Capitalize Are In Title | Fix Title Case Fast

That tiny word causes outsized headaches. People learn “don’t capitalize short words,” then they see “Are” in a title and freeze. The good news: you can settle it with one clean rule. “Are” is a verb, and most title-case systems capitalize verbs, even short ones.

If your goal is consistent headings for posts, lessons, assignments, or handouts, the win isn’t memorizing twenty exceptions. It’s choosing the casing system for the page, then applying it the same way every time.

Capitalize Are In Title for clean headings across styles

Start by picking one of these two paths:

• Title case: capitalize major words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns). Keep most minor words lowercase.
• Sentence case: capitalize like a normal sentence (first word + proper nouns). Everything else stays lowercase.

Once that choice is made, “are” stops being a guessing game. It becomes a simple match: title case usually gives you Are. Sentence case usually gives you are.

Where the title appears	Common casing choice	How to write “are”
Blog post headline (many publishers)	Title case	Are
Academic paper title on a title page (APA)	Title case	Are
Article title in an APA reference list entry	Sentence case	are
Microsoft-style product documentation headings	Sentence case	are
Book, report, or white paper title	Title case	Are
UI labels (buttons, menus, settings)	Sentence case	are
Course module names in an LMS	Often title case	Are
Email subject lines	House style	Are / are

What makes “are” different from most short words

Most “leave short words lowercase” tips are aimed at articles (a, an, the), short prepositions (to, in, on), and short conjunctions (and, but, or). “Are” doesn’t belong to any of those groups. It’s a linking verb.

Title case tends to treat verbs as major words. That’s why you’ll see Are capitalized in headlines, book titles, and many class materials, even though it’s only three letters long.

Title case vs sentence case in plain terms

Title case is the “headline look.” Sentence case is the “normal sentence look.” Neither is “right” everywhere. They serve different settings.

• Title case stands out on pages built around reading: articles, essays, long lesson pages, downloadable guides, many newsletters.
• Sentence case often fits interfaces and documentation: labels, menu items, help-center headings, procedural steps.

APA Style’s title-case rule lists verbs as major words, which covers “are.” If you want a direct rule page to point students or editors to, use APA title case capitalization.

When “are” stays lowercase

“Are” stays lowercase most often when your title is in sentence case. That includes a lot of practical writing on the web, especially in product writing and technical documentation.

Here are the common sentence-case situations where lowercase are looks correct:

• Instructional headings: “How are grades calculated”
• Help-center or product docs headings: “Why are my files missing”
• Form labels: “Why are you contacting us?”
• APA reference list article titles: article titles are sentence case in references

Microsoft’s style guidance leans hard toward sentence-style capitalization in many contexts, which is a big reason you’ll see “are” kept lowercase in software docs. This page is the cleanest single reference: Microsoft capitalization guidance.

Two fast signals that you’re in sentence case

If you’re not sure which casing system a page is using, check these two things:

1. Are most words lowercase? If yes, you’re probably in sentence case.
2. Do headings look like normal sentences? If yes, stick with sentence case and keep “are” lowercase unless it starts the title.

When “Are” should be capitalized in a title

If the title is in title case, capitalize “Are” nearly every time. That includes questions and statements. The verb rule holds steady.

• Why Cats Are Picky Eaters
• What Are Primary Sources?
• Are We Ready for Group Projects?
• Which Errors Are Most Common in Lab Reports?

Notice what’s happening: “Are” is always functioning as a verb, and title case usually capitalizes verbs. The word’s length doesn’t change that.

Titles that begin with “Are”

If “are” is the first word of the title, it gets capitalized in both systems:

• Are students allowed to retake quizzes?
• Are We There Yet?

That’s because sentence case still capitalizes the first word of a title.

Style-guide differences that can trip you up

Most of the time, “Are” is simple: title case caps it, sentence case doesn’t. The trouble starts when one project mixes rules from different settings.

Academic writing uses both systems on the same page

Here’s a common student confusion: APA uses title case for the paper title itself, yet uses sentence case for article titles inside reference entries. So the same article title may appear in two spots with different casing.

That’s not a mistake. It’s two different formatting rules applied to two different elements.

Publisher headlines may follow “headline style,” not a single universal rule

Newsrooms often use AP headline style or a custom house style. Book publishers may use Chicago headline style. Blogs may use their own hybrid. Even when the details differ, “Are” still tends to be treated as a verb and capitalized in title case.

