How to Change Case in Excel and Google Sheets
To change case in Excel, use one of three functions: UPPER for capital letters, LOWER for small letters and PROPER for a capital letter at the start of each word. Excel has no Change Case button like Word.
This guide shows the three functions with examples, the steps to replace the old text with the new text, the weak points of PROPER, and the same functions in Google Sheets.
The three case functions in Excel
Microsoft Support says it directly: unlike Word, Excel does not have a Change Case button. The case of text is changed with a function that writes the result in another cell.
| Function | What it does | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPPER | Makes every letter a capital letter | =UPPER("john smith") | JOHN SMITH |
| LOWER | Makes every letter a small letter | =LOWER("JOHN SMITH") | john smith |
| PROPER | Capital letter at the start of each word, small letters after it | =PROPER("JOHN SMITH") | John Smith |
In practice the text sits in a cell, so the formula points to that cell: =PROPER(A2).
How to change the case of a whole column
A function does not change the original cell. It shows the new text in a second cell. These are the steps from Microsoft Support to replace the old text.
- Add a helper column. Insert an empty column next to the column with your text, for example column B next to column A.
- Type the formula. In cell B2 type =PROPER(A2). Use =UPPER(A2) or =LOWER(A2) for the other cases.
- Fill the column. Select B2 and double-click the small square in its lower right corner. The formula is copied down to the last row of your data.
- Copy the results. With the new cells still selected, press Ctrl+C.
- Paste as values. Right-click cell A2, choose Paste and then Values. The old text is replaced by the new text, without the formulas.
- Delete the helper column. Column B is no longer needed.
Step 5 is the one people forget. If you delete column B before you paste as values, the results are gone.
What PROPER gets wrong
PROPER follows one mechanical rule. Microsoft Support describes it: PROPER capitalizes the first letter of the text and every letter that follows a character that is not a letter. All other letters become small.
| Text | =PROPER gives | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| this is a TITLE | This Is A Title | Short words such as "a" also get a capital letter (Microsoft's own example) |
| 2-way street | 2-Way Street | The letter after a hyphen is capitalized (Microsoft's own example) |
| 76BudGet | 76Budget | Capital letters inside a word are removed (Microsoft's own example) |
| don't stop | Don'T Stop | The letter after an apostrophe is capitalized |
| McDonald | Mcdonald | Names with a capital letter inside lose it |
The last two rows come from our own test of the same rule in a spreadsheet. So PROPER is good for simple names and weak for titles and for words with an apostrophe.
Is there a sentence case function in Excel?
No. Excel has no function for sentence case. For one sentence in a cell, two functions together do the job: one makes the first letter a capital letter and the other makes the rest small.
| Text in A2 | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| hello WORLD | =UPPER(LEFT(A2,1))&LOWER(MID(A2,2,LEN(A2))) | Hello world |
This formula treats the whole cell as one sentence. A second sentence in the same cell does not get a capital letter.
How to change case in Google Sheets
Google Sheets has the same three functions with the same names. Google Docs Editors Help gives the syntax UPPER(text) and names LOWER and PROPER as its related functions.
- Same formulas. =UPPER(A2), =LOWER(A2) and =PROPER(A2) work as in Excel.
- Same idea for replacing. Use a helper column, copy the results and paste them as values only.
- Same limits. Google describes PROPER as capitalizing each word, so short words get a capital letter there too.
When an online case converter is faster
The functions are the right tool for a column of names in a spreadsheet. For a few lines of text, a case converter in the browser needs no helper column and no paste as values.
| Excel functions | Our Case Converter | |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence case | Only with a combined formula, one sentence per cell | One click, every sentence |
| Title case with small short words | No | Yes: "The Lord of the Rings" |
| don't stop | Don'T Stop with PROPER | Don't Stop |
| Many rows at once | Yes, the formula fills the column | Yes, one line per row, line breaks are kept |
For a column, copy the cells, paste them in the converter, choose the case and paste the result back in the sheet. In Word the job is one shortcut. See the guide on how to change case in Word.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a Change Case button in Excel?
- No. Microsoft Support states that Excel, unlike Word, has no Change Case button. Use the functions UPPER, LOWER and PROPER.
- How do I change uppercase to lowercase in Excel?
- Type =LOWER(A2) in an empty cell next to the text, fill the formula down, then copy the results and paste them as values over the old text.
- How do I capitalize the first letter of each word in Excel?
- Use =PROPER(A2). "JOHN SMITH" becomes "John Smith".
- Why does PROPER write Don'T?
- PROPER capitalizes every letter that follows a character that is not a letter. An apostrophe is not a letter, so the next letter gets a capital.
- Do UPPER, LOWER and PROPER work in Google Sheets?
- Yes. Google Sheets has the same three functions with the same names.