"About" is a 5-letter preposition, which puts it right at the heart of the "lowercase short prepositions but capitalize long ones" split that divides the major style guides. Chicago and MLA keep "about" lowercase no matter how long it is. APA, AP, and the New York Times capitalize it because it has more than four letters. That single split decides every "about" question.
This guide breaks down the rule for "about" across eight style guides, with real examples and the common mistakes that cause inconsistent titles.
Quick Reference: "About" by Style Guide
| Style Guide | Capitalize "About"? | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago (CMOS) | No | Lowercase prepositions of any length |
| MLA | No | Lowercase prepositions regardless of length |
| APA (7th edition) | Yes | Capitalize words of 4 or more letters; "about" is 5 |
| AP (Associated Press) | Yes | Capitalize prepositions of 4 or more letters |
| AMA | Yes | Capitalize words of 4 or more letters |
| New York Times | Yes | Capitalize prepositions of 4 or more letters |
| Wikipedia | Yes | Capitalize prepositions of 5 or more letters |
| Bluebook | Yes | Capitalize prepositions of 5 or more letters |
If you are writing in Chicago or MLA, "about" stays lowercase. Every other major American style capitalizes it.
Why Style Guides Disagree on "About"
Title-case style guides split into two camps:
Length-based guides like APA, AP, AMA, and the New York Times capitalize any preposition over a certain letter count, and they all use a four-letter cutoff. Wikipedia and Bluebook use a five-letter cutoff, but "about" clears even that bar. Category-based guides like Chicago and MLA lowercase all prepositions regardless of length, on the principle that prepositions are grammatical glue and should not steal visual emphasis from nouns and verbs.
For a deeper look at the length-vs-category debate, see title case prepositions: the 1 to 4 letter rule.
Chicago Manual of Style
Chicago's headline-style capitalization keeps prepositions lowercase regardless of length. "About" stays lowercase in any mid-title position.
Example: A Conversation about Power. "About" is lowercase because Chicago does not capitalize prepositions, period.
Capital cases for Chicago: "About" is capitalized as the first word, the last word, or directly after a colon or dash that introduces a subtitle.
MLA Style
MLA follows the same logic as Chicago. Prepositions stay lowercase regardless of length. "About" is lowercase in MLA titles unless it is the first or last word.
Example: An Essay about Identity.
APA Style
APA capitalizes words of four or more letters and lowercases conjunctions, articles, and prepositions of three letters or fewer. "About" has five letters, so APA capitalizes it in any title position.
Example: A Study About Reading Habits in Adults.
For the full APA rules, see APA title case rules.
AP Style
AP capitalizes prepositions of four or more letters. "About" passes the threshold, so AP capitalizes it in headlines.
Example: Everything We Know About the New Policy.
AMA Style
AMA capitalizes words of four or more letters. "About" is capitalized in medical and health journal titles under AMA.
New York Times Style
NYT capitalizes prepositions of four or more letters. "About" is capitalized in Times headlines, mid-title or not.
Wikipedia Manual of Style
Wikipedia uses a 5-letter cutoff for prepositions. "About" is exactly 5 letters, which puts it in the capitalized group. Wikipedia article titles capitalize "About" in any position.
Bluebook (Legal Writing)
Bluebook also uses a 5-letter cutoff. "About" is capitalized in legal-citation titles, brief headings, and law-review article titles.
Real Titles That Use "About"
- About a Boy by Nick Hornby. "About" capitalized as the first word.
- Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) by David Reuben. "About" capitalized mid-title in AP/APA usage.
- The Truth about Love. Chicago-style: "about" lowercase. APA-style: "About" capitalized.
- A Book About Books. AP-style title with mid-title "About" capitalized.
Common Mistakes
Two patterns trip people up. The first is defaulting "about" to lowercase without checking which style you are writing in: it looks short and prepositional, but it crosses the four-letter line in APA, AP, AMA, and NYT styles. The second is mixing styles within the same document by capitalizing "About" in one headline and lowercasing it in another. Pick one guide and apply it consistently.
Apply the Rules Automatically
Paste your title into the free title case converter at the top of the page. Pick AP or APA and "About" capitalizes. Pick Chicago or MLA and "about" stays lowercase. The tool handles every other word in your title at the same time.
