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Capitalization is a subtle but effective way to convey our tone. Different styles leave users with different impressions of who we are, and while consistent capitalization does little to put our users at ease, inconsistency gets registered as a lack of attention to detail.
So here’s a guide to the different styles of capitalization, and how we intend to use them across our platforms.
General guidance
Uppercase
Example:
1-800-HONORS
- Also called “all-caps”
- Every letter is a a capital letter
It’s fine to use upper case for short navigation elements and page titles, but longer titles and body copy should mix lowercase and upper-case letters. Using a mixed-case style improves readability and comprehension – and avoids visually shouting at the user.
This can be decided as a collaboration between copy and design.
Always use uppercase for phone numbers that spell words, e.g., 1-800-HONORS.
Sentence case
Example:
Choose a room
- The first letter of a sentence, phrase, or headline is the only one capitalized
- This doesn’t require a complete sentence
We generally recommend sentence case over title case, lowercase, and all-caps in nearly all headings and titles. It conveys a more relaxed, casual tone than title case, without adding characters.
The ebb and flow of the character shapes also make for easier comprehension.
Lowercase
Example:
welcome back
- No capital letters
Some brand guidelines or design themes may call for lowercase copy in headings, titles and navigation elements. Our primary example is the combination of Simple Joys and Loew in Enterprise branding.
Used sparingly, lowercase text can add an informal breeziness to complement our natural tone of voice.
Title case
Example:
Book Reservation
Formal version
- The first letter of every word is capitalized
- This excludes articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or), and prepositions (on, from, with), except at the beginning of the phrase
Common version
- The first letter of every word is capitalized
Title case conveys a sense of formality and draws the attention. It’s good practice to consider where users’ attention is most important. Regardless of platform, we always recommend title case in call-to-action (CTA) buttons.
We recommend the common version of title case over the technical version: It’s easier to remember and can be automated.
Proper nouns
Example:
Conrad Hilton
Proper nouns are are the names (or titles) of people, places, things, organizations, and so on. Because they’re titles, always use title case for proper nouns like the following:
- Artworks (including books, film, music, and so on)
- Brands and branded products and services
- Food menu items
- Initiatives and programs
- Local attractions
- People’s names
- Place names
- Special offers
For brands, it’s imperative to capitalize their names correctly. It never hurts to double-check. See brands & branding for further guidance.
Acronyms
Example:
ZIP code
Acronyms are a type of abbreviation. They’re made from the first letters of each word from a series of phrases. “ZIP code,” for example, stands for “zone improvement plan” and retains the acronym, even though few people remember what a zone improvement plan was.
Capitalize every letter of an acronym unless it’s a brand name, in which case, check with the brand itself.
For further guidance, please see Abbreviations & acronyms.
Platform-specific guidance
Our platforms vary in their use of capitalization styles. Here’s a general guide to how they use capitalization across several common elements.
| One Hero Web | Mobile apps | PEP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site or app title | Sentence case | Sentence case | Title case |
| Page or section title | Sentence case | Sentence case | Title case |
| Sub-page title or headline | Sentence case | Sentence case | Title case |
| Body links text | Follow body text style | Follow body text style | Follow body text style |
| Links & text buttons outside body text | Sentence case | Sentence case | Title case |
| CTA buttons (primary and secondary only) | Title case | Title case | Title case |
Note: Some titles and headlines may visually differ on the web. Copy should be delivered in sentence case regardless.
Version History
| Date/Time of Change | Who Made the Change | Change Details |
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