Wondering about those tricky rules when it comes to capitalizing titles? Let’s clear the air around one word that often causes a bit of confusion: ‘he’. If you’ve found yourself scratching your head, trying to figure out whether this common pronoun deserves a big letter at the start in your next headline or book title, you’re not alone. Get ready to dive into the straightforward answers from different style guides like Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP. By the end of this exploration, you’ll be able to spot a well-crafted title with confidence and pen your own with ease.
In title case,—frequently used in Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP writing styles—the word ‘he’ is capitalized. This is because it is a pronoun, and all pronouns, no matter their length, should be capitalized in a title. So, if ‘he’ appears in any title, ensure to give it a capital ‘H’.
When you craft a title, capitalizing words properly makes your writing look polished and professional. You may wonder about small words like ‘he’. Let’s clarify that for you.
Capitalize ‘He’ in Titles
Generally, capitalize the word ‘he’ in a title. Major style guides like Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP agree that pronouns should be capitalized. Even though it’s short, ‘he’ is a pronoun and important to the meaning of your title.
Style Guide Exceptions
Most style guides have a rule that words with fewer than four letters are lowercase, except for nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. Since ‘he’ is a pronoun, it gets a capital ‘H’ even though it only has two letters. For example:
Title: In His Footsteps: Where He Leads
Title: He Is Risen: The Story of Easter
Notice how ‘He’ starts with a capital ‘H’ because it’s a pronoun?
Be Consistent
When applying these rules, consistency is key. If you start capitalizing ‘he’ in one title, keep doing it in all your titles. That way, your writing looks uniform and professional.
Remember these tips, and you can confidently create well-crafted titles that follow the rules and look great.
Conclusion
End the confusion on titles with a simple tip: in title case, capitalize ‘He’ if it begins a sentence or is a part of a title that follows title case rules. Don’t let the size fool you; even though ‘he’ is just two letters, it gets the same treatment as bigger words when it holds important places in a sentence. Keep your titles looking sharp and professional with this easy-to-remember guideline. Thank you for reading and for valuing the finer points of writing. Your attention to detail will surely make your work stand out.
Want to learn about more specific capitalization rules for words?
