Title Case Rules in APA, MLA, and Chicago
Compare how major style guides capitalize titles before you submit papers or publish client work.
APA Style (7th edition)
APA uses title case for paper titles, heading levels, and reference titles. Capitalize major words; lowercase short conjunctions (and, but, or), short prepositions (of, to, in), and articles (a, an, the) unless they are the first word or follow a colon.
MLA Style (9th edition)
MLA title case capitalizes the first and last words and all principal words. Lowercase articles, coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions regardless of length unless they start the title or follow a colon. Always verify against your instructor’s local rules.
Chicago Manual of Style
Chicago distinguishes headline-style (title case) and sentence-style capitalization. Headline-style lowercases articles, coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions of four letters or fewer (with exceptions after colons and for hyphenated compounds).
Practical workflow for students
Draft your title in sentence case, apply the required style in a converter, then manually fix hyphenated terms, species names, and legal citations. Software will not know your course’s exceptions—keep a personal cheat sheet.
Related resources: What is Title Case? • Title Case Converter • Title Case Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
Are APA and MLA title case identical?
No. They differ on prepositions, conjunctions, and subtitle rules. Always cite the edition your assignment requires.
Should headings match reference title case?
Usually headings and bibliographic titles follow the same guide within a paper, but journal-specific rules may override—check the target publication.