Result
Yes. "You" is a pronoun, and pronouns are major words in every title case style. It is capitalized wherever it appears: "Everything You Need to Know," "Catch Me If You Can," "You Are What You Eat."
"You" by Style Guide
| Style guide | "You" mid-title | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AP | Capitalize | Pronouns are major words |
| APA | Capitalize | Pronouns are major words |
| Chicago | Capitalize | Pronouns are major words |
| MLA | Capitalize | Pronouns are major words |
| AMA | Capitalize | Pronouns are major words |
| Bluebook | Capitalize | Pronouns are major words |
Examples in Chicago Style
- Everything You Need to Know about Title Case
- What You Should Publish Next
- Before You Hit Publish
- How to Tell If You Need a Rewrite
Contractions With "You"
"You're," "You've," "You'll," and "You'd" are capitalized on the first letter only. The letters after the apostrophe stay lowercase: "You're Not Alone," never "You'Re Not Alone."
Related Words
"Your" is capitalized for the same reason, and so are the other personal pronouns: "we", "they", "me", and "it".
"You" 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 "you" is lowercase unless it starts the title: "Everything you need to know about title case." Pick one of the two styles for a whole set of headings rather than mixing them.
Quick Answers
Should "you" be capitalized in a title?
Yes. "You" is a pronoun, and pronouns are capitalized in every style guide.
Is "you" capitalized in APA?
Yes. APA capitalizes pronouns regardless of length.