APA Style and sentence case are functionally equivalent for capitalization purposes. Both capitalize only the first word and proper nouns. The term APA Style refers to the complete publication manual, of which sentence case is just one element.
APA Style uses sentence case for titles in reference lists and most body contexts, capitalizing only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns. It is published by the American Psychological Association.
APA Style is required for papers in psychology, education, sociology, and public health. It is the standard for dissertations in most social science departments.
Open APA Style converterSentence case capitalizes only the first word of a title or heading and any proper nouns, treating the text exactly like a sentence. It is the dominant style in British English and digital product interfaces.
Sentence case is the standard for user interfaces, navigation menus, software documentation, and most British publications. Many technology companies mandate it for product copy.
Open Sentence Case converterAPA Style is required for papers in psychology, education, sociology, and public health. It is the standard for dissertations in most social science departments.
All words after the first are lowercase unless they are proper nouns or follow a colon. This makes APA titles look significantly different from title-case styles.
Sentence case is the standard for user interfaces, navigation menus, software documentation, and most British publications. Many technology companies mandate it for product copy.
All words after the first are lowercase unless they are proper nouns. Common nouns, verbs, and adjectives are not capitalized.
Choose APA Style when your target journal or institution specifies it, as it includes citation and formatting rules beyond capitalization.
Choose generic sentence case for digital interfaces, British publications, and contexts where only capitalization style is relevant.
Writers often use the terms interchangeably when discussing capitalization. In strict usage, APA Style implies the full publication manual, while sentence case is a standalone capitalization rule.