How to Capitalize ‘Not’ in a Title (AP, Chicago, APA), With 60 Copy-Paste Examples

That tiny word not can make a title look wrong fast. In styles like Associated Press Style, Chicago, and APA, you’ll see “Not” in some headlines and “not” in others, and suddenly you’re second-guessing everything.

Here’s the bottom line: following Title Case Rules, you almost always capitalize “Not” in AP, Chicago, and APA. The tricky part is when you are not using title case at all (especially in APA references).

If you searched “capitalize not title” because you needed a quick, style-safe answer on how to Capitalize Not correctly for a polished look, you’re in the right place.

The quick rule: “Not” is a major word in title case

“Not” is an adverb, one of the important parts of speech, and the rule for capitalizing verbs and adverbs counts it as a major word in title case. As a result, AP, Chicago, and APA title case all capitalize “Not” in the middle of a title.

For official rule pages, compare APA Style Guidelines with Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook Guidelines.

Here’s a fast comparison of writing style guidelines so you can decide which writing style guidelines to follow without rereading a whole style guide. Most title case rules require you to capitalize principal words, while you lowercase articles, prepositions and conjunctions, and other lowercase minor words:

Style guide	Should “not” be capitalized in title case?	Why	Biggest “gotcha”
AP (headline case)	Yes, Not	Adverb, so it’s a major word	AP also uses length rules for some short words, but “not” still caps
Chicago (headline style)	Yes, Not	Adverb, so it’s a major word	Chicago lowercases prepositions more often than AP/APA
APA (title case)	Yes, Not	Adverb, so it’s a major word	APA often uses sentence case in reference lists, where it becomes “not” mid-title

If you want a style-specific refresher, these quick pages help: AP Style Title Capitalization Rules, Chicago title case rules, and APA title case rules.

Key takeaway: If you’re using title case, write Not, not “not”, in AP, Chicago, and APA.

Edge cases: Capitalize First and Last Word, after a colon, parentheses, and Quotation Marks in Titles

Most arguments about “Not” aren’t really about “Not”. They’re about position and format. In professional writing, Proper Nouns, Formal Titles, and Hyphenated Words often follow specific casing patterns.

Capitalize First and Last Word: In all three styles, the first and last word of a title are capitalized in title case, even when they’re normally minor words like coordinating conjunctions or subordinate conjunctions. “Capitalize First and Last Word” applies regardless of length. “Not” is already a major word, contrasting with coordinating conjunctions and subordinate conjunctions, as well as common nouns in some contexts, so it stays Not either way.

After a colon (or a dash break): Treat the subtitle like a fresh start. Capitalize the first word after the colon (or a dash used as a break). If that word is “not”, it becomes Not.

Inside parentheses: Apply title case inside the parentheses too. Also capitalize the first word inside parentheses. So you’ll usually get (Not …).

Quotation Marks in Titles or italicized work titles within a title: Capitalize “Not” inside the work’s title using the casing that work should have, especially for Formal Titles. Then keep the outer title consistent. (For a broader title-case overview from a writing center, see UNC Charlotte’s title formatting guide.)

One more APA-specific reminder: APA uses title case for paper titles and headings, but it often uses sentence case for titles in reference lists. Under Sentence Case Rules, “not” is lowercase unless it starts the title or follows a colon.

60 copy-paste examples (AP, Chicago, APA), labeled by pattern

Associated Press Style examples (AP Stylebook Guidelines, headline case)

1. Associated Press Style (mid-title): Why Not Now
2. AP Stylebook Guidelines (mid-title): How Not to Capitalize Job Titles
3. Associated Press Style (mid-title): The One Habit You Should Not Skip
4. AP Stylebook Guidelines (mid-title): When Not to Reply to a Text
5. Descriptive Titles (mid-title): Do Not Make This Common Tax Mistake
6. Descriptive Titles (first word): Not All Side Hustles Pay Off
7. AP (first word): Not Quite Ready to Buy a Home
8. AP (first word): Not My Job, Still My Problem
9. AP (first word): Not-So-Fast, New Rules Are Coming
10. AP (first word): Not Again: Another Winter Storm Hits
11. AP (last word): The Case for Not
12. AP (last word): You Can Say No, Not
13. AP (last word): When “Maybe” Really Means Not
14. AP (last word): A Plan to Quit, Not
15. AP (last word): The Rule Is Simple: Not
16. AP (after colon): Remote Work: Not a Perk Anymore
17. AP (after colon): Email Rules: Not Every Message Needs a Reply
18. AP (after colon): Budget Basics: Not Spending More Than You Earn
19. AP (parentheses): A Better Meeting Agenda (Not a Novel)
20. AP (quoted title, Quotation Marks in Titles): Review: “Not Dead Yet” Returns for Season 2

