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Essay title generator
Twelve essay title ideas in four styles, built from your topic or thesis.
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A title is the first thing a reader or grader sees, and it is often the last thing a writer thinks about. Describe your topic or thesis, choose the essay type and tone, and this free essay title generator gives you twelve options in four styles: straightforward, question, colon-style and creative. Pick one as it is, or combine parts of two.
What makes a good essay title
A good title tells the reader what the essay is about and what angle it takes, in as few words as possible. For an argumentative or persuasive essay, the position should be visible. For a compare and contrast essay, both subjects should be named. A research paper title should be precise about the subject and scope, because readers use it to decide whether the paper is relevant to them. Narrative and college application essays can be more personal, but the title should still point to the real subject. Above all, the title must match the essay: a title that promises more than the paper delivers will disappoint the reader.
Four styles of essay title ideas
Straightforward titles state the topic and the angle plainly, which suits most academic work. Question titles pose the question the essay answers; they work when the essay really does answer it. Colon-style titles pair a short hook with an explanation, such as Later Bells: Why School Start Times Should Follow Teenage Sleep. This form is common as a title for essays in the humanities and for research papers, because it can be both memorable and exact. Creative titles use an image, a contrast or wordplay. They suit narrative and personal essays, and should still make the topic clear to someone who has not read the essay.
How to use the title generator for essays
Write one or two sentences about your topic, or paste your thesis statement. The more specific you are, the more specific the titles will be. Choose the essay type and the tone, then run the tool. The titles are built only from what you enter: they will not add findings, statistics or claims that your topic does not contain. It works as a research paper title generator too when you select that essay type. If your draft still needs work, the Sentence and Paragraph Expander can help develop a thin section and the Passive Voice Checker can tighten the wording. For your reference list, see the citation generators on this site, such as the Chicago Style Citation Generator.
Common essay title mistakes
Using the assignment name as the title, such as Essay 2 or English Paper. Choosing a title so broad that it could fit a hundred different essays. Writing the title before the essay and never checking that it still fits the final argument. Promising a conclusion the essay does not reach. Putting the title in quotation marks, underlining it or ending it with a period. Forgetting your style guide's rules: most guides ask for a centered title in title case, and your instructor may have further requirements. Stretching for a pun that hides what the essay is about.
Questions
How long should an essay title be?
There is no fixed rule, but shorter is usually clearer. The titles here are kept to 15 words or fewer. If your style guide or instructor sets a limit, follow that.
Should I write the title before or after the essay?
A working title can help you stay focused while drafting, but choose the final title after the essay is finished, so that it matches what you actually argued.
Can an essay title be a question?
Yes, if the essay answers it. A question title suits argumentative and expository essays. Avoid a question your essay leaves open.
How do I write a title with a colon?
Put a short, interesting phrase before the colon and a plain description of the essay after it. Capitalize the first word after the colon.
Does a college application essay need a title?
Usually it is optional. Check the instructions for the application you are completing, and only add a title if it helps the reader.
Will the titles match my essay?
They are based only on the topic or thesis you enter, so check each one against your finished draft and adjust the wording where needed.