The difference between sentence case and title case

What is sentence case?

Sentence case is just like how it sounds—it’s when you write your title or header like a sentence. When writing in sentence case, capitalize the first word. Write the following words in lowercase. If your title or header contains any proper nouns, capitalize those words as well.

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Some examples of titles written in sentence case:

• Where to get the best hot dogs
• The best hot dog places in Chicago
• Has Tom Brady ever eaten a hot dog?

When would you use sentence case?

For the most part, use sentence case in the body copy of an article or essay. However, there are a few instances where you should use sentence case when writing a title. While most writing style guides require you to write your titles out in title case, you will need to use sentence case for the titles of the works you are referencing when writing in APA style. Even if the source title is in title case, you need to write it in sentence case in your list of citations. This rule only applies if you list your sources at the bottom of your paper.

The titles of newspaper articles may also use sentence case depending on the publication. News publications that use AP style, which is the preferred guideline for writing news articles, write their headlines and titles in sentence case.

What is title case?

In title case, you must capitalize major words, and you should use lowercase for minor words. Major and minor words are categorized based on what part of speech they are. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns are all considered to be major words. Conjunctions, prepositions, and articles are all minor words. Capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than three letters.

A common mistake that many writers make when using title case is to write linking or helping verbs in lowercase. “Is,” “are,” “am,” “be,” “was,” and “can” are all examples of verbs that are often overlooked when capitalizing words in a title. Because these types of verbs are shorter than three letters and don’t explicitly point to an action, it’s easy to forget that they are verbs.

Here are some examples of titles written in title case:

• Where to Get the Best Slice of Pizza
• Does New York Really Have the Best Pizza?
• What Is the Best City for Pizza?

When would you use title case?

Title case is used when writing the title of a work. The titles of books, movies, TV shows, plays, and video games are typically written in title case. There are some exceptions to this rule, like if a singer or artist chooses to stylize their song titles in all caps or lowercase. So, when you’re referencing a book like The Importance of Being Earnest, you would capitalize all words except for “of” since it is a preposition that is smaller than three letters. You may even notice that advertisements sometimes use title case. Advertisers often use title case to attract attention to their ads. However, in everyday writing, you shouldn’t use title case just to draw in attention.

Most writing guides also call for title case. Writing in title case helps the title stand out and makes it easy to notice. If you’re not sure whether to write in sentence case or title case, check the rules of the style guide you are using. Essays for school are often written in MLA Style, which does use title case.

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