Converting Text from Lowercase to Uppercase in Excel

To change lowercase to uppercase in Excel, type =UPPER(A1) in an empty cell, press Enter, then drag the fill handle down the column. Excel has no keyboard shortcut for changing case, so a formula, Flash Fill or a macro is the only way.

That one-line answer covers most cases. The rest of this guide shows how to apply it to a whole column, how to replace the original text instead of keeping a helper column, how to do it without any formula at all, and how to fix the four errors that come up most often.

Method 1: the UPPER function

UPPER is the built-in Excel function for converting text to capital letters. It takes one argument and returns the same text with every letter capitalized.

1. Click an empty cell next to your text — if your text is in A1, click B1.
2. Type =UPPER(A1) and press Enter.
3. B1 now shows the uppercase version of A1.

UPPER leaves digits, spaces and punctuation untouched. It handles accented characters correctly. It works identically in Excel for Windows, Excel for Mac, Excel for the web and Google Sheets.

Method 2: apply it to a whole column

Once the first formula works, you have three ways to copy it down.

Method 3: replace the original text

The formula in column B depends on column A. Delete column A and the results turn into #REF! errors. To end up with uppercase text in the original column and nothing else, convert the formulas to plain values first.

1. Select the formula results, B1:B100.
2. Press Ctrl + C.
3. Click cell A1.
4. Right-click and choose Paste Special > Values. Keyboard: Ctrl + Alt + V, then V, then Enter.
5. Delete column B. Column A now holds uppercase text with no formulas.

This is the step most guides leave out, and it is the one that decides whether your spreadsheet still works next week.

Method 4: Flash Fill, with no formula

Flash Fill learns a pattern from an example you type and applies it to the rest of the column. It arrived in Excel 2013 and works in every version since.

1. In B1, type the uppercase version of A1 by hand.
2. Move to B2.
3. Press Ctrl + E. Excel fills the whole column.

If nothing happens, type the second example in B2 as well, then press Ctrl + E from B3. Two examples are usually enough for Excel to lock onto the pattern.

Method 5: a VBA macro for large workbooks

For tens of thousands of cells, or to convert several columns in one pass, a macro is faster than any formula.

1. Press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic editor.
2. Choose Insert > Module.
3. Paste the code below.
4. Return to Excel, select the cells you want to convert, then press Alt + F8, choose ConvertToUpper and click Run.

Sub ConvertToUpper()
    Dim c As Range
    For Each c In Selection
        If Not c.HasFormula Then
            If VarType(c.Value) = vbString Then
                c.Value = UCase(c.Value)
            End If
        End If
    Next c
End Sub

The two If tests matter. The first leaves existing formulas alone instead of destroying them. The second skips numbers and dates, which UCase would turn into text and break.

The three case functions side by side

Excel has exactly three functions for changing letter case. There is no SENTENCE function and no UPPERCASE function — those names return a #NAME? error.

PROPER capitalizes the first letter of every word, which is useful for name and city columns. Be aware that it also capitalizes after an apostrophe, so o brien becomes O Brien correctly but don t becomes Don T. Check a sample before applying it to a whole column. Our reference on upper and lower case in Excel covers all three functions in detail.

Sentence case in Excel

Excel has no sentence case function, so it has to be built from the ones that exist. This formula capitalizes the first letter and lowercases the rest:

=UPPER(LEFT(A1,1)) & LOWER(MID(A1,2,LEN(A1)-1))

It handles a single sentence per cell. It will not capitalize the word after a full stop, and it will lowercase acronyms such as NASA. For text with several sentences, paste it into the case converter instead, which applies the full sentence case rules including abbreviations and proper nouns.

Four errors and how to fix them

Which method should you use?

Google Sheets

Every formula above works unchanged in Google Sheets: =UPPER(A1), =LOWER(A1) and =PROPER(A1) behave identically. Google Sheets has no Flash Fill, but it does accept a whole range in one formula — =ARRAYFORMULA(UPPER(A1:A100)) fills the column from a single cell.

What about Microsoft Word?

Word is the exception. It has a proper change-case command with a keyboard shortcut: select the text and press Shift + F3 to cycle through lowercase, UPPERCASE and Capitalize Each Word. Excel has no equivalent, which is why this article exists. The full Word procedure is in our guide to changing lowercase to uppercase in Word. For the wider picture of when capitals are required at all, see uppercase and lowercase letters explained.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut to change lowercase to uppercase in Excel?

There is none. Unlike Word, Excel has no built-in change-case shortcut. Ctrl + E triggers Flash Fill, which can produce the same result once you have typed one example, but it is a pattern tool rather than a case command.

How do I change lowercase to uppercase in Excel without a formula?

Use Flash Fill: type the uppercase version of the first cell by hand, move to the cell below, and press Ctrl + E. For data that refreshes, use Power Query and choose Transform > Format > UPPERCASE.

Why does =UPPER(A1:A10) not work?

UPPER expects a single piece of text. In Excel 2019 and earlier a range returns #VALUE! unless entered as an array formula with Ctrl + Shift + Enter. In Excel 365 it spills down the column, which can overwrite neighboring data. Write =UPPER(A1) and fill down instead.

Is there an UPPERCASE function in Excel?

No. The function is called UPPER. Typing =UPPERCASE(A1) returns a #NAME? error because Excel does not recognize the name.

How do I convert uppercase to lowercase in Excel?

Use =LOWER(A1), then fill down and, if you want to replace the original, copy the results and use Paste Special > Values.

Does UPPER work with accented and non-English characters?

Yes. =UPPER(A1) on café returns CAFÉ. Characters that have no uppercase form, such as Arabic or Chinese script, are returned unchanged.

How do I make only the first letter uppercase in Excel?

Use =UPPER(LEFT(A1,1)) & LOWER(MID(A1,2,LEN(A1)-1)). For the first letter of every word, use =PROPER(A1) instead.

Can I undo a VBA macro that converted the wrong cells?

No. Excel clears the undo history when a macro runs. Save the workbook before running any macro, or work on a copy.

The short version

Excel changes lowercase to uppercase with =UPPER(A1), filled down the column. If the result has to sit in the original column, copy it and use Paste Special > Values. If formulas are not an option, Flash Fill with Ctrl + E does the same job as static text. For very large sheets, a short VBA macro is faster than either. And for a paragraph of text rather than a column of cells, an online case converter is quicker than all of them.