Whether you capitalize “with” in a title depends on your style guide. In APA and AP style, you capitalize it. In Chicago, MLA, and Bluebook style, you don’t (unless it’s the first or last word). Here’s exactly how each style guide handles “with” so you can get it right every time.
Quick Reference: “With” Capitalization by Style Guide
| Style Guide | Capitalize “With”? | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| APA (7th Edition) | Yes | Capitalize words with 4+ letters |
| AP (Associated Press) | Yes | Capitalize prepositions with 4+ letters |
| AMA | Yes | Capitalize words with 4+ letters |
| New York Times | Yes | Capitalize prepositions with 4+ letters |
| Chicago (CMOS) | No | Lowercase all prepositions regardless of length |
| MLA | No | Lowercase all prepositions regardless of length |
| Bluebook | No | Lowercase prepositions with 4 or fewer letters |
| Wikipedia | No | Lowercase prepositions with 4 or fewer letters |
The reason for the split? “With” is a four-letter preposition. Style guides disagree on where to draw the line for preposition capitalization in titles. Some set the cutoff at four letters, others at five, and a few lowercase all prepositions no matter what.
Styles That Capitalize “With”
If you follow APA title case rules, AP style, AMA, or the New York Times style, always capitalize “with” in your titles. These guides treat any word with four or more letters as a major word, including prepositions.
Examples:
- Gone With the Wind
- Cooking With Fresh Herbs
- A Problem With No Easy Solution
- With a Song in My Heart
Styles That Lowercase “With”
Chicago style, MLA, Bluebook, and Wikipedia all lowercase “with” when it appears in the middle of a title. Chicago and MLA lowercase all prepositions regardless of length. Bluebook and Wikipedia only lowercase prepositions with four or fewer letters.
Examples:
- Keeping up with the Kardashians
- Blessed with the Best
- Dealing with Difficult Clients
- Living with Less and Loving It
The same logic applies to other short prepositions like “of,” “to,” and “for.” If you’re unsure about those, check our guides on capitalizing “of” in a title and capitalizing “to” in a title.
When “With” Is Always Capitalized
Two situations require capitalizing “with” in every style guide:
First word of a title. Every title case style capitalizes the first word, no exceptions. “With” at the start of a title is always uppercase.
- With Me and My Girl (same in all styles)
- With Liberty and Justice for All
Last word of a title. Almost every style guide capitalizes the last word of a title, even if it would normally be lowercase. The one exception is Bluebook, which does not capitalize “with” at the end.
- A Force to Be Reckoned With (APA, AP, Chicago, MLA, Wikipedia)
- A Force to Be Reckoned with (Bluebook only)
"With" in Sentence Case Titles
Some publications use sentence case instead of title case for their headlines. In sentence case, you only capitalize the first word and proper nouns. “With” stays lowercase unless it starts the title.
Examples:
- China’s partnership with Russia seen as a serious problem
- A great deal to go with
- With or without alcohol
For a full comparison of when to use each format, read our guide on what sentence case is.
When “With” Is Not a Preposition
In rare cases, “with” can function as an adverb or part of a phrasal verb (like “go with” or “do away with”). Most style guides still treat it the same way they treat the preposition form. If your style guide capitalizes four-letter words, capitalize it. If not, don’t. The part of speech doesn’t change the letter-count rule in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “with” capitalized in APA format?
Yes. APA capitalizes all words with four or more letters, so “with” is always capitalized in APA titles (unless you’re using sentence case for a reference list entry).
Is “with” capitalized in Chicago style?
No, not in the middle of a title. Chicago lowercases all prepositions regardless of length. You only capitalize “with” if it’s the first or last word.
Is “with” a preposition?
Yes. “With” is classified as a preposition in English. It shows a relationship between a noun or pronoun and another element in the sentence (for example, “coffee with milk”).
How do I know which style guide to use?
It depends on your field. APA is common in social sciences, Chicago in publishing, MLA in humanities, and AP in journalism. If no style is required, pick one and stay consistent. You can also use our title capitalization tool to automatically format your titles in any style.
