How to title an essay: 6 examples for essay titles

1. Start with your thesis or main argument

Your thesis statement contains the core of what your essay argues or explores. Begin your titling process by identifying the key concepts, terms, and relationships within your thesis. Ask yourself what single idea you most want readers to take away from your work. The most compelling angle of your argument often becomes the foundation for an effective title.

If your thesis argues that social media has fundamentally changed political discourse, your title should reflect that specific focus rather than addressing social media broadly. Extract the essential tension, claim, or insight from your thesis and use it as your starting point. This approach ensures your title accurately represents your content and creates appropriate expectations for readers.

Consider writing your thesis on a separate piece of paper and underlining the three most important words or phrases. These highlighted elements often provide the raw material for your title. You might combine them directly, use them as inspiration for related phrases, or build a question around them.

2. Keep it concise and specific

Effective essay titles typically range from five to fifteen words. Aim for clarity over cleverness, a straightforward title that accurately describes your essay serves readers better than a vague or overly abstract one. Avoid titles so broad they could apply to dozens of different essays on the same general topic.

Instead of "Climate Change and Society," consider "How Rising Sea Levels Threaten Coastal Communities in Bangladesh." The second title specifies exactly what aspect of climate change you're examining and where your analysis focuses. Specificity signals to readers exactly what they'll learn and helps them determine whether your essay addresses their interests.

When drafting essay title ideas, challenge yourself to add one specific detail to any title that feels too general. Replace abstract nouns with concrete examples. Narrow geographic or temporal scope. Identify the particular case study, text, or phenomenon you're analyzing. Each layer of specificity makes your title more informative and engaging.

3. Use keywords strategically

Include subject-specific terminology that reflects your essay's academic field and topic. Keywords help readers immediately identify your essay's focus and relevance to their interests. For digital submissions, strategic keywords also improve searchability, making your work easier to find in databases, online repositories, and academic search engines.

If you're writing about economic policy, include relevant terms like "fiscal policy," "inflation," or "monetary theory" where appropriate. For literary analysis, reference the specific text, author, or critical framework you're employing. These keywords serve as signals to readers familiar with the field while clarifying your focus for general audiences.

Think about what terms someone would use when searching for essays on your topic. Including these naturally in your title helps ensure your work reaches interested readers. However, avoid keyword stuffing, your title should read naturally as a phrase or sentence, not as a list of disconnected terms.

4. Match tone to essay type

Different essay types call for different titling approaches. Formal academic essays and research papers typically require straightforward, professional titles that emphasize precision and scholarly rigor. Personal narratives and creative essays allow for more evocative, literary titles that reflect your unique voice and perspective.

An expository essay explaining a scientific process needs a different tone than a reflective piece about personal growth or even an argumentative essay on AI ethics, for instance. Consider your audience's expectations and your instructor's guidelines when determining the appropriate level of formality. Academic titles often use colons to separate a creative hook from an explanatory subtitle, allowing writers to balance engagement with clarity.

Review examples of titles from published work in your field or essay type. Notice patterns in word choice, length, and structure. These models can inform your own titling decisions while helping you understand genre conventions. What works for a personal college application essay would feel out of place in a peer-reviewed journal article, and vice versa.

5. Follow formatting requirements for APA, MLA, and Chicago style

Citation styles have specific rules for title formatting that you must follow precisely. Understanding how to title an essay in different formats ensures your work meets academic standards and creates a professional impression.

Modern Language Association (MLA) format requires title case with the title centered on the first page—no bold, underline, or italics unless you're referencing another work within your title. In title case, capitalize the first word, the last word, and all principal words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), prepositions, or coordinating conjunctions unless they begin the title. The title appears above your essay text without a separate title page unless your instructor specifies otherwise.

American Psychological Association (APA) format also uses title case but requires bold text, with the title centered on a separate title page. APA titles should be concise and directly reflect the content of your paper. Avoid abbreviations and words that serve no purpose. The title page also includes author name, institutional affiliation, course information, instructor name, and due date on separate lines below the title.

Chicago style uses title case and may include a subtitle separated by a colon. Chicago format often requires a separate title page with the title centered about one-third down the page. The title is not bold in most Chicago applications. Check whether your instructor requires Chicago Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date format, as conventions may vary slightly.

Always verify your instructor's specific requirements, as formatting preferences can vary even within the same style. Some professors have particular expectations that differ from standard guidelines. Incorrect formatting creates an immediate negative impression, regardless of your title's quality, so double-check this detail before submission.

6. Consider using subtitle structures

Many effective essay titles use a two-part structure with a colon separating a creative or attention-grabbing phrase from a more descriptive explanatory component. This format allows you to achieve multiple goals simultaneously capturing interest while providing clarity about your specific focus.

The first part might be a provocative question, a key quote, or an intriguing phrase that creates curiosity. The second part grounds the title in specifics, identifying your subject, scope, or analytical approach. For example, "Breaking Barriers: How Title IX Transformed Women's College Athletics" combines an evocative phrase with clear subject identification.

This structure works particularly well for academic essays where you need to balance scholarly precision with reader engagement. The subtitle ensures readers know exactly what they're getting while the main title provides a memorable hook. Experiment with different combinations to find the right balance for your specific essay.

7. Brainstorm multiple options before deciding

Never settle for your first title idea. Generate at least five to ten different options before selecting your final choice. This brainstorming process helps you explore different angles, tones, and approaches you might not have considered initially. You can combine elements from multiple drafts to create your ultimate title.

Try different formats: questions, statements, commands, phrases with colons. Experiment with different keywords and focal points. Some writers find it helpful to title their essay before writing, using the title as a guide for their argument. Others prefer to wait until after drafting, when they have a clearer sense of their actual content and conclusions.

Share your top title candidates with classmates, writing center tutors, or instructors. Fresh perspectives can help you identify which options communicate most effectively and which might confuse or mislead readers. What seems clear to you as the writer may not land the same way with someone encountering your essay for the first time.

8. Use AI tools to generate essay title ideas

Artificial intelligence can serve as a valuable brainstorming partner when you're struggling to find the right essay title. AI chat tools can help you generate multiple options quickly, giving you raw material to refine and personalize. These tools are particularly helpful when you're experiencing writer's block or want to explore approaches you hadn't considered.

Try prompts like "Generate five academic titles for an essay arguing that renewable energy should replace fossil fuels by 2050" or "Suggest creative titles for a personal essay about overcoming stage fright." Be specific about your essay type, tone, and main argument to get more relevant suggestions. You can also ask AI to generate titles in specific formats, such as question titles or two-part titles with colons.

Generative AI tools can help you identify key themes in your draft that might inspire title ideas. Upload your essay and ask the AI to summarize your main argument or identify your most important points. These summaries often contain phrases and concepts that translate well into titles. AI summary tools can distill lengthy essays into core themes, helping you see your own argument more clearly.

Remember that AI suggestions are starting points, you should always refine and personalize the results to match your specific argument, voice, and assignment requirements. AI-generated titles may be generic or miss nuances in your argument, so use them as inspiration rather than final products. The best titles combine AI efficiency with human judgment and creativity.