When you craft the perfect title for your essay, blog post, or book, every detail counts, especially capitalization. But with rules that change based on style guides like Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP, it’s easy to get mixed up. You might wonder about smaller, seemingly simple words, such as ‘own’. Is it important enough to get that capital letter at the start, or does it blend in with the rest of the text, tucked away in lowercase letters? Seemingly small choices can make a big impact on how professional and polished your title appears. Continue reading to learn the ins and outs of title capitalization and ensure every word, including ‘own’, finds its proper place.
In title case, according to guidelines set by Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP formatting, the word ‘own’ should be capitalized. Title case practices ensure that all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are capitalized in a title, with ‘own’ classifying as a pronoun, adjective, or verb.
When you write a title, whether it’s for an essay, book, or blog post, follow specific rules to make sure each word is styled correctly. Knowing if a word like ‘own’ should be capitalized can be a bit tricky, but don’t worry – here’s a simple guide to help you out.
Capitalize ‘Own’ in a Title?
In most title styles, smaller words, like conjunctions, articles, and prepositions, are not capitalized. ‘Own’ doesn’t fit these groups. It’s a possessive adjective, which means it usually gets the capital letter treatment in titles.
Understanding Different Style Guides
Consider the style guide you’re following. Here’s how a few of the popular ones treat the word ‘own’ in titles:
- Chicago Manual of Style: Chicago says to capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. Since ‘own’ is an adjective, you should capitalize it.
- MLA Style: The Modern Language Association’s guide agrees with Chicago. Adjectives are capitalized. So ‘own’ gets an uppercase ‘O’ in a title.
- APA Style: The American Psychological Association goes for a mix. Capitalize words with four or more letters. ‘Own’ fits the bill; thus, it’s capitalized.
- AP Style: The Associated Press has a unique approach. It only capitalizes words that are “principal words.” ‘Own’ usually comes up as a significant word, so in most cases, it’s capitalized here too.
Examples to Guide You
Check out these examples to see how ‘own’ is treated in different styles:
- Chicago/MLA: “Make Your Own Path”
- APA: “Crafting Your Own Destiny”
- AP: “Design Your Own World”
Next time you’re crafting a title and stumble upon words like ‘own’, remember, they often carry enough weight to deserve a capital ‘O’. Following these guidelines, you’ll create clean, professional-looking titles that stick to the style you need.
Conclusion
So, when you’re deciding if the word ‘own’ should be capitalized in a title, remember that it depends on the style guide you’re using. In most cases, such as with APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, it’s not a major word and stays lowercase unless it’s the first or last word in the title. However, AP style would have you capitalize it because it has three letters. Always double check the rules for the specific style you’re following to nail your title perfectly. Feel confident crafting titles and keep writing bravely!
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