Hyphenated Compounds in Title Case
Hyphenated compounds cannot be capitalized safely with one universal “capitalize everything after a hyphen” rule. APA explicitly capitalizes the second part of hyphenated major words, while Chicago 18 changed its prefix-compound treatment and still applies grammatical title-case rules to individual elements.
Treat each style separately. APA 7 capitalizes the second part of a hyphenated major word such as “Self-Report.” Chicago 18 now capitalizes a second element after a prefix according to the general title-case rule, so forms such as “Anti-Intellectual” differ from older Chicago treatment. Do not assume every hyphenated element is automatically capitalized.
Key details
Style-by-style guidance
APA 7
APA title case explicitly includes the second part of hyphenated major words among the elements that receive capitalization. Minor elements still depend on APA’s major/minor-word rules.
Chicago 18
Chicago 18 changed the treatment of hyphenated terms that begin with prefixes: subsequent elements are now capitalized according to the general title-capitalization rule.
Important caveats
Current Engine Boundary
The named style converters require manual review until the compound classifier and regression cases distinguish prefix compounds from other hyphenated structures.
Why Automation Is Hard
Hyphens join many different structures: prefixes, compound adjectives, spelled-out numbers, and multiword phrases. A safe converter therefore needs element-level rules and cannot simply capitalize every segment.
Further guidance
Practical Application
Apply the title-case rules of the chosen style to each relevant element of a hyphenated compound. Do not use a universal rule that every element after a hyphen is either always capitalized or always lowercased.
Reader Check
Which style governs the title, and does that style treat the element after the hyphen as a major word, prefix element, or another grammatical category?
Worked Example
Under APA 7, a hyphenated major word such as “Self-Report” capitalizes the second part; under Chicago 18, evaluate later elements under Chicago’s current compound and grammatical rules instead of copying an older blanket convention.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Title case capitalization (opens in a new tab)American Psychological Association · APA title-case rules
- What's New in the 18th Edition (opens in a new tab)The Chicago Manual of Style / University of Chicago Press · Chicago 18 title-case terminology and five-letter-preposition change