When formatting text, capitalization matters. Two of the most common styles are Title Case and Sentence Case. While they may look similar, they follow different rules and are used in different contexts. Understanding the difference helps you write professional, consistent content.
What Is Title Case?
Title Case is most often used for headings, headlines, book titles, and article titles. In this style:
- The first and last words are always capitalized.
- Important words like nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are capitalized.
- Short words (articles, prepositions, and conjunctions) like a, an, and, in, of, the are usually lowercase unless they're the first or last word.
Example:
This Is an Example of Title Case
👉 Try it yourself with our free Title Case Converter.
What Is Sentence Case?
Sentence Case is the most common style for regular text, including essays, reports, and blog content. In this style:
- The first word of the sentence is capitalized.
- The rest of the words remain lowercase, except for proper nouns.
Example:
This is an example of sentence case.
👉 Convert your text with our Sentence Case Converter.
Title Case vs Sentence Case: Key Differences
| Feature | Title Case | Sentence Case |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | Headlines, titles, headings | Essays, reports, body text |
| Capitalization | Most important words are capitalized | Only the first word and proper nouns |
| Example | How to Convert Text Case Online | How to convert text case online |
When to Use Each
Title Case: Best for book titles, articles, blog post titles, web page headings, and formal documents.
Sentence Case: Best for regular sentences, academic writing, and content where readability is important.
Many style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago Manual of Style) recommend title case for titles and sentence case for content.
Internal Links
Need a quick fix? Try our Change Case Tool.
Want every word capitalized? Use the Capitalized Case Converter.
Looking to fix ALL CAPS text? Use the Uppercase to Lowercase Converter.
FAQ
1. What is the main difference between title case and sentence case?
Title case capitalizes important words, while sentence case only capitalizes the first word.
2. Which is easier to read?
Sentence case is easier for long passages. Title case is better for short headings.
3. Do all style guides follow the same rules?
No, APA, MLA, and Chicago have slightly different rules for title case.
4. Is title case always required for blog titles?
Not always. Some blogs use sentence case for a casual style.
5. Can I use a tool to switch between them?
Yes, use our Case Converter Tool to switch instantly.
6. Does title case capitalize articles like "the" and "a"?
Usually no, unless they are the first or last word in the title.
7. What about prepositions in title case?
Short prepositions (in, on, at, of) are usually lowercase.
8. Is sentence case more SEO-friendly?
Both can work, but sentence case looks more natural in meta titles.
9. Can I use title case in emails?
Yes, but only for subject lines. The email body should be sentence case.
10. Is there a global standard?
No, capitalization rules vary by language and style guide.
Final Thoughts
Both title case and sentence case have their place. Title case grabs attention in headlines and headings, while sentence case makes body text easy to read. Use the right style for the right context — and if you're unsure, our free case converter tools can handle the formatting for you.
Need Help Choosing the Right Case?
Use our free case converter tools to instantly switch between title case, sentence case, and other formatting styles!
Try Our Case Converter