Capitalize Titles of Publications and Works of Art
Capitalization
Rulebase Summary
Capitalize the first and last word of all headings, titles, or subtitles of printed or published matter and works of art. Capitalize all main words in between but not articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or, nor), or short prepositions (of, at, in). When a hyphenated word appears in a heading, capitalize each part as if the hyphen were absent. Prepositions of four or more letters that are emphasized may also be capitalized.
Examples
A. I read "the old man and the sea" in college.
A. I read "The Old Man and the Sea" in college.
Capitalize first, last, and main words in a title. Articles and short conjunctions stay lowercase.
A. The article was titled "Self-Inflicted Injury and long-term Recovery."
A. The article was titled "Self-Inflicted Injury and Long-Term Recovery."
Both parts of a hyphenated word in a title are capitalized as though the hyphen were absent.
Transcript Notes
Do not capitalize in running text the titles of court documents such as answers to interrogatories, contract, deed, last will and testament, lease, notice of taking deposition, or request for production of documents — unless preceded by marked, labeled, entitled, or similar.
Capitalize the first and last word of all printed, published, and artwork titles, whether italicized, underlined, or quoted. Capitalize all other words in the title except short prepositions, short conjunctions, and the articles 'a,' 'an,' and 'the' (Gone with the Wind, In the Heat of the Night). Use quotation marks around titles of articles, chapters, essays, poems, reports, short stories, and songs (the smaller compositions). Italicize titles of books, cartoons, magazines, newspapers, operas, periodicals, plays, motion pictures, paintings, sculpture, statues, and television programs (the larger published works).
For planes, ships, trains, spacecraft, and cars, use initial capitals for the class or make (DC-10, Concorde, Metroliner) and italicize individual names (S.S. Virginia, space shuttle Atlantis).
Style Guide References (5)
Morson's
Morson's
BGGP
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