Arts >> Books >> Book Publishing

How to Capitalize Compound Words in Titles Using Chicago Style

The capitalization of compound words in titles can be a source of confusion for the writer or editor. Should you capitalize the "first" in "twenty-first"? Should you capitalize "gun" in "anti-gun"? The University of Chicago Press, as a promulgator of Chicago style, recommends using a simple set of rules for capitalization of compound words in titles. Follow these capitalization rules if you or the publication you're writing for uses Chicago style.

Instructions

    • 1

      Capitalize the first element of every compound word. For example, "Use Your Elephant-Gun Ammunition Wisely."

    • 2

      Capitalize the second element and any following element of a compound word unless that element is an article, a preposition or a coordinating conjunction (for, nor, or, and, but). For example, "The Unforgettable-but-Inimical Comedy of Buster Tight Shoes."

    • 3

      Capitalize the second element of a spelled-out number. For example, "Sunday Sees Twenty-Third Anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille."

    • 4

      Do not capitalize the second or following element of a compound word if the element is the word "sharp" or the word "flat" following a musical key symbol. For example, "Analysis of Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos in E-flat."

    • 5

      Do not capitalize an element following a prefix if the prefix is not a word and the element is not a proper noun or proper adjective. For example, "Anti-clerical Riots Commonplace in Tangier" but "Anti-Swiss Sentiment Common among Martians."

Book Publishing

Related Categories