Rules for Capitalizing Email Subject Lines
2024 Grammar-for-Grownups Top 10
Number 9: Capitalization with Email Subject Lines
This week’s question from the cohort who just completed the eight-week intensive IAAP CAPstone Business Writing Specialty Certificate course deals with capitalization and email subject lines. Participants who participated in the course agreed they saw inconsistencies with the words people capitalized, if any.
Question: “What is the rule for capitalizing the first letter of each word in email subject lines, titles of calendar invitations, or printed marketing?”
Answer: While this question leans toward being more stylistic than grammatical, consistency is key. During my in-person Write It So They Read It seminars, I encourage people to capitalize the key words in their subject lines with the exception of prepositions and conjunctions. It is the same guideline we generally follow for book titles and printed marketing pieces.
Example: Request for Email Examples for November 3
Example: Invitation to Board Meeting Wednesday, May 1
Example: Agenda for Sustainability Meeting
Example: Question about New Payroll Software
Note: It’s a preferred practice to include the date or deadline in the subject line if the email is time-sensitive.
Another note: Never type the entire sentence in the email subject line. (And, we all know people who still do that.)
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