Quick Answer
Why "To" Is Always Lowercase
"To" is a short word with three letters, and that's the primary reason it stays lowercase. AP, APA, MLA, and Chicago all have length thresholds in their capitalization rules, and "to" falls well below all of them.
But "to" also has a special complication: it serves two grammatical functions in English. As a preposition, it shows direction or relationship ("go to Paris," "listen to music"). As an infinitive marker, it precedes a verb to indicate the base form ("to run," "to sing," "to understand"). Some people mistakenly think that because the infinitive form of a verb feels like it should be emphasized, the "to" that precedes it should be capitalized. The answer is no – "to" remains lowercase regardless of which job it's doing in the sentence.
All four major style guides agree on this. Whether you're following AP, APA, Chicago, or MLA, "to" is always lowercase in titles.
By Style Guide
| Style Guide | “to” in middle of title? | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| AP | Lowercase | Lowercase words of three or fewer letters |
| APA | Lowercase | Lowercase words of three or fewer letters |
| Chicago | Lowercase | Lowercase prepositions; 'to' is 3 letters |
| MLA | Lowercase | Lowercase words of three or fewer letters |
The biggest source of confusion with "to" is its role as an infinitive marker. When you write "How to Learn Coding," your instinct might be to capitalize "to" because "learn" is the main verb and you're capitalizing the verb. But title case rules don't work that way. "To" is a three-letter function word, so it stays lowercase – even when it introduces a major verb. Think of titles like "How to Learn Coding" or "The Key to Success." In both cases, the verb or noun that comes after "to" is capitalized, but "to" itself remains lowercase.
Examples
✓ Do
- How to Learn a New Language
- The Path to Success
- Introduction to Python Programming
- Going to the Mountains
✗ Do not
How To Learn a New Language
Incorrect capitalization of 'to' — it's always lowercase
The Path To Success
Incorrect capitalization of 'to' — it's always lowercase
Edge Cases
A few situations where the standard rules shift:
- "To" as the first word of a title. Even though "to" is normally lowercase, the first word of any title is always capitalized in all style guides. "To Infinity and Beyond" — ✓ (all styles). "To Kill a Mockingbird" — ✓ (all styles).
- "To" as the last word of a title. Most style guides require capitalizing the last word of a title. If "to" ends your title, capitalize it.
- "To" after a colon or dash. When a colon or dash introduces a subtitle, the first word after that punctuation is treated as a new title segment. Capitalize "to" after a colon.
- "To" in phrasal verbs. When "to" is part of a phrasal verb construction ("sign up to," "look up to"), "to" remains lowercase. The capitalized word is the verb itself. "How to Look Up Information Online" — ✓.
Frequently Asked Questions
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About Oleh Kovalenko
Oleh Kovalenko develops practical capitalization guidance for editorial and SEO workflows, with a focus on consistent rule application.