Chicago examples (Book Title Capitalization, headline style)

21. Book Title Capitalization (mid-title): Why Not Try a Shorter Draft
22. Chicago (mid-title): How Not to Handle Hyphenated Words
23. Chicago (mid-title): The Days You Should Not Schedule Calls
24. Chicago (mid-title): What Not to Capitalize in Job Titles
25. Descriptive Titles (mid-title): A Guide to Not Overediting
26. Descriptive Titles (first word): Not Everything Needs a Rebrand
27. Chicago (first word): Not the Same as “No”
28. Chicago (first word): Not Another Productivity System
29. Chicago (first word): Not Today: A Small Book on Rest
30. Book Title Capitalization (first word): Not All Data Tells the Truth
31. Chicago (last word): The Art of Saying Not
32. Chicago (last word): A Promise to Try, Not
33. Chicago (last word): This Is Why We’re Not
34. Chicago (last word): The Answer Is Still Not
35. Chicago (last word): The Best Reason to Wait Is Not
36. Chicago (after colon): A Manager’s Guide: Not Micromanaging
37. Chicago (after colon): Kitchen Basics: Not Over-salting Soup
38. Chicago (after colon): Revision Notes: Not Every Cut Is Good
39. Chicago (parentheses): The Long Week (Not the Long Year)
40. Chicago (italicized title, Quotation Marks in Titles): Reading Not Without Hope in 2026

APA examples (Professional Journal Titles, title case)

41. Professional Journal Titles (mid-title): Why Not Use a Shorter Survey
42. APA (mid-title): How Not to Capitalize Academic Degrees
43. APA (mid-title): When Not to Combine Two Variables
44. APA (mid-title): What Not to Report in the Abstract
45. APA (mid-title): A Checklist for Not Missing Key Steps
46. APA (first word): Not Every Academic Degree Needs Capitalization
47. APA (first word): Not Enough Sleep, Not Enough Focus
48. APA (first word): Not the Same Outcome Across Groups
49. APA (first word): Not Another Literature Review
50. APA (first word): Not One More Confounding Variable
51. APA (last word): The Best Explanation Is Not
52. APA (last word): Their Conclusion Was Not
53. APA (last word): The Result Was Surprisingly Not
54. APA (last word): The Strongest Predictor Was Not
55. APA (last word): The Final Answer, Not
56. APA (after colon): Study Skills: Not Studying the Night Before
57. APA (after colon): Classroom Policy: Not Grading on Attendance Alone
58. APA (after colon): Hyphenated Words: Not So Simple
59. APA (parentheses): Participant Notes (Not for Publication)
60. APA (title inside title, Quotation Marks in Titles): Citing Not Quite Human: A Case Study

Common Mistakes with “Not” When Following Writing Style Guidelines (and Quick Fixes)

• Mixing title case and sentence case: Writing style guidelines require Capitalize Principal Words in title case, so “Not” stands out as Not. In sentence case, it’s usually “not”. Users often forget to Capitalize Principal Words because they misidentify adverbs as Lowercase Minor Words, Lowercase Articles, or lowercase prepositions and conjunctions.
• Forgetting APA reference rules: APA reference list titles often use sentence case, so you may need “not” even if your paper title uses Not. Similar confusion arises with job titles capitalization and formal titles.
• Lowercasing “not” because it’s short: Length doesn’t matter here. Parts of speech do. “Not” is an adverb, so it’s capitalized in title case under rules for capitalizing verbs and adverbs, unlike Lowercase Articles or Lowercase Minor Words.
• Botching the subtitle: After a colon (or dash break), capitalize the first word. That includes Not, even with quotation marks in titles or hyphenated words.
• Ignoring parentheses: Treat parenthetical text like part of the title. You’ll usually get (Not …).
• Overlooking abbreviations and acronyms: Abbreviations and acronyms are capitalized in title case regardless of length or position, but writers often forget how abbreviations and acronyms interact with other rules for words like the adverb “Not” in writing style guidelines.

Conclusion

“Not” looks small, but it behaves like a big word in titles. Under Title Case Rules in the Associated Press Style, Chicago, and APA guidelines, you should capitalize Not because it’s an adverb. The main exception is APA’s Sentence Case Rules in reference lists, where it often becomes “not” mid-title. Writing Style Guidelines from these authorities stress consistency in application. When in doubt, pick your Writing Style Guidelines first, then apply them consistently across every heading and title. Use Converting Case Tools to automate the process and ensure you always capitalize Not in the right contexts; these Converting Case Tools align perfectly with Associated Press Style requirements. Master how to capitalize Not for professional titles every time.