Title capitalizer.

Quickly capitalize your blog post titles using title casing rules.

How to apply title case.

This simple script applies title casing rules to any text you paste into it.

Here are the rules for title casing:

1. Capitalize the first and last words. Always capitalize the first and last words of the title.
2. Capitalize major words. Capitalize all major words, including nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions (e.g., "because," "since").
3. Lowercase minor words. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor), and prepositions (in, on, at, etc.) unless they are the first or last word.
4. Capitalize after colons. Always capitalize the first word after a colon, dash, or em dash.
5. Capitalize both parts of hyphenated words. If a compound word is hyphenated, capitalize both parts (e.g., "Self-Paced Learning").

These rules help ensure that titles are consistently formatted and easy to read.

Why bother with capitalization?

Some organizations and publishers demand specific styles, so you need to know the rules if you want to work with them—or have your work taken seriously. Like it or not, these conventions exist, and adhering to them is often non-negotiable.

Some people claim that proper capitalization makes you look "professional." As someone who avoids capitalization wherever possible, I think this argument is nonsense. Writing style and professionalism are not the same thing. Plenty of great writing ignores these so-called "professional" conventions and works just fine.

The real, most important reason for proper capitalization: it improves reading fluency. It’s not about looking polished; it’s about clarity. Capitalization makes it easier for readers to instantly understand where titles and headers begin and end, which words are most significant, and how the structure of a sentence or document flows.

Capitalization rules by style.

Different publications follow their own esoteric rules for capitalization. Here's a brief explainer of the main style guides, and their rules for title capitalization:

APA Style

• Abbreviations and Acronyms: Capitalize all letters in acronyms (e.g., NASA). Use sentence case in headings but capitalize acronyms.
• Coordinating Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., and, or, but).
• Hyphenated Compounds: Capitalize the first word and subsequent words unless they are articles, prepositions, or coordinating conjunctions (e.g., Long-Term Memory).
• Sentence Case: Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns (e.g., The rise of social media).
• Subordinate Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., because, although, since).
• Title Case: Major words are capitalized, minor words (articles, prepositions, conjunctions) are lowercase unless they are the first word.

MLA Style

• Abbreviations and Acronyms: Fully capitalized (e.g., WHO), but format depends on context.
• Coordinating Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., for, nor).
• Hyphenated Compounds: Capitalize both parts in title case (e.g., Post-War Reconstruction).
• Sentence Case: Rarely used; applies primarily to prose.
• Subordinate Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., as, although, while).
• Title Case: Capitalize the first and last words and all major words.

Chicago Manual of Style

• Abbreviations and Acronyms: Fully capitalized; spelled out on first use if not well-known.
• Coordinating Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., but, or, and).
• Hyphenated Compounds: Capitalize all parts except articles, prepositions, and conjunctions (e.g., State-of-the-Art).
• Sentence Case: Used in notes and bibliographies; capitalize proper nouns and the first word.
• Subordinate Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., because, unless).
• Title Case: Major words are capitalized; minor words lowercase unless at the start or end of the title.

AP Style

• Abbreviations and Acronyms: Acronyms are fully capitalized (e.g., FBI); abbreviations like a.m. and p.m. are lowercase with periods.
• Coordinating Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., but, for, and).
• Hyphenated Compounds: Only capitalize the first part (e.g., Anti-inflammatory).
• Sentence Case: Rarely used except for quotes or informal contexts.
• Subordinate Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., although, because).
• Title Case: Capitalize principal words, including verbs; lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositions shorter than four letters.

AMA Manual of Style

• Abbreviations and Acronyms: Acronyms are fully capitalized (e.g., CDC); abbreviations should align with medical standards.
• Coordinating Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., and, or).
• Hyphenated Compounds: Capitalize the first element and the second if it is a proper noun or adjective (e.g., Anti-British Sentiment).
• Sentence Case: Used in headings; only proper nouns and the first word are capitalized.
• Subordinate Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., since, although).
• Title Case: Capitalize major words, lowercase prepositions and conjunctions unless they are four letters or longer.

NY Times Style

• Abbreviations and Acronyms: Acronyms fully capitalized; use periods for U.S., U.N., etc.
• Coordinating Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., and, or).
• Hyphenated Compounds: Generally follow AP Style (capitalize first part only).
• Sentence Case: Rarely used except in quotations.
• Subordinate Conjunctions: Lowercase in title case (e.g., if, since).
• Title Case: Similar to AP Style; capitalize major words and verbs.