Is "The" Capitalized in a Title? | TitleCasePro
Is "the" capitalized in a title? As an article, it stays lowercase mid-title but is always capitalized as the first or last word. See the rules.
Quick answer: The word “the” is an article, so it stays lowercase in the middle of a title in every major style guide. It is capitalized only when it is the first word, the last word, or the first word after a colon.
“The” is an article — one of the three articles in English (a, an, the) — and articles are minor words in every title capitalization style. That makes “the” one of the few words that behaves consistently across all style guides.
The Rule for “The”
Universal rule: Lowercase “the” mid-title in all styles. Capitalize it as the first or last word, or as the first word of a subtitle after a colon.
This is one of the rare cases where APA, Chicago, AP, MLA, AMA, NY Times, and Bluebook all agree — with the single exception of AMA, which capitalizes every word including articles.
”The” Across the Major Style Guides
| Style guide | ”the” mid-title | ”the” as first/last word |
|---|---|---|
| APA | lowercase | Capitalize |
| Chicago | lowercase | Capitalize |
| MLA | lowercase | Capitalize |
| AP | lowercase | Capitalize |
| AMA | Capitalize (caps everything) | Capitalize |
| NY Times | lowercase | Capitalize |
| Bluebook | lowercase | Capitalize |
Examples
“The” mid-title — lowercase:
- The Lord of the Rings — first The capitalized, second the lowercase
- A Journey Through the Mountains
- Tales from the Crypt
“The” as the first word — capitalized:
- The Great Gatsby
- The Catcher in the Rye
“The” after a colon — capitalized:
- Web Design: The Complete Guide
⚠️ Watch the second “the”: In a title like “The Lord of the Rings,” the first The is capitalized (first word) but the second the stays lowercase (mid-title article). This trips up a lot of writers.
What About Brand Names With “The”?
When “The” is part of an official proper name — like The New York Times or The Beatles — keep the capitalization the brand itself uses. In running text, Chicago retains an initial “The” for periodical titles when it appears on the masthead.
Get It Right Automatically
The title capitalizer handles “the” correctly for every style guide — lowercasing it mid-title and capitalizing it at the start or end automatically. Paste your title, pick your style, and see a word-by-word breakdown.
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