Is “it” capitalized in a title? In general, you should capitalize “it” in a title because it is a pronoun (a major word in a title). To learn more about the capitalization of “it” by style guide and if there’s an exception to the capitalization, read on.
Related:
- Do You Capitalize “With” in a Title?
- What Words Are Not Capitalized in a Title?
- Is “For” Capitalized in a Title?
Title Capitalization Rules Per Style Guide
When it comes to capitalization, citation, and formatting, major style guides have their own rules. However, when it comes to capitalizing “it,” most style guides agree that it should be capitalized. Why? “It” is a pronoun that takes the place of a noun in a sentence. Let’s take a look at how different style guides treat the word “it” below.
Chicago Manual of Style
In the Chicago Manual of Style, all major words are capitalized. This rule includes the word “it” because it is a pronoun. Other parts of speech that you should capitalize include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. As for articles, conjunctions, and prepositions, they are in lowercase.
American Medical Association (AMA)
If you are following the American Medical Association or AMA manual of style, “it” is always capitalized regardless of where it is positioned in a title. The reason is that “it,” although just two letters long, is a pronoun, which AMA also considers a major word. So what shouldn’t you capitalize? You do not capitalize articles or prepositions of three or fewer letters, coordinating conjunctions, or two-letter verbs.
Associated Press Style (AP Style)
Associated Press Style, or AP Stylebook, requires you to capitalize the first and last words of a title. But what if “it” appears in the middle or after a colon? You should still capitalize it.
American Psychological Association (APA Style)
For APA Style, it also puts “it” as a major word. But if your title includes an article or short preposition (not the first word, after a colon, or at the end of a title), you should have them in lowercase.
Modern Language Association (MLA)
The Modern Language Association, or MLA style, also asks you to capitalize major words such as pronouns, adverbs, nouns, verbs, and adjectives. For minor words (like prepositions, articles, and short conjunctions), keep them in lowercase.
The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage
In NY Style, if the word is four or more letters long or is a noun, pronoun, or verb, you should capitalize it. And, as we’ve mentioned before, “it” is a pronoun, so it will receive capitalization, not just if it is the first word of a title.
Wikipedia Manual of Style
If you are following the Wikipedia Manual of Style, “it” is also capitalized regardless of where it appears in the sentence. What you shouldn’t capitalize are articles, short prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions.
Bluebook
Like previously mentioned style guides, “it” is also capitalized in Bluebook. In fact, almost all words are capitalized except for articles, conjunctions, and prepositions under four letters.
When Should You Capitalize It?
As you can see, all style guides ask you to capitalize “it” because pronouns are considered as a major word. As a rule of thumb, capitalize “it” if:
- It is the first and last word of a title.
- It appears after a colon or dash (first word of subtitles)
- Or, if it appears in the middle of a title.
When Should You Not Capitalize It?
“It” is always capitalized (regardless of what style guide you are following), so you should never have it in lowercase.
Final Thoughts
And there we have it! We have answered your question, “Is it capitalized in a title?” Remember, capitalizing “it” is pretty straightforward because it is always capitalized! If you need more help with capitalizing other words, use Capitalize My Title!
