Upper and Lower Case in Excel
Excel has exactly three functions for letter case: =UPPER() makes text uppercase, =LOWER() makes it lowercase, and =PROPER() capitalizes the first letter of every word. There is no fourth one, and there is no menu command — unlike Word, Excel has no Change Case button.
This page is the reference for all three: exact syntax, what each does to numbers and acronyms, the traps in PROPER, and how to compare text without case getting in the way.
Working with a block of text rather than a column? The free case converter handles UPPERCASE, lowercase, Proper Case, Sentence case and eight more styles in one click, with acronyms protected.
The three functions
| Function | Syntax | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPPER | =UPPER(text) | annual sales report | ANNUAL SALES REPORT |
| LOWER | =LOWER(text) | ANNUAL Sales Report | annual sales report |
| PROPER | =PROPER(text) | annual sales report | Annual Sales Report |
Each takes a single argument, which can be a cell reference, a text string in quotation marks, or another formula that returns text. All three work identically in Excel for Windows, Excel for Mac, Excel for the web and Google Sheets.
Changing uppercase to lowercase
- Click an empty cell beside your data. If the text is in
A1, clickB1. - Type
=LOWER(A1)and press Enter. - Double-click the fill handle at the bottom-right of
B1to copy the formula down the whole column. - To put the result back in column A: select
B1:B100, press Ctrl + C, clickA1, then Paste Special > Values. - Delete column B.
Step 4 is the one people skip. Without it, column B is a formula that depends on column A, and deleting column A turns every result into #REF!. The reverse direction, lowercase to uppercase, follows the same procedure with =UPPER() and is covered step by step in converting lowercase to uppercase in Excel.
What the functions leave alone
| Input | =UPPER() | =LOWER() | =PROPER() |
|---|---|---|---|
| item 42-b | ITEM 42-B | item 42-b | Item 42-B |
| café | CAFÉ | café | Café |
| 2026 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 |
| IBM | IBM | ibm | Ibm |
| hello, world! | HELLO, WORLD! | hello, world! | Hello, World! |
Digits, spaces and punctuation pass through untouched. Accented characters are handled correctly. Note the last two rows: PROPER capitalizes after any non-letter, which is what makes it useful on names and dangerous on everything else.
The three PROPER traps. It turns IBM into Ibm, because it has no acronym list. It capitalizes after an apostrophe, which is right for O Brien and wrong for contractions. And it capitalizes after a digit, so 3rd becomes 3Rd. Always check a sample of rows before applying it to a whole column of real data.
Building sentence case
Excel has no sentence case function. This formula capitalizes the first letter of a cell and lowercases the rest:
=UPPER(LEFT(A1,1)) & LOWER(MID(A1,2,LEN(A1)-1))It handles one sentence per cell. It will not capitalize the word after a full stop, and it lowercases acronyms along with everything else. If the cell may be empty, wrap it so it does not return an error:
=IF(A1="","",UPPER(LEFT(A1,1)) & LOWER(MID(A1,2,LEN(A1)-1)))For text with several sentences, or where acronyms and abbreviations must survive, use the online converter, which applies the full sentence case rules including the e.g. and p.m. exceptions.
Combining case functions with cleanup
Real data usually needs more than a case change. These combinations cover most of it:
| Goal | Formula |
|---|---|
| Proper case, extra spaces removed | =PROPER(TRIM(A1)) |
| Lowercase, non-printing characters removed | =LOWER(CLEAN(A1)) |
| Uppercase first name and last name joined | =UPPER(A1 & " " & B1) |
| Proper case, keeping an acronym in column B | =PROPER(A1) & " " & UPPER(B1) |
| First letter only, rest unchanged | =UPPER(LEFT(A1,1)) & MID(A1,2,LEN(A1)-1) |
Comparing text when case matters
This is where case quietly changes results. The equals operator in Excel is not case-sensitive, but the EXACT function is.
| Formula | A1 = Apple, B1 = APPLE | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
=A1=B1 | TRUE | Ignores case |
=EXACT(A1,B1) | FALSE | Case-sensitive |
=EXACT(UPPER(A1),UPPER(B1)) | TRUE | Forced case-insensitive |
=COUNTIF(A:A,"apple") | counts both | Ignores case |
=SUMPRODUCT(--EXACT(A:A,"apple")) | counts only exact | Case-sensitive count |
The same applies to VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP: both ignore case. If you need a case-sensitive lookup, wrap the comparison in EXACT inside a SUMPRODUCT or an INDEX/MATCH pair.
Without a formula
Two options avoid formulas entirely. Flash Fill learns the pattern from one typed example: type the converted version in B1, move to B2, press Ctrl + E. Power Query has a built-in transform at Transform > Format > lowercase, which is the right choice for data that refreshes on a schedule. Both are covered in changing case in Excel without a formula.
Errors and what causes them
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
#NAME? | The function name does not exist. There is no UPPERCASE, LOWERCASE or SENTENCE function in Excel. | Use UPPER, LOWER or PROPER. |
#VALUE! | A range was passed where a single value was expected, in Excel 2019 or earlier. | One formula per row, filled down. |
| Formula shown as text | The cell was formatted as Text before the formula was typed. | Set the cell to General and re-enter it. |
#REF! | The source column was deleted while the formula still pointed at it. | Convert to values with Paste Special first. |
| Numbers become text | UPPER and LOWER return text, so a converted number can no longer be summed. | Apply case functions only to text columns. |
Twelve case styles, no formulas. The upper lower case converter handles UPPERCASE, lowercase, Proper Case, Sentence case, Title Case, camelCase, snake_case and five more, with a live word and character count. Free, no sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change uppercase to lowercase in Excel?
Use =LOWER(A1) in an empty cell, fill it down the column, then copy the results and use Paste Special > Values if you want them in the original column.
Is there a change case button in Excel?
No. Unlike Word, Excel has no Change Case command and no keyboard shortcut for it. Use UPPER, LOWER or PROPER, or Flash Fill with Ctrl + E.
What does the PROPER function do?
It capitalizes the first letter of every word and lowercases the rest. It is useful for names and city columns, but it also lowercases acronyms and capitalizes after apostrophes and digits.
Why does PROPER turn IBM into Ibm?
Because it has no exception list. It treats every word the same way, capitalizing the first letter and lowercasing the rest, with no way to recognize an acronym.
Is Excel case-sensitive?
Formulas and the equals operator are not: =A1=B1 returns TRUE for Apple and APPLE. The EXACT function is case-sensitive, and so is VBA when you use StrComp with the binary option.
How do I do a case-sensitive lookup?
Wrap the comparison in EXACT inside SUMPRODUCT, or use INDEX and MATCH with an EXACT array. VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP both ignore case on their own.
Can I apply UPPER to a whole column at once?
In Excel 365 and 2021, =UPPER(A1:A100) spills down the column. In Excel 2019 and earlier it returns an error unless entered with Ctrl + Shift + Enter. Filling one formula down works in every version.
Does UPPER work on numbers?
It returns them unchanged in appearance, but the result is text rather than a number, so it can no longer be used in a sum. Apply case functions to text columns only.
The short version
Three functions, no menu: UPPER, LOWER, PROPER. Enter one formula, fill it down, then Paste Special > Values before deleting the source column. Check PROPER on a sample before trusting it on names, because it destroys acronyms and capitalizes after apostrophes. And remember that Excel comparisons ignore case unless you use EXACT.