APA Title Case
APA title case capitalizes the first word, the first word of a subtitle, major words, and words of four letters or more while keeping short minor words lowercase in ordinary mid-title positions.
In APA 7 title case, capitalize the first word of the title or heading, the first word of a subtitle, major words such as nouns and verbs, and words of four letters or more. Short conjunctions and prepositions of three letters or fewer and articles are normally lowercase unless another APA rule requires capitalization.
Key details
Further guidance
Core Rules
Capitalize the first word of a title or heading and the first word of a subtitle. APA also capitalizes major words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns, and treats words of four letters or more as major for title-case purposes.
Short conjunctions, short prepositions, and articles are minor words in ordinary mid-title positions. This is why “and” is usually lowercase while a four-letter word such as “with” is capitalized in APA title case.
Examples
APA title case: “Effects of Sleep on Memory and Learning.” The short conjunction “and” stays lowercase, while the four-letter preposition “with” would be capitalized in a title such as “Learning With Visual Cues.”
Practical Application
Before capitalizing, identify whether the APA context actually calls for title case or sentence case. In title case, capitalize the first word, the first word after a subtitle break, major words, and words of four letters or more; keep ordinary short articles, conjunctions, and prepositions lowercase mid-title.
Reader Check
Are you formatting a title/heading in an APA title-case context, or a reference-list title that may require sentence case? Correct casing depends on that context before individual word rules are applied.
Title Case Vs Sentence Case
APA distinguishes title case from sentence case. Title case capitalizes major words; sentence case lowercases most words except the first word, the first word of a subtitle, proper nouns, and other words that normally require capitals.
When Apa Uses Title Case
APA Style uses title case for titles and headings in contexts where the manual calls for title capitalization, including the title of a paper and headings within a paper. Reference-list titles often use sentence case instead, so the correct case depends on where the title appears.
This guide is about the capitalization pattern itself. It does not mean every title in an APA-formatted document should be converted to title case.
Worked Example
Title case: “Learning With Visual Cues and Memory.” “With” is capitalized under APA’s four-letter rule, while the short conjunction “and” remains lowercase.
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
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (opens in a new tab)American Psychological Association · Official APA Style manual record