APA Title Case: Complete Rules & Examples
APA Style 7th edition has specific title case rules for headings, figure titles, and references. This guide covers every rule with examples — and lets you convert instantly with our free tool.
APA Title Case Rules at a Glance
✅ Always Capitalize
- ·Capitalize
- ·Nouns
- ·Verbs
- ·Adjectives
- ·Adverbs
- ·Pronouns
- ·Subordinating conjunctions (After, Because, Since, When)
- ·Words of 4+ letters
- ·First and last word of the title/subtitle
- ·First word after a colon or em dash
🔻 Usually Lowercase
- ·Articles: a, an, the
- ·Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet
- ·Short prepositions: at, by, in, of, on, to, up
- ·Infinitive marker: to (e.g., "to learn")
APA Title Case Examples
Journal Article Title
Original
the effects of social media on mental health in teenagers
APA Title Case
The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health in Teenagers
Book Chapter
Original
a guide to cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depression
APA Title Case
A Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression
Research Paper
Original
understanding machine learning algorithms: from theory to practice
APA Title Case
Understanding Machine Learning Algorithms: From Theory to Practice
Heading with Subtitle
Original
art in the digital age: an analysis of online culture and aesthetics
APA Title Case
Art in the Digital Age: An Analysis of Online Culture and Aesthetics
APA Title Case vs Sentence Case
APA uses different capitalization rules depending on context:
Title Case — Use for:
Book titles, journal article titles, report titles (in the body of your paper). Also used for titles of works in your reference list.
Sentence Case — Use for:
Article and chapter titles in your reference list. Only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon are capitalized.
Convert to APA Title Case — Free Tool
Paste your heading below and click “Title Case” to apply proper APA-style capitalization instantly.