Text
PROPER
Definition
PROPER returns a text string with the first letter of each word in uppercase and the rest in lowercase.
Syntax
=PROPER(text)
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
text |
The text, or the cell holding it, to convert. |
Worked example
A directory stores venue names in lowercase. The names are in B2:B4.
| A: Id | B: Venue |
|---|---|
| 1 | new york cafe |
| 2 | oak hall |
| 3 | river mill |
Formula: =PROPER(B2)
Result: New York Cafe. The first letter of each word is raised, and the rest stay lowercase.
Practice
Cell A2 holds hello world. In B2, write a formula that returns that phrase with each word capitalized.
- In B2, write a PROPER formula for A2.
- B2 should show A2 in proper case.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =PROPER(A2) in B2.
A2 is hello world, so proper case is Hello World.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
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B2 uses PROPER.
B2 now shows Hello World.
Related functions
PROPER sits between UPPER, which raises every letter, and LOWER, which lowers every letter.
Common mistake
Using PROPER on names with an inner capital, such as McDonald: the result is Mcdonald, because every letter after the first in a word is forced to lowercase.