Result
Yes. "Was" is a form of the verb "to be," and every style guide capitalizes verbs in a title. Three letters is short enough to trip up the "lowercase small words" habit, but the length cutoffs in AP, APA, and AMA apply only to prepositions and conjunctions.
"Was" by Style Guide
| Style guide | "Was" mid-title | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AP | Capitalize | Verbs are major words |
| APA | Capitalize | Verbs are major words |
| Chicago | Capitalize | Verbs are major words |
| MLA | Capitalize | Verbs are major words |
| AMA | Capitalize | Verbs are major words |
| Bluebook | Capitalize | Verbs are major words |
Examples in Chicago Style
- It Was a Very Good Year
- What Was Lost in the Redesign
- The Day the Internet Was Quiet
- Everything Was Fine
Every Form of "To Be"
The rule covers the whole verb: "is", "am", "are", "were", "be", and "being" are all capitalized in title case. "Wasn't" is capitalized as well.
Why Writers Lowercase "Was"
"Was" looks like it belongs with "was," "as," and "at" as filler, but it carries the tense of the sentence. If you removed it, the title would lose its verb. That is a quick test for any short word: if it is the verb, capitalize it.
Real Titles With "Was"
- It Was a Very Good Year (song): capitalized mid-title
"Was" 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 "was" is lowercase unless it starts the title: "What was lost in the redesign." Pick one of the two styles for a whole set of headings rather than mixing them.
Quick Answers
Should "was" be capitalized in a title?
Yes. "Was" is a verb, and every style guide capitalizes verbs.
Is "was" capitalized in APA?
Yes. APA capitalizes verbs regardless of length.
Is "wasn't" capitalized in a title?
Yes, as "Wasn't." Contractions of verbs are capitalized.