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In APA style, sentence case and mixed case (or title case) refer to which words you capitalize in a reference when writing the title of a work (e.g. an article) and the name of the container in which a work is published (e.g. a newspaper).

Sentence case is used for titles. It means you capitalize:

• The first word of the title.
• The first word of a subtitle (i.e., when a ":" is written before an additional title).
• Proper nouns (a specific, not generic, name for a particular person, place, or thing).

For example:

Title case is used for containers because they are names, which are proper nouns. This means you capitalize:

• The first word; and
• The major words in the name that are four letters or longer.

And you do NOT capitalize the minor words like:

• Conjunctions that are three letters or fewer (and; but; for; nor; or; so; yet);
• Propositions that are three letters or fewer (at; around; by; after; along; for; from; of; on; to; with; without); and
• Articles (the; a; an).

For example:

Tips:

• "Title" and "Container" tabs on the References page in the library's APA guide
• Sentence Case Capitalization on the APA style website