The quickest way to change lowercase to uppercase

In Microsoft Word, select the text you want to change, then go to the Home tab and click the Change Case button (it looks like "Aa" with a dropdown arrow). Choose UPPERCASE from the menu. The text converts when ready.

If you cannot find the Change Case button, your ribbon may be collapsed. Click the arrow next to the Home tab to expand it, or look in the Format menu instead — older versions of Word hide this tool there.

This method works on any amount of text: a single word, a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire document. Word does not add or remove any text — it only changes the letter case.

Key Takeaways

  • Select your text first, then use Home tab > Change Case > UPPERCASE to convert it all at once.
  • The Change Case button also offers lowercase, title case, and toggle case if you need a different format.
  • If Change Case is not visible, check whether your ribbon is collapsed or look under the Format menu.
  • Word changes only the letters themselves — spacing, punctuation, and formatting stay the same.

Where to find the Change Case button if it is hidden

The Change Case button lives on the Home tab by default, but it may not be when ready visible if your ribbon is set to a compact view. Look for the small arrow or line icon next to the Home tab name — clicking it expands the full ribbon and shows all the formatting tools.

In Word 2007 and 2010, the button may be under the Format menu instead. Click Format in the menu bar, then select Text, then Change Case. The same options appear: UPPERCASE, lowercase, Title Case, Sentence case, and tOGGLE cASE.

If you use Word online (the browser version), the Change Case button is in the same place on the Home tab, though the ribbon layout is slightly different. The function works identically.

Other case options beyond uppercase

The Change Case menu offers five different formats, not just uppercase. Lowercase converts all letters to small letters. Title Case capitalizes the first letter of each word, which is useful for headings. Sentence case capitalizes only the first letter of the sentence and proper nouns. Toggle Case flips whatever case each letter is in — uppercase becomes lowercase and vice versa.

Choose the format that matches what you need. If you convert text to uppercase and then change your mind, you can select it again and pick a different case option. Word does not lock the text in place.

Converting text without using the Change Case button

If the Change Case button is not working or you cannot locate it, you can use the keyboard shortcut instead. Select your text and press Shift + F3. Each time you press it, Word cycles through the case options: UPPERCASE, lowercase, and Title Case. Keep pressing until you reach the format you want.

This shortcut works in most versions of Word on Windows. On a Mac, the shortcut is Fn + Shift + F3 or sometimes Shift + Fn + F3, depending on your keyboard settings. If neither works, the Change Case menu is your most reliable option.

What happens to special characters and numbers

When you convert text to uppercase, numbers and punctuation stay exactly as they are. A sentence like "call me at 555-1234!" becomes "CALL ME AT 555-1234!" — the numbers, hyphen, and exclamation point do not change. Only the letters are affected.

Accented letters (like é, ñ, or ü) also convert correctly. Word recognizes them as letters and changes their case just like regular letters do. If you are working with text in another language, the conversion still works as long as Word recognizes the language.

Changing case in headers, footers, and text boxes

The Change Case button works anywhere in your document. You can use it on text in headers and footers, inside text boxes, in tables, or in comments. Select the text the same way you would in the main document body, then click Change Case and choose your format.

If you have text in a header that you want to convert, double-click the header area to open it for editing, select the text, and use Change Case as normal. The same process applies to footers and any other text container within your document.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a case change if I change my mind?

Yes. Press Ctrl + Z (or Cmd + Z on Mac) when ready after converting the text, and Word will undo the case change and restore the original formatting. You can undo multiple times if you made several changes in a row.

Does changing case affect bold, italic, or underline formatting?

No. If text is bold and you convert it to uppercase, it stays bold. All font styling, colors, and other formatting remain unchanged — only the letter case changes.

What if I want to change only part of a word to uppercase?

Select only the letters you want to change. You can click and drag to highlight just a few letters within a word, then use Change Case on that selection. Word converts only what you selected.

Does this work the same way in Word for Mac?

Yes. The Home tab and Change Case button are in the same location. The keyboard shortcut is slightly different (Fn + Shift + F3 instead of Shift + F3), but the menu option works identically on both Windows and Mac versions.