Update, Nov. 19, 2025: We added a title capitalizer tool to the online editor.
Very few people know which words should be capitalized in a title. In fact, the majority of people adopt rules from others who don’t know either. This usually takes one of two forms: capitalizing every word, or capitalizing words containing three or more letters.
When it comes to blog posts and internal work communications, you can usually get away with such errors, largely because those who know the rules tend not to point them out. But wouldn't you rather know the truth? Wouldn't you rather be an ambassador of proper title capitalization than a capitalization criminal? Well, today is your chance to repent for improper form and learn which words should be capitalized in titles, once and for all!
What to Capitalize in a Title
The good thing about learning what should and shouldn't be capitalized is that each category contains three core rules.
Rule 1:
Always capitalize the first and last word of a title, no matter what the word is.
Rule 2:
Always capitalize the following five word categories:
- Nouns
- Pronouns
- Verbs
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
We don’t have time to list every noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, and adverb here, but as long as you remember this list, you can Google the word you’re struggling with to find out whether it falls into one of the five categories listed above.
Rule 3:
Always capitalize words of five or more letters, regardless of whether the word falls into one of the five categories mentioned above. This rule will help you avoid making errors when using conjunctions and prepositions in your titles. You see, many years ago, writers did not capitalize any conjunctions or prepositions. However, today’s standard practice is to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions of five or more letters.
Here are some examples:
Prepositions of five or more letters:
Within, About, Among, Between.
Conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions of five or more letters:
While, Where, Until, Because, Although.
What Not to Capitalize in Titles
Rule 1:
Never capitalize prepositions and conjunctions of four or fewer letters. However, remember the rule above: words with five or more letters, regardless of whether the word is a conjunction or preposition, must be capitalized.
Here are some examples:
Examples of prepositions not to capitalize, with four or fewer letters:
at / by / down / for / from / in / into / like / near / of / off / on / onto / over / past / to / upon / with
Examples of conjunctions not to capitalize, with four or fewer letters:
and / as / but / for / if / nor / once / or / so / than / that / till / when / yet
Rule 2:
Never capitalize the particle to, even when it is used as part of an infinitive, meaning with a verb. For example: to See, to Read, to Write, etc.
Rule 3:
Never capitalize articles: a, an, the.
Still a Little Confused?
No worries. Below, we have created two lists of common words people struggle with when capitalizing titles. Bookmark this page and refer back to the lists when you’re in doubt.
DO Capitalize in a Title
About / Above / Across / After / Against / Along / Although / Among / Around / Because / Before / Behind / Below / Beneath / Beside / Between / During / Except / Inside / Outside / Since / Through / Toward / Under / Underneath / Unless / Until / Whenever / Where / Whereas / Wherever / While / Within / Without
DON'T Capitalize in a Title
and / as / as if / as long as / at / but / by / even if / for / from / if / if only / in / into / like / near / now that / nor / of / off / on / on top of / once / onto / or / out of / over / past / so / so that / than / that / till / to / up / upon / with / when / yet
Tricky Word Groupings
Even when armed with these core rules, people end up making silly mistakes by allowing doubt to affect their title choices. In light of this, here’s a short list of tricky word groupings that often trip people up:
- as Though
- even Though
- in Front of
- in Order that
- Instead of
- Rather than
Start Practicing Today
It’s a lot to take in, we know, so you’ll need to practice writing a few titles before things begin to click into place. Another great way to learn is to spot mistakes in other people’s work. You’ll be surprised by just how many journalists, authors, and bloggers, in particular, get titles in a muddle. Bear in mind, though, that occasionally a writer will break the rules to suit a preference or emphasize a concept. For example, a book entitled “Think Like a Genius” might well be adjusted to “Think Like A Genius” for no other reason than that the publishing house or author thinks it looks better on the cover.
That’s it! No more excuses. Start correcting titles today and help make the world friendlier to proper capitalization.
