"Than" introduces a comparison, and most guides capitalize it. The answer is not uniform though. Chicago and MLA decide by grammar rather than letter count, and Bluebook lowercases it because it runs to exactly four letters.
This guide covers how Chicago, MLA, APA, AP, AMA, the New York Times, Wikipedia, and Bluebook each treat "than", with real examples and the common mistakes that trip writers up.
Quick Reference: "Than" by Style Guide
| Style Guide | Capitalize "Than"? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago (CMOS) | Depends | Capitalized when "than" introduces a clause and works as a conjunction; lowercased when it takes an object and works as a preposition. Chicago has no letter-count rule. |
| APA (7th edition) | Yes | Capitalize words of 4 or more letters |
| MLA | Depends | Capitalized as a subordinating conjunction; lowercased when it works as a preposition, since MLA lowercases prepositions of any length. |
| AP (Associated Press) | Yes | Conjunctions of 4 or more letters are capitalized |
| AMA | Yes | Capitalize words of 4 or more letters |
| New York Times | Yes | Conjunctions of 4+ letters are capitalized |
| Wikipedia | Yes | Comparative conjunctions capitalized as major words |
| Bluebook | No | Bluebook lowercases articles, conjunctions, and prepositions of four or fewer letters, and "than" is exactly four. |
Most styles capitalize "Than" in any title position. The exceptions are Bluebook, which lowercases conjunctions and prepositions of four or fewer letters, and Chicago and MLA, which lowercase "than" when it works as a preposition rather than a conjunction.
Chicago Manual of Style
Chicago capitalizes "Than" when it introduces a clause, because CMOS lowercases only the coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor), not comparatives. When "than" takes a plain object and works as a preposition, the letter-count rule does not apply and Chicago lowercases it, as it does every preposition. CMOS notes that capitalizing "than" in both roles is a defensible house exception if you would rather not parse the grammar each time.
MLA Style
MLA capitalizes "Than" as a subordinating conjunction. When it works as a preposition instead, MLA lowercases it, because MLA lowercases prepositions regardless of length.
APA Style
APA capitalizes words of 4 or more letters. "Than" passes the threshold and stays capitalized.
AP Style
AP capitalizes conjunctions of 4 or more letters. "Than" is always capitalized in headlines.
AMA Style
AMA capitalizes words of 4 or more letters. "Than" is capitalized in medical journal titles.
New York Times Style
NYT capitalizes conjunctions of 4 or more letters. "Than" is capitalized in Times headlines.
Wikipedia Manual of Style
Wikipedia capitalizes comparative conjunctions as major words. "Than" stays capitalized.
Bluebook (Legal Writing)
Bluebook lowercases articles, conjunctions, and prepositions of four or fewer letters. "Than" is exactly four, so it stays lowercase in legal titles unless it opens the title or follows a colon.
Real Titles That Use "Than"
- Greater Than Yesterday. Comparative mid-title.
- More Than Words by Extreme song. Comparative mid-title.
- Bigger Than Life by 1956 film. Comparative mid-title.
- Older Than Time. Comparative as last segment.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is assuming one answer covers every guide. "Than" is usually capitalized, but Bluebook lowercases it, and Chicago and MLA lowercase it when it works as a preposition. Watch for the "than" versus "then" confusion too: "than" handles comparisons, "then" handles sequence, and both are capitalized in title case.
Apply the Rules Automatically
Paste your title into the free title case converter at the top of the page. Pick your style and the tool handles "than" along with every other word in the title.
