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UPPER, LOWER and PROPER in Excel: Change Text Case
Excel has no "Change Case" button like Word, but three simple functions do the job: UPPER for capitals, LOWER for lowercase and PROPER for capitalizing the first letter of every word.
UPPER, LOWER & PROPER · In this guide
Syntax and examples
| Function | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|
| UPPER | =UPPER("anna jansen") | ANNA JANSEN |
| LOWER | =LOWER("Anna@Example.COM") | anna@example.com |
| PROPER | =PROPER("aNNA jANSEN") | Anna Jansen |
Each function takes one argument: the text or the cell. Numbers and punctuation are left alone.
When to use which
- LOWER for email addresses and usernames, so duplicates and lookups match.
- UPPER for codes, postal codes and country codes: "nl" becomes "NL".
- PROPER for names and cities typed inconsistently.
Where PROPER goes wrong
PROPER capitalizes the first letter after every space or punctuation mark, which isn't always right:
=PROPER("van den berg")returns "Van Den Berg", while you may want "van den Berg".=PROPER("mcdonald")returns "Mcdonald", not "McDonald".=PROPER("o'neil")returns "O'Neil" (correct), but=PROPER("it's")returns "It'S".
Check the result for names with prefixes and apostrophes, and fix exceptions by hand or with SUBSTITUTE.
Capitalize only the first letter of a sentence
=UPPER(LEFT(A2, 1)) & LOWER(MID(A2, 2, 1000))"THIS IS A NOTE" becomes "This is a note". See LEFT, RIGHT and MID.
Replace the original text
- Put
=PROPER(A2)in a helper column and copy it down. - Copy the helper column and use Paste Special › Values over the original.
- Delete the helper column.
For a one-off change, Flash Fill (Ctrl+E) also works: type the first name in the right case and let Excel fill the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a shortcut to change case in Excel?
No, unlike Word (Shift+F3). Use UPPER, LOWER or PROPER, or Flash Fill.
Do UPPER and LOWER affect comparisons?
Most Excel comparisons, lookups and COUNTIF are already case-insensitive. Changing case is mainly about consistency and appearance, and about matching in case-sensitive functions like EXACT and FIND.
How do I check if text is all capitals?
Use =EXACT(A2, UPPER(A2)). It returns TRUE if the text is already all uppercase.