When you’re crafting the perfect title for your latest piece, you might hit a snag on whether the word ‘other’ deserves a capital letter. It’s not as straightforward as it seems, with different style guides offering varying rules. Whether you’re familiar with the popular standards like Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP or just dipping your toes into the world of writing, understanding how to capitalize titles correctly is crucial. Unlock the mystery of title capitalization and ensure your headlines hit the mark every time.
In general, the word ‘other’ is lowercase in a title, following title capitalization rules. However, ‘other’ may be capitalized in the AP, APA, MLA, and Chicago styles when it’s the first word or after a colon. The rules can vary depending on the style guide, so always consult the official guidelines for your chosen style.
When you write titles, it might seem tricky to know which words to capitalize. Think of titles like little billboards for your ideas. You want the important words to stand out. Words like ‘other’ can confuse you. But great news, the rules are pretty simple once you get the hang of them.
Understanding Title Case
Title case means you capitalize key words in titles. It’s like giving those words a spotlight. In most title capitalization styles, like APA, MLA, and Chicago, ‘other’ gets this spotlight because it’s not just any other word. It’s a word with five characters and that’s long enough.
Remember, small words, usually with less than four characters, like ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’, or ‘the’ often stay lowercase, unless they’re the first or last word in a title. But when it comes to ‘other’, it’s different.
Capitalizing ‘Other’ in Different Styles
Let’s dive into examples that shine a light on ‘other’.
In APA style, ‘other’ always gets capitalized. Picture it like this:
- The Other Side of the Story
In MLA style, it’s the same deal. ‘Other’ stands tall. Imagine this title:
- Voices from the Other World
With Chicago style, ‘other’ also wears a capital. See it in action here:
- The Other Perspective
Now, AP style is a bit different and this is essential to keep in mind for journalists. ‘Other’ is four characters long, so it makes the cut too. Think of a headline:
- Finding the Other Side of News
When writing titles, capitalize ‘other’ regardless of whether you’re following APA, MLA, Chicago, or AP guidelines. It’s more than just a word that joins things or refers to additional items. It’s a key player that deserves recognition in the title of your work.
Next time you’re stuck, think, “Is my word longer than ‘cat’? Yes? Probably capitalize it in the title.” This is a nifty little trick to remember which words to give a capital letter.
You’ve got this! Happy writing and remember, make those titles pop with proper capitalization.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading through this practical guide on title capitalization. Keep in mind that the word ‘other’ follows general title capitalization rules. In styles such as Chicago, MLA, and APA, it is not capitalized because it’s considered a conjunction, preposition, or article, depending on its use in a sentence. However, if it’s following AP style and starts a title or is part of a hyphenated compound, you would capitalize it. By sticking to these straightforward rules, you’ll polish your titles and strengthen your writing skill set.
Want to learn about more specific capitalization rules for words?
