APA Capitalization Tool
Convert headings, paper titles, and references to APA 7th edition capitalization. Two modes: APA title case (used for paper and chapter titles, headings up to Level 3) and APA sentence case (used for article titles in reference list entries). Runs in your browser.
How to use the APA capitalization tool
1. Paste your text
Drop your paper title, heading, or reference list article title into the Input box. Paste one title per line if you have several. The tool converts each line independently.
2. Pick title case or sentence case
APA title case is used for the title of your paper on the cover page, for headings inside the paper (up to Level 3), and for the title of a published article when displayed on the article itself. APA sentence case is used for article titles, book chapter titles, and conference paper titles when they appear in your reference list at the end of the paper.
3. Convert and copy
Click Convert. The output appears on the right with proper APA 7 capitalization applied. Use Copy to paste into your paper or reference manager.
When you need APA capitalization
APA Style 7th edition is the dominant citation style in psychology, education, and the social sciences. Five common use cases.
APA title case rules in detail
APA 7th edition title case capitalizes the first letter of every major word in a title or heading. Major words include nouns, verbs (including linking verbs like is, am, are, was, were), adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and the first and last words of the title regardless of part of speech. Articles (a, an, the), conjunctions of three letters or fewer (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet, as, if), and prepositions of three letters or fewer (of, in, on, to, at, by, up, for, off, out, per) are lowercase except when they fall at the start or end of the title, or immediately after a colon or em dash.
Hyphenated compounds capitalize each major word: Self-Reported, State-of-the-Art, Twenty-One, Mother-in-Law. Short connecting words inside the compound (of, in) stay lowercase. The first letter after a colon, em dash, or end-stop punctuation inside the title is always capitalized regardless of the word. Proper nouns (names, places, brands), acronyms (NASA, FBI, ChatGPT), and intentionally cased product names (iPhone, eBay) keep their original capitalization.
APA sentence case rules
Sentence case in APA capitalizes only: the first word of the title, the first word of any subtitle after a colon or em dash, and proper nouns or acronyms. Everything else is lowercase. So "The Role of Working Memory in Language Comprehension" in title case becomes "The role of working memory in language comprehension" in sentence case. If there is a subtitle, the first letter after the colon is also capitalized: "The role of working memory in language comprehension: A meta-analysis."
Sentence case is used for article titles and book chapter titles inside reference list entries. Journal names and book titles in reference list entries keep title case. Heading levels 4 and 5 also use sentence case (followed by a period), so the tool's sentence case mode is reusable for those headings too.
Common pitfalls
| Input | Title case | Sentence case |
|---|---|---|
| the role of working memory in language comprehension | The Role of Working Memory in Language Comprehension | The role of working memory in language comprehension |
| self-reported attention in remote work | Self-Reported Attention in Remote Work | Self-reported attention in remote work |
| a meta-analysis: methods and findings | A Meta-Analysis: Methods and Findings | A meta-analysis: Methods and findings |
| using nasa data to study climate | Using NASA Data to Study Climate | Using NASA data to study climate |
For non-APA contexts, see the more general Title Case Converter and the multi-mode Case Converter.
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Frequently asked questions
What is APA title case?
In APA 7th edition style, title case (used for paper titles, chapter titles, and headings up to Level 3) capitalizes the first letter of every major word: nouns, verbs (including is, am, are), adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and the first and last words of the title. Articles (a, an, the), short conjunctions (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet), and short prepositions (3 letters or fewer: of, in, on, to, at, by) are lowercase unless they are the first or last word.
What is APA sentence case?
Sentence case (used for article titles and book chapter titles inside a reference list entry) capitalizes only the first word, the first word after a colon or em dash, and proper nouns. Everything else is lowercase. For example: "The role of working memory in language comprehension: A meta-analysis."
When should I use each mode?
Use APA title case for the title of your paper on the cover page, for the title of a published article on the article itself, and for headings inside the body. Use APA sentence case for article and book titles in the reference list at the end of your paper. Journal names in the reference list keep title case.
Does the tool handle hyphenated compound words?
Yes. In APA title case, each major word in a hyphenated compound is capitalized: Self-Reported, Twenty-One, State-of-the-Art. Short connecting words inside the compound stay lowercase. The tool follows this rule automatically.
What about proper nouns and acronyms?
Proper nouns (names, places, brands) and acronyms (NASA, FBI, ChatGPT) are preserved in their original capitalization in both modes. Sentence case does not lowercase them. The tool includes a built-in list of common acronyms and detects proper noun patterns; if it gets one wrong, edit the output by hand.
Does this match what APA Style Online says?
The tool follows the rules published at apastyle.apa.org for 7th edition. The official APA Style site is the authoritative reference for edge cases (compound prepositions like "according to", phrasal verbs like "log in"); when in doubt, check the APA Style site or your style guide.
Can I batch-convert a list of titles?
Yes. Paste one title per line. Each line is converted independently using the selected mode. Reference list entries with multiple titles on one line should be edited so each title is on its own line, converted, then re-assembled.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs in client-side JavaScript. The input and output both stay in the browser tab. We have no upload endpoint and we do not log content. See also: MLA Capitalization Tool. See also: Chicago Title Capitalization.
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