Result
It depends on what "like" is doing. As a verb ("Why Readers Like Short Titles"), it is capitalized in every guide. As a preposition meaning "similar to" ("Write Like a Pro"), it is four letters long: AP, APA, and AMA capitalize it, while Chicago, MLA, and Bluebook keep it lowercase.
"Like" (as a Preposition) by Style Guide
| Style guide | "Like" 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 | Only prepositions of three or fewer letters stay lowercase |
| Bluebook | Lowercase | Prepositions of four or fewer letters stay lowercase |
The Same Headline in Four Styles
| Style | "write like a pro" |
|---|---|
| AP | Write Like a Pro |
| APA | Write Like a Pro |
| Chicago | Write like a Pro |
| MLA | Write like a Pro |
The converter treats "like" as a preposition. If it is the verb in your title ("Things We Like"), capitalize it in every style.
Related Words
"As" also means "similar to" in some titles and follows different rules: Chicago lowercases it in every use. See also title case prepositions.
"Like" 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 "like" is lowercase unless it starts the title: "Write like a pro." Pick one of the two styles for a whole set of headings rather than mixing them.
Quick Answers
Should "like" be capitalized in a title?
As a verb, yes, everywhere. As a preposition, in AP, APA, and AMA only.
Is "like" capitalized in Chicago style?
Not as a preposition. Chicago lowercases prepositions at any length.