When drafting titles for articles, essays, or web pages, one frequently stumbles over the word "is." Unlike nouns or verbs, this verb often feels too small to warrant capitalization, creating immediate confusion. Is per capitalized in a title? This question highlights the broader set of rules governing minor words in title case, a topic that generates significant debate among writers and editors.
The Standard Rules of Title Case
Title case is a set of conventions designed to create visually consistent and grammatically correct headings. The primary principle dictates that the first and last words of a title are always capitalized, regardless of their part of speech. Furthermore, all major words—including nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs—are typically capitalized. This framework provides the foundation for determining the status of the word "is," which is a verb, placing it firmly in the category of words that usually require capitalization.
Exceptions: Articles, Conjunctions, and Prepositions
However, strict adherence to capitalizing all major words can result in awkward-looking titles. To mitigate this, style guides introduce exceptions for specific functional words. Generally, articles (such as "a," "an," and "the"), coordinating conjunctions (like "and," "but," and "or"), and short prepositions (often those with three or four letters) are left lowercase. The word "is" does not fall into these exception categories. It is a verb, which is always considered a major word, meaning it is almost always capitalized in titles regardless of its length or position.
Contextual Variations and Style Guides
While the grammatical classification of "is" is clear, the application of title case can vary depending on the style guide in use. The Associated Press (AP) Style, commonly used in journalism, recommends capitalizing words with three or more letters, which solidly includes "is." The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA format, which favor capitalizing major words, also leave no room for lowercase "is" in the middle of a title. The consistency across major authorities suggests that "Is" is the standard form in professional writing.
Position Matters Less Than Grammar
A common point of confusion is whether the position of the word within the title affects its capitalization. Some writers assume that a word is lowercase if it is the second or third word in the title. This is a misconception. While the first and last words hold special importance, the grammatical role of the word is the ultimate deciding factor. Because "is" functions as a verb, it maintains its capital letter even if it appears as the second word in a short title, such as "Life Is Good."
Looking at specific examples helps solidify this rule. Consider the title "The Sky Is Blue." Here, "Sky" and "Blue" are obviously capitalized as a noun and an adjective. "Is" is also capitalized because it is the verb linking the subject to the description. In a more complex title like "Finding Is Believing," the word "Is" remains capitalized, functioning as the verb in the middle of the phrase. These constructions adhere to the standard of capitalizing verbs, ensuring the title looks grammatically sound.
