Result
Yes. "While" is a subordinating conjunction ("Write While You Wait") or a noun ("A Little While"), and every style guide capitalizes it in a title. At five letters, it clears every length cutoff.
"While" by Style Guide
| Style guide | "While" mid-title | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AP | Capitalize | Long subordinating conjunctions are capitalized |
| APA | Capitalize | Long subordinating conjunctions are capitalized |
| Chicago | Capitalize | Long subordinating conjunctions are capitalized |
| MLA | Capitalize | Long subordinating conjunctions are capitalized |
| AMA | Capitalize | Long subordinating conjunctions are capitalized |
| Bluebook | Capitalize | Long subordinating conjunctions are capitalized |
Examples in Chicago Style
- Write While You Wait
- Learn While You Work
- A Little While Longer
- While the Coffee Brews
Chicago and MLA capitalize subordinating conjunctions such as "while," "because," and "although"; AP, APA, AMA, and Bluebook capitalize them because they are long enough.
For the short list of words that do stay lowercase, see the full list of words that stay lowercase.
"While" 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 "while" is lowercase unless it starts the title: "Write while you wait." Pick one of the two styles for a whole set of headings rather than mixing them.
Quick Answers
Should "while" be capitalized in a title?
Yes. Chicago and MLA capitalize subordinating conjunctions, and AP, APA, AMA, and Bluebook capitalize conjunctions of five letters.
Is "while" capitalized in APA?
Yes. APA capitalizes every word of four letters or more.