If title capitalization feels like a trap, you’re not alone. One minute you’re confidently typing, the next you’re staring at a tiny word like “of” or “to” and second-guessing everything.
Chicago title case (also called headline-style capitalization) follows the capitalization rules of the Chicago Manual of Style and is popular in publishing, marketing, and the humanities because title case creates a clean visual effect with headline style formatting, making headings easy to scan like a clean storefront sign. Once you learn what counts as a “major” word and what stays small, most titles become quick decisions instead of debates.
This guide gives you the rules in plain English, plus before-and-after examples you can copy and adapt.
What “headline-style capitalization (Chicago)” means
Headline style capitalization (Chicago) means you capitalize the first and last words of the title, then capitalize “major” words in between. “Minor” words stay lowercase unless they’re the first or last word.
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS)’s own Q&A pages are the best place to confirm edge cases, including tricky compounds and short function words (see the Chicago style FAQ on headlines and titles). If you’ve ever argued over whether a preposition should be capped, this is the rule set you’re trying to apply.
It also helps to remember what Chicago title case is not. Title case is not Sentence case (only the first word is capped), and it’s not “capitalize everything” either. It’s a balance: enough caps to make the title readable at a glance, but not so many that it looks jumpy.
If you work across brands or classes, you may want a quick comparison of Chicago versus other common systems from Style guides. This overview contrasts it with options like the Associated Press Stylebook and APA style and is handy for that: comparison of title case styles including Chicago.
The core Chicago title case rules (major vs minor words)
Start with this mental split based on parts of speech: major words get caps, minor words usually don’t.
Major words you capitalize in headline-style capitalization (Chicago):
- Nouns (including proper nouns), pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs
- Subordinating conjunctions (like “because,” “although”)
- Most words that carry meaning in the phrase
Minor words you usually keep lowercase:
- Articles: a, an, the
- Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet
- Prepositions (in, of, to, at, by, from, etc.)
Before/after examples you can copy:
- Before: a guide to writing better headlines
After: A Guide to Writing Better Headlines - Before: what you need to know about email deliverability
After: What You Need to Know About Email Deliverability - Before: the art and science of pricing
After: The Art and Science of Pricing - Before: research in the age of ai
After: Research in the Age of AI
Capitalization in titles follows specific capitalization rules, particularly for prepositions, which stay lowercase unless they are first and last words. Two “always” rules make life easier:
-
Capitalize the first word no matter what it is.
Example: The Best Day to Start (not the Best Day to Start) -
Capitalize the last word no matter what it is.
Example: How to Train for a 10K (the final “a” or “to” would still be capped if it ended the title)
For a quick reality check on how Chicago treats headline words, Chicago’s “capitalitis” Q&A is a useful reference point: Chicago guidance on headline capitalization.
Edge cases that trip people up (and how Chicago handles them)
Most mistakes happen when a word can play more than one role, or when punctuation changes the rule.
Prepositions: “short” doesn’t matter in Chicago
Some styles capitalize longer prepositions. The Chicago Manual of Style generally treats prepositions as minor, even short prepositions or longer ones like “between” or “throughout” (unless first or last).
- Before: A Walk Between Two Cities
After: A Walk between Two Cities - Before: Notes From Under the Desk
After: Notes from Under the Desk - Before: Strategy Throughout the Funnel
After: Strategy throughout the Funnel
Exception: if the preposition is part of a phrasal verb and functions like one idea, many editors capitalize the particle because it reads like a key verb element.
- Before: How to Set up Your New Phone
After: How to Set Up Your New Phone - Before: Don’t Give in to Burnout
After: Don’t Give In to Burnout
Hyphenated compounds: capitalize the important parts
For hyphenated compounds, Chicago headline-style capitalization often capitalizes the first element, and then capitalizes the second element if it’s a major word (and not an article, preposition, or short conjunction).
- Before: A Step-by-step Plan for Busy Teams
After: A Step-by-Step Plan for Busy Teams - Before: A Two-year Road Map to Growth
After: A Two-Year Road Map to Growth - Before: End-to-end Testing in Production
After: End-to-End Testing in Production
If you want background on rule updates and how modern Chicago editions treat compounds, this summary is useful: CMOS 18 title capitalization changes.
After a colon: capitalize the first word of the subtitle
In headline-style capitalization (Chicago), the word after a colon is treated like a fresh start in subtitles.
- Before: Remote work: a manager’s guide
After: Remote Work: A Manager’s Guide - Before: Email marketing: what still works
After: Email Marketing: What Still Works
“So,” “to,” and other tiny words
Coordinating conjunctions like “so” are normally lowercase mid-title, but they’re capped if they start or end the title. If you want a focused explanation with examples, see capitalizing “so” in Chicago titles.
- Before: Work so You Can Live
After: Work so You Can Live - Before: So You Want to Write a Book
After: So You Want to Write a Book
When you’re unsure, don’t guess by length. Guess by job: is it acting like a connector (minor), or carrying meaning (major)? CMOS 18th edition provides the most current guidance on major words.
Chicago Manual of Style Title Case Cheat-Sheet Table (Fast Decisions)
| Item in the title | Capitalization in titles (Chicago Manual of Style) | Copyable example |
|---|---|---|
| First word | Always capitalize | To Build a Habit |
| Last word | Always capitalize | A Guide to |
| Nouns (including proper nouns), pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs | Capitalize | You Can Learn Fast |
| Articles (a, an, the) | Lowercase (unless first/last) | The Cost of a Mistake |
| Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) | Lowercase (unless first/last) | Cats and Dogs |
| Prepositions (of, in, to, between, throughout, etc.) | Lowercase (unless first/last) | Rules for Writing in Teams |
| Word after a colon | Capitalize | Good Data: Bad Habits |
If you want a general rule rundown across style guides (and a quick contrast to distinguish title case from sentence case), this page is a solid refresher: title capitalization rules overview.
24 Chicago title case examples you can copy or adapt
Use a Title case converter to verify these Chicago Manual of Style examples, which demonstrate the correct handling of Prepositions and Title case logic.
- A Beginner’s Guide to Content Audits
- The Real Cost of “Free” Shipping
- How to Write Headlines That Don’t Sound Forced
- Email Marketing: What Still Works in 2026
- A Project Plan for People Who Hate Project Plans
- From Draft to Done: A Simple Editing Workflow
- What to Do When Your Campaign Flops
- The Art of Saying No at Work
- A Step-by-Step Checklist for Onboarding Writers
- Before You Hit Publish: A Final Proof Pass
- Why We Quit: Notes from Exit Interviews
- How to Set Up a Style Guide for Your Team
- Writing for the Web in Plain English
- A Two-Year Content Strategy That You’ll Actually Use
- Sales Pages That Tell the Truth
- Research Methods for Busy Students
- Notes on Writing About Sensitive Topics
- The Difference between Branding and Brand Voice
- Work so You Can Rest
- So You Want to Start a Newsletter
- End-to-End Testing for Content Templates
- A Guide to Pricing between Competitors and Customers
- How to Follow Up without Sounding Pushy
- The Best Time to Post on Social Media
Final checklist for Chicago title case
Before you publish, run this quick pass:
- Cap the first and last word.
- Capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
- Keep articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions lowercase (unless first or last).
- After a colon, capitalize the first word of the subtitle.
- For hyphenated terms, capitalize key words on both sides when they’re major words.
Get these right, following the Chicago Style Title Case Rules from the Chicago Manual of Style, and your titles will look consistent, professional, and easy to read, without turning every headline into a grammar puzzle. These capitalization rules ensure professional capitalization in titles, serve as the foundation for Turabian style, and appear across many academic style guides.
