Title Case vs Sentence Case: A Practical Capitalization Guide

Capitalization is one of those details readers barely notice when it is right and cannot unsee when it is wrong. The two styles that cause the most confusion are title case and sentence case. Choosing correctly makes your writing look considered and consistent.

Sentence case

In sentence case you capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns, exactly as you would in an ordinary sentence. It reads as calmer and more modern, which is why most product interfaces, help centres and news outlets now prefer it for headings and buttons.

Title case

Title case capitalizes the first letter of every major word while keeping short connecting words — articles, coordinating conjunctions and short prepositions such as "a", "the", "and", "of" and "in" — lowercase, unless they are the first or last word. It signals formality and is standard for book titles, academic paper headings and many editorial style guides.

• Sentence case: "How to write a great subject line"
• Title case: "How to Write a Great Subject Line"
• Capitalize each word: "How To Write A Great Subject Line"

Notice that "Capitalize Each Word" is not the same as title case: it capitalizes even the small words like "To" and "A", which most style guides consider incorrect for titles. It is handy for labels and tags, but avoid it for prose headings.

Choosing a style and sticking to it

The single most important rule is consistency. Pick one style for headings across a document or website and apply it everywhere. Mixing styles — sentence case on one page, title case on the next — is the fastest way to make otherwise polished content look sloppy.

If your organisation has a style guide, follow it. If not, sentence case is a safe, contemporary default for digital writing, while title case remains the expectation for formal and print contexts.