Is “Are” Capitalized in a Title?

When it comes to deciding if are is capitalized in a title, the answer largely depends on the style guides you follow. In title case, major words like nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns are usually capitalized, while articles, short prepositions, and conjunctions are typically lowercase. 

Since are is a verb, most universal writing standards—including the AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style, and MLA—recommend capitalizing it. For example, in a book, blog post, or movie title, “What Are You Doing Today?” would have are capitalized because it is a present-tense verb, important, and functionally central to the headline. 

My experience as a copyediting instructor and journalism professional shows that capitalizing verbs like are improves clarity, consistency, and readability, especially in online, academic, and professional contexts.

Even though guidelines vary, following a specific style ensures uniformity across titles, subheadings, and headlines. Some variations exist in digital content, news outlets, and marketing resources, where shorter prepositions or auxiliary verbs like are might occasionally appear lowercase for stylistic or visual balance reasons. 

Tools like Grammarly, Titlecaseconverter, and Scribbr can automatically check your title capitalization, which is particularly helpful when working on academic papers, books, magazines, or blog posts. Remember that consistency is more critical than following every minor rule, so whether you’re titling a movie, song, or book, knowing the foundation, concept, and function of capitalizing are helps you navigate writing confidently without confusing your readers or breaking standards.

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Understanding Title Capitalization Rules

Capitalization in titles follows specific grammar rules. English style guides—like Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), AP Style, MLA, and Bluebook—help writers decide which words to capitalize. Generally:

• Capitalize: Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions.
  
• Do not capitalize: Articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet), and short prepositions (in, on, at, by, to, for, from).
  

“Are” is a verb, so in most style guides, it is capitalized.

Example:

• Correct: How Are Dogs and Cats Different?
  
• Incorrect: How are Dogs and Cats Different?
  

This rule applies to books, essays, plays, television shows, email headlines, and marketing content.

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When “Are” Should Be Capitalized

“Are” is a verb, part of the “to be” family, and generally receives capitalization in title case. Capitalize it when it is:

1. At the beginning of the title
   
2. A main verb in the sentence
   

Examples:

• Where Are the Blueberries and Strawberries?
  
• Why Are Oceans and Lakes Important for Life?
  
• Who Are the Heroes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?
  

Even in longer titles with multiple components, “Are” stays capitalized:

• Why Are Lions, Witches, and Wardrobes So Fascinating?
  
• How Are Things Falling Apart in Chinua Achebe’s Novel?
  

Capitalization here ensures clarity and professionalism, whether you’re submitting a research paper, essay, or newsletter.

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When “Are” Should Not Be Capitalized

There are very few situations where “are” is not capitalized in a title, usually when using sentence-style capitalization rather than title case. Sentence-style capitalization only capitalizes the first word and proper nouns.

Example:

• Sentence-style: How are dogs and cats different?
  
• Title-style: How Are Dogs and Cats Different?
  

Most publications, especially journalism, books, and professional papers, use title-style capitalization because it looks cleaner and is easier to read at a glance.

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Common Mistakes in Capitalizing Small Words

Even experienced writers make capitalization blunders, particularly with small words. Here are some common pitfalls:

• Treating verbs incorrectly (e.g., not capitalizing “are,” “is,” “be”)
  
• Lowercasing words after a colon when title-style rules say to capitalize
  
• Confusing prepositions and adverbs
  

Incorrect Example:

• The Things fall Apart: A Chinua Achebe Masterpiece
  Corrected:
  
• The Things Fall Apart: A Chinua Achebe Masterpiece
  

Notice that “Fall” is capitalized because it is a main verb, unlike the preposition “apart,” which can also be capitalized depending on the style guide.

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Capitalization Across Different Style Guides

Different style guides have slightly different rules:

Style Guide	Capitalize “Are”?	Notes
Chicago (CMOS)	Yes	Capitalizes all verbs
AP Style	Yes	Capitalizes all verbs of four letters or more
MLA	Yes	Standard title-case rule
Bluebook	Yes	Legal writing emphasizes verbs
7th & 9th Editions (APA)	Yes	APA focuses on verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs

Tip: When writing essays, school papers, or professional emails, always check which style guide your teacher, company, or publication prefers.

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Titles in Literature, Journalism, and Media

Famous works show how “Are” is capitalized:

• Where Are the Five Quarters of the Orange? – Joanne Harris
  
• Why Are There Two Half Men? – Chuck Lorre, Lee Aronsohn (sitcom)
  
• How Are Things Falling Apart? – Chinua Achebe
  

In journalism, capitalization can differ slightly based on the outlet:

• NY Times: Why Are Freshwater Lakes Essential for Life?
  
