textkiln

Title Case Converter

Capitalize titles using APA, Chicago, AP, MLA or New York Times rules. Works on one title per line.

0 words · 0 charactersNot uploaded

Title case rules by style guide

All styles capitalise the first and last word, the first word after a colon or dash, and all “major” words: nouns, pronouns, verbs (including short ones like is and be), adjectives and adverbs. They differ on the small words:

Style Lowercase
APA 7 articles (a, an, the), and conjunctions and prepositions of three letters or fewer (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, as, at, by, in, of, off, on, per, to, up, via)
Chicago articles, all prepositions regardless of length (between, through, about…), the conjunctions and, but, for, or, nor, and “to” and “as”
AP articles, prepositions and conjunctions of three letters or fewer; “to” in infinitives
MLA 9 articles, all prepositions, coordinating conjunctions, and “to”
New York Times a, an, and, as, at, but, by, en, for, if, in, of, on, or, the, to, v., via, vs.
Wikipedia articles, short conjunctions and short prepositions, plus into, onto, from, with, over and than

So “What Is a Self-Driving Car and Why Is It Built for Speed?” is identical in every style, while “Jumps over the Lazy Dog” (Chicago) becomes “Jumps Over the Lazy Dog” in AP and APA, because “over” has four letters.

Hyphens, acronyms and brands

Each part of a hyphenated compound is capitalised (Self-Driving, Long-Term), while Chicago and MLA keep minor words inside a compound lowercase (Out-of-Date). Acronyms (NASA), mixed-case names (iPhone, eBay), numbers with suffixes (21st) and web addresses are preserved.

Put one title per line to convert a whole list of headlines, chapter names or citations at once.

The limits of any converter

Some words change role: “up” is a preposition in “up the hill” but part of the verb in “Give Up”, which Chicago capitalises. A converter can’t always know, so give the result a quick read, especially phrasal verbs.

Worked example

Here is what the Title Case Converter returns for its built-in example. Settings used: Style guide: APA (7th edition); Fix words already in capitals: off. Click Try an example in the tool above to load it, then change it as you like.

Input
the lord of the rings: the return of the king
why self-driving cars are not ready for snow
how to use your iPhone with NASA data in 2025
a guide to writing for the web
Output
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Why Self-Driving Cars Are Not Ready for Snow
How to Use Your iPhone With NASA Data in 2025
A Guide to Writing for the Web

Related tools: Sentence Case Converter, Headline Analyzer.

Questions

Which words are not capitalized in a title?

Usually articles (a, an, the), short coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) and prepositions. APA and AP lowercase only short prepositions; Chicago and MLA lowercase all prepositions.

Is “is” capitalized in a title?

Yes, in all major styles. “Is” is a verb, and verbs are always capitalised, however short.

Should I capitalize the word after a colon?

Yes. APA, Chicago, AP and MLA all capitalise the first word of a subtitle after a colon.

Can I convert many titles at once?

Yes. Put each title on its own line; each line is capitalised as a separate title.

Last reviewed · How Textkiln tools work