When you’re styling your next headline or title, you might pause at seemingly simple words and wonder about their capitalization. Take the word “how,” for example. It may seem small, but in the world of titles, does it make the cut for a capital letter? Whether you’re prepping an academic paper, a news article, or a blog post, knowing the rules for title capitalization can make a big difference. Each writing style, from Chicago to MLA, APA, and AP, has its own set of guidelines that can either raise “how” to the prominence of a capital or keep it lower case. Get ready to elevate your title game with key insights into these interesting nuances.
When crafting a title, the word ‘how’ is indeed capitalized. This follows the standard rules of capitalization in title case which dictate that the first, last, and all major words should be capitalized. These rules are prevalent across multiple writing styles, including Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP.
Capitalize ‘how’ in a title when it’s part of a proper noun or at the beginning of a title. Otherwise, keep it lowercase. This rule applies across Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP styles.
Rules Across Different Styles
In the Chicago and MLA styles, capitalize ‘how’ if it’s the first or last word in a title. In APA style, always capitalize words with four or more letters. Since ‘how’ has only three, keep it lowercase unless it’s the first word. AP style is more about simplicity and conserves capital letters for principal words only.
Examples in Context
If your title is ‘How to Make Lemonade,’ capitalize ‘How’ since it starts the title. In a title like ‘Learning How to Fish,’ keep ‘how’ lowercase, as it follows a verb and is not a principal word. On the other hand, always capitalize ‘how’ if it’s a significant part of a proper noun, like in the book title ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back.’
Conclusion
In conclusion, always remember that capitalization rules can vary based on the style guide you’re following. In titles, the word ‘how’ generally follows the standard rule: if it’s a major part of speech such as a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb, it should be capitalized. Since ‘how’ is an adverb, you’ll typically capitalize it in title case according to the Chicago and APA guidelines. However, for styles like AP, which suggest capitalizing words with four or more letters, ‘how’ would not be capitalized due to its length. Always check the specific rules of the MLA, APA, Chicago, or AP style guides to make sure you’re on the right track. Thank you for reading and good luck with your future titles!
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