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Title Case for

to

Single Word 1 words
APAP Style
To
Lowercase in AP style because it is an article, short conjunction, or short preposition (under 5 letters) in the middle of a title.
APAAPA Style
To
Lowercase in APA style because it is a short word (under 4 letters) that appears in the middle of a title.
MLAMLA Style
To
Lowercase in MLA style because it is an article, conjunction, or short preposition (under 5 letters) in the middle of a title.
CHICAGOChicago Style
To
Lowercase in Chicago style because it is a preposition or article.
SENTENCESentence Case
To
Only the first word is capitalized in sentence case.
UPPERALL CAPS
TO
All letters are capitalized in ALL CAPS style.
LOWERall lowercase
to
No words are capitalized in all lowercase style.

Style Comparison Table

StyleResultRule
AP StyleToLowercase articles, short conjunctions, and short prepositions under 5 letters
APA StyleToLowercase all short words under 4 letters except first/last
MLA StyleToSame as AP but capitalize all hyphenated parts
ChicagoToLowercase all prepositions regardless of length
Sentence CaseToCapitalize first word only
ALL CAPSTOEvery letter capitalized
all lowercasetoNo words capitalized

Capitalization Tips

  • Always capitalize the first and last word of any title, regardless of style.
  • Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are always capitalized.
  • Articles (a, an, the) are typically lowercase in the middle of a title.
  • Short prepositions (under 5 letters in AP) are usually lowercase.
  • When in doubt, use AP Style — it is the most widely accepted standard.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to capitalize the last word of a title.
  • Capitalizing short prepositions like "in" and "on" in AP Style.
  • Using sentence case when a style guide requires title case.
  • Inconsistent capitalization across headings in the same document.
  • Capitalizing "to" in infinitives (e.g., "How To Write" should be "How to Write" in AP).

Related Phrases

Other phrases you might be looking for:

toneCapitalize →tourCapitalize →topCapitalize →tongueCapitalize →toursCapitalize →totallyCapitalize →
Frequently Asked Questions

Do you capitalize "to" in a title?

In AP Style, "to" is lowercase when it appears in the middle of a title. However, it is always capitalized if it is the first or last word of the title.

Is "to" capitalized in APA Style?

APA Style lowercases "to" because it is a short word (under 4 letters). Like all style guides, APA always capitalizes the first and last words of a title regardless of length.

Should "to" be capitalized in a headline?

In most headline styles, "to" is lowercase in the middle of a headline. AP Style lowercases articles, short conjunctions, and short prepositions under 5 letters. Chicago Style lowercases all prepositions.

Is "to" capitalized in MLA format?

MLA Style follows the same rules as AP Style for "to": lowercase in the middle of a title. MLA also capitalizes all parts of hyphenated words.

Do you capitalize "to" in Chicago Manual of Style?

In Chicago Style, "to" is lowercase because it is a preposition or article. Chicago lowercases ALL prepositions regardless of length.

Which words are always capitalized in a title?

The first and last words of a title are always capitalized in every major style guide (AP, APA, MLA, Chicago). Additionally, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are always capitalized. Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions are typically lowercase unless they are the first or last word.

What is the difference between AP and APA title case?

AP Style lowercases articles, short conjunctions, and short prepositions under 5 letters. APA Style is more aggressive: it lowercases ALL short words under 4 letters. Both always capitalize the first and last word.

Do you capitalize the first and last word of a title?

Yes. In every major style guide — AP, APA, MLA, and Chicago — the first and last words of a title are always capitalized, regardless of what part of speech they are.

About capitalizing "to" in titles

The word to appears in titles, headlines, and headings across many contexts. Whether you should capitalize it depends entirely on which style guide you are following. The four major standards — AP (Associated Press), APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and Chicago Manual of Style — each have different rules.

In AP Style, the most widely used standard for journalism and web content, articles (a, an, the), short conjunctions (and, but, or, for, nor), and short prepositions under five letters (on, at, to, from, by, in, with, of, up) are lowercase in the middle of a title. The first and last words are always capitalized regardless of what part of speech they are.

APA Style is more aggressive: it lowercases all short words under four letters. Chicago Style lowercases all prepositions regardless of length. MLA Style follows AP rules but also capitalizes all parts of hyphenated words. Sentence case only capitalizes the first word, while ALL CAPS and all lowercase are used for specific design or stylistic purposes.

When writing headlines, blog titles, or academic papers, consistency matters most. Pick one style guide and apply it uniformly. If you are writing for a news website or blog, AP Style is usually the safest choice. For academic papers, follow your instructor or publisher required style.