Result
It depends on the guide and on how "before" is used. As a preposition ("Read This before Publishing"), it is six letters long: AP, APA, AMA, and Bluebook capitalize it, while Chicago and MLA keep it lowercase. As a conjunction that starts a clause ("Before You Hit Publish") or an adverb ("Never Seen Before"), it is capitalized in every guide.
"Before" (as a Preposition) by Style Guide
| Style guide | "Before" mid-title | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AP | Capitalize | Prepositions of four or more letters are capitalized |
| APA | Capitalize | Words of four or more letters are capitalized |
| Chicago | Lowercase | Prepositions are lowercase at any length |
| MLA | Lowercase | Prepositions are lowercase at any length |
| AMA | Capitalize | Prepositions longer than three letters are capitalized |
| Bluebook | Capitalize | Prepositions longer than four letters are capitalized ("before" has six) |
The Same Headline in Four Styles
| Style | "the calm before the storm" |
|---|---|
| AP | The Calm Before the Storm |
| APA | The Calm Before the Storm |
| Chicago | The Calm before the Storm |
| MLA | The Calm before the Storm |
The converter treats "before" as a preposition. When a subject and verb follow it, capitalize it in Chicago and MLA as well.
Related Words
"After" and "since" follow the same rule.
"Before" 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 "before" is lowercase unless it starts the title: "The calm before the storm." Pick one of the two styles for a whole set of headings rather than mixing them.
Quick Answers
Should "before" be capitalized in a title?
In AP, APA, AMA, and Bluebook, yes. In Chicago and MLA, only as a conjunction or adverb.
Is "before" capitalized in APA?
Yes. APA capitalizes words of four letters or more.