Title case converter
Proper headline capitalisation, where "of" and "the" know their place. Paste the headline, copy the Title Case row.
Guide
How to use it
- Paste your headline or list of headlines.
- Read the highlighted Title Case row, small words are already handled.
- Copy it. Check any words with unusual capitalisation (iPhone, McDonald) by hand, conventions beat rules there.
Examples
The rules in action
"The Art of War". The first "The" capitalises because it opens the title, the "of" stays small mid-title. Both rules apply at once, which is why doing it by eye goes wrong.
"Something to Believe In", the "In" capitalises despite being a preposition because last words always do. The most-missed rule in headline writing.
Most UK publications skip Title Case entirely and use sentence case for headlines. If you write for a UK audience, check the house style before converting.
Method
How it works
The converter lowercases the text, then capitalises every word except those on the AP-derived small-word list (articles, coordinating conjunctions, prepositions of three letters or fewer), with first and last words capitalised unconditionally.
Style guides differ at the margins, Chicago lowercases longer prepositions too, AP capitalises words of four letters and up. This tool follows the AP-style convention, the common request behind "title case".
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which words stay lowercase?
a, an, the, and, but, or, nor, for, as, at, by, in, of, on, to, up, via and similar short prepositions, unless first or last in the title.
Is "is" capitalised?
Yes. Verbs always capitalise in title case, however short, "is", "be" and "are" included. It is prepositions and articles that stay small.
What about hyphenated words?
Convention capitalises both halves of major hyphenated words ("Well-Known"). This converter capitalises the first half, adjust the second by hand where your style guide insists.
Chicago or AP style?
This follows AP-style small words, the common web standard. Chicago differs mainly on longer prepositions ("between" stays small in Chicago).
Should UK headlines use title case?
Mostly no, UK convention is sentence case, and gov.uk mandates it. Title case reads American to UK eyes, choose by audience.
Does it handle names correctly?
Ordinary names capitalise naturally. Mid-word capitals (iPlayer, eBay) need restoring by hand, no rule list covers brand whims.
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