The quickest way to change case in Word

Open the text you want to change in Microsoft Word, then highlight it by clicking and dragging across the words. Go to the Home tab at the top of the window. In the ribbon, find the Aa button with a small arrow next to it — this is the text case tool. Click the arrow to see your options: Sentence case, lowercase, UPPERCASE, Capitalize Each Word, and tOGGLE cASE.

Select whichever case matches what you need. The change happens when ready. If you change your mind, press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo.

This method works the same way in Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 2021, and Microsoft 365 versions. The button location and appearance are identical across all recent versions.

Key Takeaways

  • Highlight your text first, then use the Aa button with a dropdown arrow on the Home tab to pick a case style.
  • Word offers five case options: Sentence case, lowercase, UPPERCASE, Capitalize Each Word, and tOGGLE cASE.
  • The change applies only to selected text, so you can change different parts of your document to different cases.
  • You can undo any case change by pressing Ctrl+Z when ready after making it.

Where to find the case button in different Word versions

In Word for Windows (2016 and newer), the case button sits in the ribbon on the Home tab, in the Font group. It looks like a capital and lowercase A with a small downward arrow. If you do not see it when ready, look to the right of the Bold and Italic buttons.

In Word for Mac, the same button appears on the Home tab in the same location. The appearance and function are identical. If you are using an older version of Word (2010 or earlier), the case tool may be in the Format menu instead — go to Format > Text and look for Change Case.

In Word Online (the free version you access through a web browser), the case button is also on the Home tab, though the ribbon layout is slightly more compact. The dropdown arrow works the same way.

Understanding each case option and when to use it

Sentence case capitalizes only the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns. Use this for regular paragraphs and most writing. Example: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

lowercase makes every letter small. Use this for email addresses, usernames, or when you need all text to appear uniform and minimal. Example: "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

UPPERCASE makes every letter capital. Use this for headings, acronyms, or emphasis. Example: "THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG."

Capitalize Each Word puts a capital letter at the start of every word. Use this for titles, headers, and formal document names. Example: "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog."

tOGGLE cASE flips the case of each letter — capitals become lowercase and lowercase become capitals. This is rarely used in real documents but can help you fix text that was accidentally typed with Caps Lock on.

Changing case in multiple sections of the same document

You can change different parts of your document to different cases without affecting the rest. Highlight only the text you want to change, then use the case button. The change applies only to what you selected.

For example, you might have a document where the title needs to be in Capitalize Each Word style, the body text in Sentence case, and a list of product codes in lowercase. Select the title, change it. Then select the body text, change that. Then select the codes, change those. Each section keeps its own case.

If you accidentally change the wrong section, undo when ready with Ctrl+Z. If you have already made other edits since the case change, you may need to undo multiple times to get back to the version you want.

What happens when you change case in a document with formatting

Changing case does not affect bold, italic, underline, color, or font. If text is bold and red before you change its case, it stays bold and red after. Only the letters themselves change.

This is useful because you can emphasize text and then adjust its case without losing the emphasis. For instance, if you have a bold heading that reads "IMPORTANT NOTICE" and you decide it should be "Important Notice" instead, the text stays bold while the case changes.

The same applies to font size and font family. Changing case never touches these settings.

Using Find and Replace to change case across a large document

If you need to change the case of many instances of the same word or phrase throughout a long document, Find and Replace can be faster than selecting each one individually. Press Ctrl+H to open the Find and Replace dialog.

Type the word or phrase you want to find in the "Find what" field. In the "Replace with" field, type the same word or phrase but in the case you want. Then click "Replace All" to change every instance at once. For example, find "email" and replace it with "Email" to capitalize it everywhere.

Be careful with Replace All — it changes every match in the entire document. If you are unsure, click "Replace" one at a time instead to review each change before it happens. You can undo the entire operation with Ctrl+Z if something goes wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing case work on text inside tables or text boxes?

Yes. Highlight the text inside the table cell or text box the same way you would highlight regular text, then use the case button. The case change applies to any text in Word, regardless of where it sits in the document.

Can I change case in a document that is password-protected?

If the document is protected but editing is still allowed, you can change case normally. If the document is locked for editing, you will need the password to unlock it first. Ask whoever protected the document if you do not have the password.

What if the case button is grayed out or not clickable?

This usually means you have not selected any text. Click and drag to highlight the text you want to change, then try the case button again. If it is still grayed out, check that you are on the Home tab and that your text is not in a read-only section of the document.

Does Word remember my case preference for future documents?

No. Each time you use the case button, you are making a one-time change to that specific text. Word does not have a setting to automatically explore a case style to all new documents. You choose the case each time you need it.