Comparison1 min readUpdated July 1, 2026
Title case vs sentence case
Short answer
Title case capitalizes the first letter of each major word (This Is Title Case). Sentence case capitalizes only the first word and proper nouns (This is sentence case). Use title case for headings in some styles; sentence case is common for UI and modern web writing.
The difference at a glance
- Title Case — Capitalize The Major Words (nouns, verbs, adjectives)
- Sentence case — capitalize only the first word and proper nouns
- UPPERCASE — every letter capitalized, best used sparingly
- lowercase — no capitals, used for slugs and some brand styles
When to use title case
Title case is traditional for headlines and titles in styles like APA, MLA, and Chicago. It signals a formal heading. The catch: rules about which small words (a, the, of, and) stay lowercase differ between style guides.
When to use sentence case
Sentence case is easier to read, harder to get wrong, and now standard for many product and web style guides (including Google and Apple) for headings, buttons, and labels. Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
Try it: Case ConverterConvert text between title case, sentence case, UPPER, lower, and more.Open tool
Pick one and stay consistentThe specific choice matters less than applying it consistently across every heading and button. Mixed capitalization looks unpolished.