must apply. A hyphen shows that the two words you are writing have a combined meaning while also showing their relationship. When using a hyphen in your title, ensure you use it as required to showcase your understanding.
Example in sentences:
- The 40-Year-Old Virgin
- Check-In Check-Out
- The Mother-in-Law From Heaven
In the title above, “old” is capitalized because it is an adjective, and even if that was not the case, it should appear capitalized because it follows a hyphen. In the second example, both “in” and “out” are written in uppercase because they also follow a hyphen. It doesn’t matter the role the word plays in the sentence.
Exceptions for Capitalizing Titles
At times, you will find that some words in the title are not capitalized. In most cases, these words are conjunctions, articles, and prepositions. The same applies to scientific names of species.
Ready to learn more? Let’s look at these two edge cases when capitalizing titles in detail. We’ve given some examples for a comprehensive understanding.
Capitalizing Conjunctions, Articles, and Prepositions
Most titles have small words not capitalized, but that does not imply you should not capitalize all the small words. For instance, most verbs have small words like “go,” but that doesn’t imply you should capitalize them. The words that should not be capitalized are conjunctions, articles, and prepositions.
If you know this, you will have an easier time capitalizing your titles. Besides, you will not have to capitalize on assumptions. Here’s a list of words that you might not need to capitalize next time you write a title.
Examples of Conjunctions:
- Not
- Or
- For
- But
- And
Examples of Articles:
- A
- An
- The
Examples of Prepositions
- At
- By
- In
- Off
- On
- To
Example in Sentences:
- Enemy of the Spirit Movie Review
- Romeo and Juliet Play Highlights
Capitalizing the Scientific Name of Species
Another exception to the capitalization rule is if the species’ scientific name is mentioned. If that is the case, then the second part of the name should be lowercase. This is one of the few rules that you are likely to overlook.
In most cases, the rule applies primarily in the science field, medical fields, or academic works. If you write a title with a scientific name, you should write the first part in uppercase while the second part should be lowercase. The same applies even in the last part of the title.
Example in Sentences:
- How to Ensure Your Mangeiere indica Produces Each Season
- Solanum iycopersicum and the Various Diseases it Might Get
- Ways to Ensure the Lipotes vexillifer Thrives for Many Years
More Alternative Rules When Capitalizing Titles
When writing a title, you should capitalize the numbers written in words or fractions. Example in sentences: “Learn Three Ways of Making Money Online,” or “Two-Thirds of the Time, You Make Your Fate.”
Again, though the general rule is not to capitalize prepositions, it should be capitalized in a title if the particular preposition has more than four-letter words. Examples of prepositions with more than four letters are listed below.
- Above
- Between
- Below
- Through
Example in sentences:
- A Road Runs Through It
- Down Below the Valley
10 Examples of Correct Title Use In Sentences
Reading sentence examples with titles is one of the best and easiest ways to learn about titles and the best ways of capitalization. The more sentences you read, the clearer the rules get into your mind. Here is a look at ten sentences with titles that you can use as practice sentences.
- “John Steinbeck East of Eden” is not in the library.
- We will be watching the series “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
- Have you ever read the book titled “Economics One Lesson?”
- I preferred the book “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” over the movie.
- Our teacher told us to review “The Lion King” book.
- “Twenty-one Steps to Becoming a Millionaire” is an inspiring book.
- We had to sing “Joy to the World” since it is a popular song.
- “Fun ways to do Algebra” is a great book.
- To Commit or Not To Commit: Before You Say I Do.
- Unfortunately, I have never read the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad.”
Conclusion
It might be hard to capitalize your titles correctly with many English capitalization rules, but you can learn a lot by reading this article. Learning how to present your titles comes in handy when writing a title for your research or just writing about books or movies you have watched. In addition, learning proper capitalization will give you an easy time when you write academic content.
English Capitalization rules can change depending on the writing style, and it is important to double-check your writing guide to ensure you are using the proper rules. However, the rules highlighted above generally apply to most English writing styles. Now that you know what to capitalize in a title, share with others what you have learned.
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.