Follow UI text capitalization guidelines

Interface element labels use a combination of headline-style capitalization and sentence-style capitalization. It is important to apply these capitalization guidelines consistently to make the UI clear and succinct.

Headline-style capitalization capitalizes every word in the text, except:

  • Articles, except as the first word (a, an, the)

  • Coordinating conjunctions (and, or)

  • Prepositions, except the first or last word

  • Infinitives (to, in, an)

Examples of headline-style capitalization: Restore Defaults, Allocate to Project

Sentence-style capitalization only capitalizes the first word in the text. Unless the word is a proper noun that must be capitalized.

Example of sentence-style capitalization: Maximum number of downloads

Capitalization style for common UI elements

Headline-style capitalization

  • Chart titles

  • Dialog box titles

  • Icon labels

  • Links used for an action or navigation

  • Menu items (both menu bar and context menus)

  • Menu titles

  • Page titles

  • Button labels

  • Section headings

  • Step titles

  • Table column headers

  • Tab titles

  • Table titles

  • Toolbar buttons

  • Window titles

Sentence-style capitalization

  • Check box labels

  • Field labels

  • File names

  • Group box labels

  • Headings for groups of radio buttons or check boxes

  • Hover help text

  • Input hints

  • List box, drop-down list, and combination box entries

  • List box labels

  • Messages (information, warning, and error)

  • Page instructions or descriptions

  • Progress bar label

  • Radio button labels

  • Status bar text

UI capitalization cheat sheet

Use this image to quickly view common capitalization styles:

UI text cheat sheet