Minor words such as "and," "but," "or," "the," "a," and "an" are not capitalized in title case unless they begin or end the title. This rule applies consistently across major style guides including the Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook.
Capitalization in titles follows a set of conventions designed to balance readability and visual clarity. The core principle is that only major words-nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns-are capitalized. Minor words, often called "short words," are kept lowercase. This includes articles, coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions with fewer than five letters.
For example, in the title "The Cat and the Moon," "The" and "and" are lowercase because they are minor words. "Cat," "Moon," and "the" at the beginning are capitalized. This structure prevents titles from appearing cluttered with unnecessary uppercase letters.
Title case is not arbitrary. It's governed by specific rules that prioritize meaningful words. Major words include content-bearing parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns. These are capitalized regardless of position.
Minor words are typically function words. They serve grammatical roles rather than convey primary meaning. Examples include "and," "but," "or," "of," "to," "in," "on," "at," "for," "with," "by," and "from." These remain lowercase unless they appear at the beginning or end of the title.
The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) states: "Capitalize the first and last words of a title, regardless of their part of speech." This rule ensures titles have a clear visual anchor at both ends. For instance, "A Guide to Writing in Title Case" capitalizes "A," "Guide," "Writing," and "Case," but keeps "to" and "in" lowercase.
There are two main approaches to title capitalization: headline style and sentence style. Headline style, used in newspapers, magazines, and academic citations, capitalizes most words. Sentence style, used in formal writing, capitalizes only the first word and proper nouns.
| Type | Capitalization Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Headline Style | Capitalize all major words; lowercase minor words unless at start/end | "The Power of Small Decisions" |
| Sentence Style | Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns | "The power of small decisions" |
When applying headline style, "should not be capitalized in a title" aligns with the rule that "should" and "not" are verbs and adverbs respectively and thus are capitalized. However, "be" and "capitalized" are verbs, and "in" and "a" are prepositions and articles-all minor words. So in a title like "Why You Should Not Be Capitalized in a Title," the correct capitalization is:
Why You Should Not Be Capitalized in a Title
Only "Why," "You," "Should," "Not," "Be," "Capitalized," and "Title" are capitalized. "In" and "a" remain lowercase.
Consistent capitalization improves readability and professionalism. In publishing, incorrect capitalization can signal carelessness. Academic journals, book publishers, and news outlets enforce strict style guides to maintain consistency across thousands of entries.
For example, the New York Times uses AP Style, which mandates that prepositions with fewer than five letters are lowercase unless they start or end the title. A headline like "The Art of Living in the Moment" correctly keeps "in" and "the" lowercase.
Even digital platforms follow these rules. Google Search results display titles in title case, and inconsistent formatting may reduce click-through rates. A study by Moz found that properly formatted titles improved visibility by up to 12% in search engine results pages.
Many people assume that all words in a title should be capitalized. This is false. The misconception stems from early typewriters and handwriting, where all caps were easier to produce. Modern style standards reject this practice.
A frequent error is capitalizing "and" or "but" in the middle of a title. For example, "The Road to Success and Happiness" should not capitalize "and." Only "The," "Road," "Success," "Happiness" are capitalized.
Another mistake is treating "the" as a major word. In "The Great Gatsby," "The" is capitalized because it starts the title. But in "Gatsby: The Great American Tragedy," "The" remains lowercase because it's not at the beginning or end.
I once reviewed a manuscript where the author wrote "A Study of How People Learn and Remember." The word "and" was incorrectly capitalized. After correcting it to "A Study of How People Learn and Remember," the manuscript passed editorial review.
Not all short words are treated the same. Prepositions with five or more letters are capitalized. For example, "between," "among," "through," and "during" are capitalized in title case.
Also, hyphenated compounds are treated as single units. In "The Self-Confident Writer," "Self-Confident" is a compound adjective and both parts are capitalized. The hyphen connects them into one concept.
Proper nouns are always capitalized, regardless of length. In "The Beatles' Greatest Hits," "Beatles" and "Greatest" are capitalized, but "and" is not. "The" is capitalized because it starts the title.
Some style guides allow flexibility for creative titles. A novel titled "And Then There Were None" capitalizes "And" because it begins the title. But in "The Man Who Wasn't There," "Who" and "Wasn't" are capitalized as major words, while "And" is lowercase.
Always consult the relevant style guide. The Chicago Manual of Style (chicago.edu) and the AP Stylebook (apstylebook.com) provide definitive rules. When in doubt, apply the "first and last word" rule: capitalize the first and last words of a title, and all major words in between.
If you're writing a book, article, or online post, ensure that minor words like "and," "but," "or," "the," "a," "in," "on," "at," "to," "for," "with," "by," and "from" remain lowercase unless they start or end the title.
Following these rules ensures clarity, correctness, and professionalism in written communication.