Discover the ins and outs of crafting the perfect title with a closer look at common words, such as ‘like’. Whether you’re penning an academic piece or a catchy headline, understanding when to capitalize words is crucial for presenting your work professionally. Grappling with title capitalization rules can leave you puzzled, but fear not. Set the confusion aside as you learn the straightforward guidelines from Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP styles that determine the fate of ‘like’ in a title. Make every word count and give your titles the polish they deserve.
In using title case, it’s crucial to understand that lesser-known conjunctions like ‘like’ should be capitalized. Following MLA, Chicago, APA, and AP writing styles, ‘like’ must be capitalized in a title, ensuring consistency and readability through correct punctuation.
When you’re writing a title, every word plays a key role. You might wonder if small words, such as ‘like’, should appear in capital letters or not. The rules can vary depending on the style guide you are following.
Capitalization in Different Styles
Let’s break it down by style:
In Chicago Style, you capitalize all major words in titles. However, ‘like’ is generally seen as a preposition, which means it’s usually not capitalized if it’s four letters or fewer. ‘Like’ fits this rule, so you don’t capitalize it.
In MLA style, you capitalize words that are more than four letters long. Since ‘like’ is exactly four characters, you don’t capitalize it.
APA style is a bit different. You capitalize the first word after a colon or dash and the first word of the title, but not the small words like ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘like’, etc. So, in APA, ‘like’ remains in lowercase.
AP style, used in journalism, says not to capitalize words with fewer than four letters unless they are the first or last word of a title. Again, ‘like’ stays in lowercase.
Examples
See how ‘like’ remains lowercase in these examples:
- Chicago Style: Dancing Like No One Is Watching
- MLA Style: Dancing like No One Is Watching
- APA Style: Dancing like No One Is Watching
- AP Style: Dancing like No One Is Watching
Remember, titles are like a visitor’s first impression, so it’s important to follow these guidelines to make sure they look their best. Check your style guide if you’re unsure, and get ready to craft titles that shine!
Conclusion
When you’re sprucing up your title, it’s natural to wonder about the little words and if they deserve a capital letter. In title casing, consistency is key, and style guides hold the map to it. For Chicago, MLA, and APA styles, ‘like’ usually stays lowercase because it’s short – four letters or less – and not a major part of speech. AP style, on the other hand, caps all words with four or more letters, so ‘like’ would get a capital L. Always check the specific rules of the style guide you’re following to make sure your title shines. Thanks for reading, and remember to apply these tips for a perfectly polished header!
Want to learn about more specific capitalization rules for words?
