# Capitalization

Entries about capitalization rules: when to capitalize, headings, title case, proper names, and sentence-style vs title-style.

## Entries

### capitalization
Two styles of capitalization are commonly used at Apple:

- *Sentence-style capitalization:* This line provides an example of sentence-style capitalization.
- *Title-style capitalization:* This Line Provides an Example of Title-Style Capitalization.

Except for user interface text, guidelines for when to use sentence-style capitalization and when to use title-style capitalization are a matter of department style.

In general, capitalize the names of onscreen elements exactly as they appear onscreen. If an onscreen element uses all capital letters or all lowercase letters, use title-style capitalization when writing the element name in documentation.

Don't capitalize the word *chapter* or *appendix*, except in cross-references to actual titles.

> See Chapter 2, "Units of Measure."
> See the appendix for specifications.
> See Appendix B for a list of specifications.

When using title-style capitalization, capitalize:

- The first and last word, regardless of the part of speech
- Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs—no matter their length (for example, *It, This, You, Your, My, Is, Are,* and *Be*)—unless noted as an exception below

> Skip This Backup
> Apple News Is Offline
> Passwords Are Locked

- Conjunctions (except for coordinating conjunctions), no matter their length (for example, *If*)

> What to Do If Your iPhone Is Lost

- Prepositions of five letters or more (for example, *About, Between, Through*)
- Prepositions of any length when they're part of a phrasal verb (such as *Start Up, Turn On,* or *Log In*) or are used as another part of speech (such as an adverb, adjective, noun, or verb)

> Start Up the Computer
> Turn On Apple Watch
> Log In to the Server

- The second word in a hyphenated compound (except for *Built-in* and *Plug-in*)

> High-Level Events
> 64-Bit Addressing

When using title-style capitalization, don't capitalize:

- Articles (*a, an, the*), unless an article is the first word or follows a colon
- Coordinating conjunctions (*and, but, or, nor, for, yet,* and *so*)
- The word *to* in infinitives (*How to Start Your Computer*)
- The word *as*, regardless of the part of speech (*Export a Document as a PDF*)
- Words that always begin with a lowercase letter, such as *iPad* and *macOS*
- Prepositions of four letters or fewer (*at, by, for, from, in, into, of, off, on, onto, out, over, to, up,* and *with*)

> Don't Speak in Silent Mode
> Collaborate with Others
> Restore iPhone from a Backup

*Exception:* Capitalize prepositions of any length when they're part of a phrasal verb, as described in the "capitalize" section above.

See also [abbreviations and acronyms](abbreviations-and-acronyms.md#abbreviations-and-acronyms).

### chapter
Don't capitalize the word *chapter*, except in cross-references to actual titles (exception to *The Chicago Manual of Style*).

> in Chapter 5, "Expanding Your Computer"
> in Chapters 4 and 5
> in the next chapter

See also [capitalization](#capitalization).

### command names
Use title-style capitalization for command names; don't capitalize *command*.

> the Find command
> the Make Alias command

- *Commands used as ordinary verbs:* Don't capitalize a command name when you use the name as a normal English verb.

> Correct: Cut and paste the selected text.
> Incorrect: Cut and Paste the selected text.

- *Ellipsis:* Some menu commands use an ellipsis to indicate that further action will be required. Don't include the ellipsis when you refer to the command name in text or text headings.

> Correct: Choose File > Print, and then enter the number of copies.
> Incorrect: Choose File > Print…, and then enter the number of copies.

See also [choose](voice-and-tone.md#choose); [command](ui-elements.md#command); [menus](ui-elements.md#menus).