The real danger isn’t choosing a different style guide. It’s mixing two styles on one page without a plan.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Mixing title case and sentence case in the same heading set

This happens when someone pastes a heading from a PDF or syllabus into WordPress, then adjusts only a few words. You end up with a heading that looks half edited.

Fix: pick the casing system for the page, then do a quick pass on every heading at the same level (all H2s, then all H3s). The goal is one consistent pattern, not one “perfect” heading.

Lowercasing verbs because they look small

Writers often lowercase “are,” “is,” “be,” and “was” because they feel like “minor” words. In title case, they’re still verbs. Leaving them lowercase creates a jagged look that reads like a typo.

Fix: in title case, scan for short verbs. If they’re lowercase, change them.

Auto-title-case tools that don’t match your chosen style

Some tools apply one headline style, even when your project calls for sentence case. Others follow a simplified rule set and can get tricky compounds wrong.

Fix: use tools as a first pass, then verify against the rules you chose for the page. Tools are helpful, but your house rule is the final call.

How to lock consistency in WordPress

WordPress makes it easy to publish content that looks consistent, as long as you decide how you want headings to read.

Write a one-line house rule for your site

Keep it short enough that you’ll actually follow it. Here’s a solid default for an educational site:

• Use title case for post titles and H2 headings.
• Use sentence case for buttons, menu labels, and form field text.
• In title case, capitalize verbs, including “Are.”
• In sentence case, write “are” in lowercase unless it starts the title.

Add that to your internal editing notes. If you work with guest writers, it also cuts back on back-and-forth edits.

Do a “heading-only” scan before publishing

Here’s a fast pre-publish trick: scroll the page and read only the headings. If the casing shifts between headings of the same level, you’ll spot it right away. Fix those before you worry about small punctuation details.

Two-minute check you can run on any page

This workflow is simple, repeatable, and works in Google Docs, Word, Notion, and WordPress:

1. Decide the casing system for this page. If you’re unsure, match the rest of the site section.
2. Find the verbs in the title. In title case, verbs should be capped.
3. Check the first and last words. In title case, they’re capped even if they’re short.
4. Check proper nouns. Use the official spelling for brands, courses, and names.
5. Scan headings at one level. Make sure your H2s match each other, your H3s match each other.

This is also where many people catch the exact problem that brought them here: “are” sitting in the middle of a title-case heading, left lowercase by habit.

Where punctuation changes the decision

Punctuation doesn’t change what “are” is, but it can change where a new unit begins. That affects capitalization at boundaries.

Colons and subtitles

After a colon, many writers treat the subtitle like a fresh start. In title case, that means you keep capitalizing major words in the subtitle, and “Are” stays capped when it appears as a verb:

• What Are We Doing: A Quick Lab Plan
• Why Grades Are Posted Late: A Teacher’s Checklist

Slashes

Slashes often signal “either/or.” Treat each side like a small title fragment. In title case, verbs still get caps:

• What Are/Are Not Valid Sources
• Which Sources Are/Are Not Peer Reviewed

Quotes inside titles

If a title contains a quoted phrase, keep the casing consistent with the surrounding title, unless you’re quoting a source that has fixed casing (like a product name). A quoted phrase inside a title-case heading still follows title case in most settings.

If you’re quoting a UI string, keep its official casing even if it clashes slightly with your headline casing. UI strings are often sentence case by design.

Mini decision table for quick edits

Your situation	Fast choice	Write it like
Blog headline, lesson page title	Title case	Are
Help-center heading, product docs	Sentence case	are
APA paper title on the title page	Title case	Are
APA reference list article title	Sentence case	are
Slide title in a class deck	Match your deck template	Are / are
File names, dataset labels, folder names	Match system convention	Are / are
Email subject lines	Match your brand voice	Are / are

Clean checklist for editors and students

Use this as your final pass before you hit publish or submit:

• Pick title case or sentence case for the page and keep it steady.
• In title case, verbs get caps, so write “Are.”
• In sentence case, write “are” unless it starts the title.
• Scan pasted headings; they often carry a different casing system.
• Verify proper nouns and official names before changing capitalization.
• Do one heading-only scan to catch mixed casing fast.

If you landed here by searching “capitalize are in title,” here’s the direct rule: in title case, write Are. In sentence case, write are unless it starts the title. Keep that consistent across your headings and your page will read clean with zero drama.

One last time, in plain words: capitalize are in title when you’re using title case, because “are” is a verb. Use lowercase “are” in sentence case unless it’s the first word.