AMA Title Capitalization Rules

AMA 11th edition capitalises every word in a title — there are no exceptions for articles or prepositions.

Where AMA Style Is Used

AMA title capitalization is the standard for Medicine, Health Sciences, Biology, Nursing writing. Following the correct style guide is important when submitting work for publication, academic review, or professional presentation in these fields.

AMA Capitalization Rules

• Capitalise ALL words — no exceptions
• Articles, prepositions, conjunctions: all capitalised
• First and last word: capitalised (same as all other words)
• Hyphenated compounds: capitalise each part

How AMA Style Works in Practice

AMA title case is defined by the AMA Manual of Style, 11th edition, published by the American Medical Association. It is the standard for medical journals, health sciences research, biology, nursing, and allied health fields. AMA's defining feature is its all-capitals rule: every word in a title is capitalized, including articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. This means "A Study of the Effects of Sleep on Memory" becomes "A Study Of The Effects Of Sleep On Memory." While this rule is simpler to apply than the conditional rules of other styles, it makes titles look more heavily capitalized than any other major style.

Common Edge Cases in AMA Style

• There are essentially no exceptions to the all-capitals rule — every word, including "a," "an," "the," "of," "in," and "and," is capitalized.
• Hyphenated compounds: each part is capitalized (e.g., "Self-Report," "Evidence-Based").
• "To" in infinitives is capitalized: "How To Write A Manuscript" — unlike all other major styles.
• Proper nouns and abbreviations follow their own capitalization rules, unaffected by the all-caps rule.
• AMA style is used almost exclusively in the medical and health sciences — use APA or Chicago for other academic fields.

Example: AMA Title Case

To see AMA style applied to your own title with a word-by-word explanation of every rule, use the AMA title capitalizer. You can also compare all 9 styles side by side using the same title.

How AMA Differs From AP

AMA and AP both capitalize more words than APA, Chicago, or MLA, but they differ significantly. AP capitalizes words of 4 or more letters, leaving short articles and prepositions lowercase. AMA capitalizes every single word with no exceptions. In practice, AMA titles look more heavily capitalized than AP titles, particularly for words like "a," "an," "the," "of," "in," and "and," which AP lowercases but AMA capitalizes. AMA is appropriate for medical publishing; AP is the standard for journalism.

See the full comparison in the AP style guide or use the side-by-side comparison tool.

How AMA Differs From Other Styles

Every style guide makes different choices about prepositions, articles, and conjunctions. Here is how AMA compares to the other major title capitalization standards:

• APA — widely used in social sciences.
• Chicago — standard for books and publishing.
• AP — the standard for journalism and news.
• MLA — standard for literature and language.
• Bluebook — used in legal writing and law review.
• NY Times — used in one of the world's most read publications.
• Wikipedia — sentence case with proper nouns.
• Email — sentence case for professional communication.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AMA title capitalization?

AMA title capitalization follows the AMA Manual of Style, 11th Edition. It is the only major style guide that capitalizes every word in a title without exception — including articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Used in medicine, nursing, and health sciences.

When should I use AMA title case?

Use AMA title case when writing for medical journals (JAMA, NEJM, The Lancet), health science publications, or any manuscript that follows the American Medical Association's editorial standards.

What words are capitalized in AMA titles?

Every word is capitalized in AMA title case — articles (A, An, The), prepositions (Of, In, For, From, With, Between), conjunctions (And, But, Or), and all other words. There are no exceptions.

What words are lowercase in AMA title case?

No words are lowercase in AMA title case. Every word — including articles, prepositions, and conjunctions — receives an uppercase first letter.

Are articles capitalized in AMA title case?

Yes. AMA capitalizes articles (A, An, The) in titles. Example: "The Role Of Sleep In The Treatment Of Anxiety Disorders" — every word is uppercase, including "The," "Of," and "In."

Are conjunctions capitalized in AMA title case?

Yes. All conjunctions — coordinating (And, But, Or, Nor, For, So, Yet) and subordinating — are capitalized in AMA title case.

Are prepositions capitalized in AMA title case?

Yes. All prepositions of any length — Of, In, At, By, For, From, With, Between, Through, During, Without — are capitalized in AMA title case. This is the most significant difference from all other major style guides.

Is the first word always capitalized in AMA titles?

Yes. Every word is capitalized, so the first word is always capitalized.

Is the last word always capitalized in AMA titles?

Yes. Every word is capitalized.

How is AMA title case different from other styles?

AMA is unique in capitalizing every word. APA, Chicago, AP, MLA, Bluebook, NY Times, and Wikipedia all have categories of words that remain lowercase — prepositions, articles, conjunctions. AMA has no such exceptions. A title in AMA will have more capitals than any other style.

Can I convert a title to AMA style automatically?

Yes. Use the AMA title capitalizer for instant conversion.

Can I compare AMA with APA, Chicago, and MLA?

Yes. The Compare Styles tool shows all 9 styles side by side — the contrast between AMA and all other styles is immediately visible.

Can I use TitleCasePro for AMA capitalization?

Yes. TitleCasePro follows AMA 11th Edition rules. Use the Title Capitalizer or Batch Capitalizer for large lists.

Use the AMA Capitalizer

Ready to capitalize a title in AMA style? The AMA title capitalizer converts your title instantly and explains every word. For processing a list of titles at once, use the batch capitalizer with CSV or TXT import. To see your title in all styles simultaneously, use the style comparison tool.