• Tribune: How Are Firefighters Tackling Wildfires in Greece?
  

Lesson: Capitalizing verbs, including “Are,” is standard across books, television shows, plays, essays, and newspapers.

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Handling Hyphenated Words, Compounds, and Prefixes

Capitalization can get tricky with hyphenated words and compounds. Rules to remember:

• Always capitalize the first element
  
• Capitalize the second element if it’s a noun, adjective, or proper noun
  

Examples:

• The Well-Tempered Clavier – Johann Sebastian Bach
  
• A Work-for-Hire Agreement for Graphic Designers
  

Prefix rules:

• Hyphenated prefixes sometimes follow unique capitalization rules:
  
  • Correct: Re-Sign the Contract
    
  • Incorrect: Re-sign the Contract (unless “re” is part of a verb in sentence style)
    

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Numbers, Fractions, and Spelled-Out Words in Titles

Numbers in titles can be written numerically or spelled out, depending on length and style guide.

Rules:

• Numbers one through nine: spell out (Three Lions, Five Quarters of the Orange)
  
• Numbers 10 and above: use numerals (21–35 Call of Duty Levels)
  
• Fractions can be spelled out or numeric depending on context
  

Examples:

• One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel García Márquez
  
• Two-Fold Analysis of Ocean Currents
  

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Capitalizing Headlines, Subheadings, and Emails

“Are” should always be capitalized in headlines, subheadings, and email subject lines when using title case:

• Headline: Where Are the Best Soccer Fields in New York City?
  
• Email: How Are You Handling Your Spring Garden?
  
• Subheading: Why Are Puppies So Cute and Energetic?
  

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Examples from Famous Works and Pop Culture

To make rules practical, here’s a list of examples using your specified words:

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
  
• Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
  
• The Catcher in the Rye – J. D. Salinger
  
• A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
  
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – C. S. Lewis
  
• Five Quarters of the Orange – Joanne Harris
  
• Sitcom: Two Half Men – Chuck Lorre, Lee Aronsohn
  

In every title, verbs like “Are” are capitalized, showing consistency across literature, TV, and movies.

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Practice Exercises for Mastering Capitalization

1. Correctly capitalize the verbs in these titles:
   
   • how are dogs different from cats → How Are Dogs Different from Cats
     
   • where are the blueberries in the garden → Where Are the Blueberries in the Garden
     
2. Identify mistakes:
   
   • The Things fall Apart
     
   • why are we learning punctuation
     
3. Bonus: Capitalize hyphenated words:
   
   • well-tempered clavier → Well-Tempered Clavier
     
   • work-for-hire agreement → Work-for-Hire Agreement
     

Tip: Practicing with real books, essays, emails, and headlines improves retention.

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Synonyms, Alternative Phrases, and Related Expressions

Word	Synonyms/Alternatives	Usage Example
Are	Exist, Be, Remain	Where Are the Cookies? → Where Do the Cookies Exist?
Fall Apart	Collapse, Crumble	Things Fall Apart → Things Crumble in Society
Lead	Guide, Direct	How to Lead a Team Effectively

Using synonyms can enhance writing while keeping capitalization rules consistent.

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Idioms and Usage Tips Related to “Are”

• Things are looking up → Positive situations improve
  
• Are you kidding me? → Informal, conversational use
  
• There are three main options → ESL-friendly sentence structure
  

Tip: Using idioms in titles is okay, but capitalize verbs like “Are” to maintain professionalism.

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Keyword Variations Comparison Table

Variation	Capitalized?	Notes
Is “Are” Capitalized in a Title?	Yes	Standard title case
Should “Are” Be Capitalized in Titles	Yes	Works for essays, headlines
are in title capitalization	Yes (if title case)	Use lowercase only in sentence style

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FAQs

Q1: Is “Are” always capitalized in titles?
Yes. When using title-case capitalization, verbs like “Are” are always capitalized.

Q2: Can “Are” be lowercase in a title?
Only in sentence-style capitalization, where the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.

Q3: Does AP Style capitalize “Are”?
Yes. AP Style capitalizes all verbs, including short ones like “Are.”

Q4: How do hyphenated words affect capitalization?
Capitalize the first element and the second element if it’s a noun, verb, or proper adjective.

Q5: Are there famous books or shows with “Are” capitalized?
Yes. Examples include Where Are the Five Quarters of the Orange? and sitcom Two Half Men.

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Conclusion

Capitalizing “Are” in titles is a simple but essential rule for writers, students, and professionals. Remember:

• Capitalize verbs in title case.
  
• Lowercase only in sentence-style capitalization.
  
• Apply rules consistently across books, journalism, essays, email headlines, and TV shows.
  
• Use practice exercises, examples, and style guides to master capitalization.