What is AMA title case?
AMA (American Medical Association) Manual of Style, 11th edition prescribes a specific way to capitalize titles and headings, known as AMA title case (or headline style). Get it wrong and a reviewer will notice immediately. This converter applies the exact AMA rule set the moment you type — start on AMA above, or switch styles to compare side by side.
The AMA capitalization rule
Capitalize the first and last words and all major words. Lowercase articles, coordinating conjunctions and prepositions of three letters or fewer. AMA closely mirrors APA and AP for minor-word handling and is the standard across medicine.
In every style the very first and very last word of a title is capitalized regardless of what it is, and the first word after a colon (the start of a subtitle) is always capitalized too. Hyphenated compounds are handled part by part.
When to use AMA title case
Reach for AMA style for medical journals, clinical research papers, and health-sciences writing. AMA also capitalizes both parts of most hyphenated compounds in titles (e.g. Self-Care).
AMA title case examples
| You type | AMA title case |
|---|---|
| a review of vaccine efficacy in older adults | A Review of Vaccine Efficacy in Older Adults |
| a guide to writing without fear | A Guide to Writing Without Fear |
| notes on the art of the interview | Notes on the Art of the Interview |
How it differs from other styles
The biggest disagreement between style guides is how they treat prepositions. AMA uses a length test: short prepositions stay lowercase, longer ones are capitalized. If you write across disciplines, bookmark this page for AMA and use the style switcher above whenever you move between an essay, a headline and a journal submission.
Frequently asked questions
- Is AMA title case the same as Chicago?
- They agree on capitalizing major words but differ on prepositions and a few minor words. Use the style switcher above to see the exact difference on your own text.
- Does AMA capitalize the word after a colon?
- Yes. The first word of a subtitle is always capitalized in AMA style.
- What about short words like 'is' and 'be'?
- Verbs are always capitalized in AMA style, even short ones such as 'Is', 'Be' and 'Am'.