How to Title an Essay
Overview
Write your essay title after finishing the essay, not before. A strong title captures the central argument in 5-12 words. Use title case capitalization, center it on the page, and format it according to your style guide (MLA: plain text; APA: bold on a title page).
When to Write the Title
Most students try to title their essay before writing it. This leads to vague, generic titles because the argument has not taken shape yet.
Write the title last. After completing the essay, reread your thesis statement and conclusion. The title should encapsulate the argument you actually made, which may differ from what you originally planned. Treat the title as a label for the finished product, not a prediction of what you intend to write.
Proven Title Formulas
Keyword: Subtitle (most common for academic essays)
Uses a colon to pair a topic with a specific angle. This is the safest format for research papers and analytical essays.
Question Format
Poses the question your essay answers. Works best for exploratory and analytical essays.
Provocative Statement
Makes a bold claim that draws the reader in. Best for argumentative essays.
Concise Topic Label
A simple, direct description of the subject. Works for informative and expository essays where creativity is less important than clarity.
Essay Title Examples by Type
**Argumentative** - Beyond Merit: How Legacy Admissions Undermine Public Universities - The Case Against Standardized Testing in College Admissions **Analytical** - Invisible Walls: Class and Isolation in The Great Gatsby - How Orwell Uses Language as a Weapon in 1984 **Expository/Informative** - The Water Cycle: Processes, Stages, and Environmental Impact - How Vaccines Train the Immune System **Narrative/Personal** - The Summer I Stopped Pretending - What a Flat Tire Taught Me About Asking for Help **Research Paper** - Sleep Deprivation and Academic Performance: A Meta-Analysis of College Students - Microplastics in Freshwater Ecosystems: Sources, Distribution, and Ecological Effects
Title Capitalization Rules
Both MLA and APA use title case:
Capitalize: first word, last word, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if)
Do not capitalize: articles (a, an, the), short prepositions (in, on, at, to, for, with), and coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, yet, so) unless they are the first or last word
Examples:
- The Effects of Sleep on Memory (correct)
- The Effects Of Sleep On Memory (incorrect: "Of" and "On" are short prepositions)
- What Dreams Are Made Of (correct: "Of" is the last word, so it is capitalized)
MLA vs APA Title Formatting
| MLA | APA | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Centered on first page | Centered on separate title page |
| Bold | No | Yes |
| Underline | No | No |
| Italics | No | No |
| Quotation marks | No | No |
| Font | Same as body text | Same as body text |
| Spacing | Double-spaced below header | 3-4 lines down from top margin |
| Title page | Not required | Required |
Common Title Mistakes
Too vague: "Essay on Climate Change" tells the reader nothing specific. Add an angle: "Rising Tides: Economic Costs of Coastal Climate Change."
Too long: "An Analysis of How Social Media Platforms Like Instagram and TikTok Contribute to Anxiety and Depression Among American Teenagers" is a sentence, not a title. Cut it to: "Social Media and Teen Mental Health: A Growing Crisis."
Bolding or underlining in MLA: MLA format uses no special formatting on your own title. Save bold for APA title pages only.
Using your own title in quotes: Quotation marks around your own essay title are incorrect in both MLA and APA. Quotes are for referencing other works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Write it last. Your argument often shifts during drafting, and a title written before the essay may no longer fit. After finishing, reread your thesis and conclusion to find the right title.
Neither. Your own essay title is written in plain text, centered at the top of the page. Italics are for titles of published works (books, journals). Quotation marks are for titles of shorter works (articles, poems, short stories) that you reference within your essay.
Aim for 5-12 words. Titles shorter than 5 words tend to be vague. Titles longer than 12 words feel unwieldy. If you use a colon format (main title: subtitle), the full length can stretch to 15 words.
Yes, but use it strategically. A question title works well for exploratory or analytical essays where the essay answers the question. Avoid it for argumentative essays where the answer should be stated directly.
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