MLA style capitalizes the first and last words of a title and subtitle, plus every major word. It lowercases articles, prepositions of any length, the seven coordinating conjunctions, and the "to" in infinitives when they fall mid-title. MLA uses these rules for titles in your essay and in your Works Cited list.
Paste a title below to convert it to MLA style.
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MLA Title Case Rules
Capitalize:
- The first and last words of the title and subtitle.
- Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
- Subordinating conjunctions: If, Because, Although, While, That.
- Words that complete a phrasal verb: "Give Up," "Log In."
Lowercase (unless first or last):
- Articles: a, an, the.
- Prepositions of any length: of, in, with, about, between, through.
- Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet.
- "To" in infinitives: "How to Write."
Title Case in Works Cited
Unlike APA, MLA uses title case for every title in the Works Cited list, including article and chapter titles. Article titles go in quotation marks and book or journal titles in italics, but the capitalization rule is the same: "The Effects of Sleep Loss on Working Memory."
Examples in MLA Style
| Typed | MLA style |
|---|---|
| what to know about the flu | What to Know about the Flu |
| a river runs through it | A River Runs through It |
| how to set up a style guide for your team | How to Set Up a Style Guide for Your Team |
| what if it rains | What If It Rains |
| the case for sentence case | The Case for Sentence Case |
"If" is capitalized because it is a subordinating conjunction. "Set Up" keeps its capital because "up" is part of the verb.
How MLA Differs From Other Styles
| Typed | AP | APA | Chicago | MLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gone with the wind | Gone With the Wind | Gone With the Wind | Gone with the Wind | Gone with the Wind |
| small yet mighty | Small yet Mighty | Small yet Mighty | Small Yet Mighty | Small yet Mighty |
| what if it rains | What if It Rains | What if It Rains | What If It Rains | What If It Rains |
MLA and Chicago agree on prepositions. They split on "so" and "yet": MLA lowercases them as coordinating conjunctions, while Chicago capitalizes them. AP and APA lowercase "if" because it is short.
Common MLA Mistakes
- Capitalizing long prepositions like "With," "About," or "Between." MLA keeps them lowercase mid-title.
- Using sentence case in Works Cited because APA does. MLA uses title case there.
- Lowercasing "if," "because," or "while." Subordinating conjunctions are capitalized.
- Lowercasing the last word when it is short. MLA capitalizes the last word.
Quick Answers
Does MLA capitalize prepositions?
Not mid-title. MLA lowercases prepositions regardless of length unless they are the first or last word.
Does MLA use title case in Works Cited?
Yes. MLA applies title case to all titles in Works Cited, including article titles.
Does MLA capitalize "is"?
Yes. "Is" is a verb, and MLA capitalizes all verbs.
Does MLA capitalize "with"?
No, not mid-title. "With" is a preposition.
For any single word, see the full list of words that stay lowercase.