The short version
- Sentence case capitalises only the first word of a heading and any proper nouns, exactly as a normal sentence would.
- Title case capitalises the main words of a heading and leaves short words such as articles, conjunctions and some prepositions in lower case.
- Many digital style guides, including those from Google, Microsoft and GOV.UK, recommend sentence case for headings and interface text.
- Chicago and APA both use title case for headings but disagree on longer prepositions: Chicago keeps words like from and with lower case, while APA capitalises any word of four letters or more.
- CSS text-transform: capitalize does not produce title case, because it capitalises every word including the small ones.
On this page
In the sentence case vs title case choice, sentence case capitalises only the first word and proper nouns ("How to plan a launch week"), while title case capitalises the main words ("How to Plan a Launch Week"). Neither is more correct. Sentence case reads like ordinary text and feels calmer and more modern, which is why many digital products and newsrooms use it. Title case feels formal and bookish, and it is still standard in academic writing and some publications. Pick one, write the rule down, and use it on every heading you publish.
What sentence case and title case look like
The difference is easiest to see on the same words. Read both columns quickly and notice where your eye snags.
Sentence case
- Ten ways to reuse one photo
- Our new opening hours start Monday
- What we learned from a year in Lisbon
- Meet the team behind the Riverside Bakery
Title case
- Ten Ways to Reuse One Photo
- Our New Opening Hours Start Monday
- What We Learned From a Year in Lisbon
- Meet the Team Behind the Riverside Bakery
In sentence case, "Riverside Bakery" still stands out because it is a name. In title case, nearly every word starts with a capital, so the name blends into the line. (The title case column follows AP and APA, which capitalise From and Behind; Chicago would keep them lower case.) That is the strongest practical argument for sentence case: capitals keep their meaning.
Which style guides use which
If you are unsure, borrow a published guide rather than inventing rules. These are the choices the best known guides make for headings.
Headings
Typical use
Headings
Typical use
Headings
Typical use
Headings
Typical use
Headings
Typical use
Headings
Typical use
Headings
Typical use
Notice that even guides that prefer title case for headings use sentence case elsewhere. APA, for example, puts article titles in a reference list in sentence case. Rules are about context, not about one style being right.
Title case rules: which words stay small
Title case is harder than it looks, because not every word gets a capital. The general rule: capitalise nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs; keep articles, coordinating conjunctions and short prepositions in lower case; always capitalise the first and last word.
Title case
Examples
Title case
Examples
Title case
Examples
Title case
Examples
Title case
Examples
Title case
That disagreement is why title case drifts inside a team. One person writes "Notes From the Studio", another "Notes from the Studio". Both followed a rule; they followed different ones. If you choose title case, name the guide you follow so nobody has to guess.
How each style looks on a design
On social posts and posters, capitals change the texture of a line. Title case adds more tall letters, which makes a headline look busier and slightly slower to read, especially on a gradient or photo where the background already has movement. Sentence case keeps more lower case letters, whose ascenders and descenders give the line a varied, familiar texture, the same one readers meet in body text.
Title case: every major word stands up, so the line reads as a set of separate words.
Sentence case: the same words read as one thought and feel more relaxed.
There is a third option for very short lines: all capitals. It works for an eyebrow, a label or a two word poster, and fails for anything longer. All caps text explains when to use it and how much letter spacing it needs.
How to choose one for your brand
- 1
Look at how your brand speaks
A calm, direct, friendly voice suits sentence case. A formal, traditional or literary voice can carry title case. Brand voice helps you describe yours.
- 2
Check where most of your words live
If you write interfaces, help pages, emails and social posts, sentence case keeps headings consistent with buttons and menus, which most modern web products already write in sentence case.
- 3
Pick a published guide
Sentence case needs one rule. Title case needs a reference for the small words. Name it, for example "Chicago headline style".
- 4
Decide the exceptions
Product names, feature names and proper nouns keep their own capitals in either style. List the ones your team uses most.
- 5
Write it into your style guide
One line is enough: "Headings, buttons and post headlines use sentence case." Add it to your brand style guide next to your fonts.
If you design in Gradiently, add the rule to your brand kit's voice, which is what the Designer writes in. Then check its first drafts against the rule, as you would with any new writer.
Title case and CSS text-transform
A common shortcut on websites is to type headings in lower case and let CSS capitalise them. It does not give you title case. The capitalize value of text-transform capitalises the first letter of every word, including "and", "of" and "the".
/* Produces "Notes From The Studio And Beyond", not title case */
h2.auto {
text-transform: capitalize;
}
/* Better: write the heading in the case you want and leave it alone */
h2 {
text-transform: none;
}Casing is one part of a heading's job. Size, weight and spacing do the rest, which visual hierarchy and headline fonts cover in detail.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between sentence case and title case?
Sentence case capitalises only the first word and proper nouns. Title case capitalises the main words and leaves short articles, conjunctions and prepositions in lower case.
Should headings be in title case or sentence case?
Either is correct if you are consistent. Many digital style guides, including Google's, Microsoft's and GOV.UK's, recommend sentence case for headings and interface text.
Which words are not capitalised in title case?
Articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) and short prepositions (in, on, of, to), unless they are the first or last word.
Is "is" capitalised in title case?
Yes. "Is" is a verb, and verbs are always capitalised in title case, however short they are.
Does CSS text-transform: capitalize make title case?
No. It capitalises the first letter of every word, including small words that title case keeps in lower case.
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