How to write an essay title or heading in title case
Academic essays usually follow APA, MLA or Chicago, depending on your subject. Social-science and psychology essays use APA; literature and humanities essays use MLA; history and many book-length works use Chicago. Paste an essay title or heading into the box above and the converter applies the right rule set instantly. You can switch styles to compare and pick the one that fits your context.
The quick rule
Match the style your instructor or course requires. When in doubt, MLA is the safest default for general humanities essays. Capitalize the first and last words and all major words, and keep articles, short conjunctions and prepositions lowercase in the middle.
Example
Type a phrase like “the role of memory in personal identity” above and watch each word fall into place: the major words are capitalized, the small connecting words are lowercased, and the first and last words are always capitalized.
Why correct casing matters here
Casing is the first thing a reader notices before they read a single full word. Inconsistent capitalization looks careless; clean title case signals that the rest of the work is just as carefully prepared. For an essay title or heading, it is a small detail that quietly builds trust.
Frequently asked questions
- Which style should I use for an essay title or heading?
- Academic essays usually follow APA, MLA or Chicago, depending on your subject. Social-science and psychology essays use APA; literature and humanities essays use MLA; history and many book-length works use Chicago.
- Should the first word always be capitalized?
- Yes. In every title-case style the first and last words are capitalized no matter what they are.
- Is title case better than sentence case here?
- It depends on tone. Title case looks formal and polished; sentence case feels more casual. Use the style switcher above to compare.