Should a Cappella Be Italicized?

A cappella
Lowercase, italicized. (Holoman) • Try to avoid; use “unaccompanied” instead.

Do you italicize a capella?

In general, italicize unless the word has been Americanized or is commonly used. An exception is a capella, which, though commonly used, should be italicized to avoid confusion with the article a. Write out and hyphenate: two-thirds, three-fifths. First-year student is preferred.

How do you write a capella?

In referring to singing unaccompanied by instruments, the traditional spelling is the Italian one, a cappella: two words, two Ps, two Ls. The Latin spelling a capella is learned, but in the realm of musical terminology, we usually stick with Italian.

Alexander Ross

Alexander Ross

Gaming, Esports & Interactive Media Writer

Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.