Result
No. "And" stays lowercase in the middle of a title in every major style guide. It is a coordinating conjunction, and all six guides put it on their lowercase list. It is capitalized only when it is the first word, the last word (in guides that capitalize last words), or the first word after a colon.
"And" by Style Guide
| Style guide | "And" mid-title | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AP | Lowercase | Conjunctions of three or fewer letters stay lowercase |
| APA | Lowercase | Short conjunctions stay lowercase |
| Chicago | Lowercase | One of the five lowercase coordinating conjunctions |
| MLA | Lowercase | Coordinating conjunctions stay lowercase |
| AMA | Lowercase | Coordinating conjunctions stay lowercase |
| Bluebook | Lowercase | Conjunctions of four or fewer letters stay lowercase |
Examples in Chicago Style
- Pride and Prejudice
- Salt and Pepper Shrimp
- The Good and the Bad of Remote Work
- Black and White Photography Tips
"And" Versus "&"
An ampersand has no capital form, so the question does not arise, but style guides limit where it belongs. AP, for example, reserves "&" for names that officially include it ("Barnes & Noble"). Elsewhere in a title, spell out "and."
When "And" Is Capitalized
- First word: "And Then There Were None."
- First word of a subtitle: "Rules: And Why They Matter."
- Last word: uncommon, but AP, Chicago, and MLA capitalize any final word.
Other Conjunctions
"But", "or", and "for" are lowercase in every guide. "So" and "yet" are the exceptions in Chicago, which keeps only and, but, for, or, and nor lowercase. Subordinating conjunctions like "if," "because," and "when" follow different rules again; see "if".
Real Titles With "And"
- Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
- War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy)
- And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie): first word
"And" in Sentence Case
APA reference lists, many news sites, and most UI text use sentence case instead of title case. There, only the first word and proper nouns get capitals, so "and" is lowercase unless it starts the title: "Pride and prejudice." Pick one of the two styles for a whole set of headings rather than mixing them.
Quick Answers
Should "and" be capitalized in a title?
No, not in the middle. Every major guide keeps "and" lowercase unless it is the first word, the last word, or starts a subtitle.
Is "and" capitalized in APA?
No. APA lowercases short conjunctions, and "and" has three letters.
Is "and" capitalized after a colon?
Yes. The first word of a subtitle is capitalized in every guide.
Should I use "&" instead of "and" in a title?
Only when it is part of an official name. Otherwise spell out "and."