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How to Make First Letter Capital in Excel (A Completed Guide)

October 18, 2023 2.7K views

In the era of spreadsheets, neat and consistent data presentation is vital. Manual capitalization is time-consuming and error-prone, causing inconsistency. Excel offers an efficient solution. Learn to automate capitalization for polished data representation.This conflict between the necessity for expertise in Office application and the cumbersome nature of manual labour raises the question: "Is there an efficient solution?" Fortunately, its answer is already there within Excel's functionalities.

1.1 Capitalise the First Letter by Formula in Excel

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on how to make first letter capital in excel. Achieving reliable and professional looking text formatting is very important when presenting data to others. Excel helps with the tools to simplify many tasks through formulas and its features. In this article, we will describe a step-by-step process of capitalising the first letter of words in Excel as well as ensuring your data to keep visually polished and attractive.

1.1.1   Steps to use capitalise formula in Excel

Step 1:  Open your Excel spreadsheet

Open the Excel spreadsheet that contains the text you want to capitalise.

Open the Excel spreadsheet that contains the text you want to capitalize.



Step 2:       Create a new column

Insert a new column just next to the column containing the text you want to change, in the document. This new column will hold the formula-generated capitalised text after applying formula on it.

Step 3:       Use the PROPER formula

In the first cell of the new column, enter the formula "=PROPER(A1)" and write this without the quotation marks. This formula capitalises the first letter of each word in the text from cell A1 and you can adjust the cell reference according to your data.

n the first cell of the new column, input the formula '=PROPER(A1)' (without the quotation marks)


Step 4:       Copy the formulaTo copy the formula, do the following steps:

  • Click on the cell having the formula

  • Drag the fill handle (a small square line at the bottom-right corner of that cell) down side to copy the formula cell in the selected cells of the new column that correspond to the data you want to uppercased-text.

  • This action copies this formula and applies it to the entire selected range.

To copy the formula, follow these steps


Step 5:       Check and adjust

Review carefully the newly capitalised text in the new column. Make it sure that the formula has copied and accurately capitalised the first letter of each word in the original text in the cell. If needed, try some manual adjustments.

Step 6:       Replace the original text (optional)

If you are satisfied with the changes you made, you can replace the original text now with the newly uppercased-text. Copy the whole column (by clicking at the topmost alphabetical column) with the formula-generated text and use "Paste Special" to paste it as values in replacement with the original column. This step is optional and depends on your requirement and preference.

Step 7:       Save your changes

After finalising the capitalization of your text, you have to save your Excel spreadsheet to preserve your work for future.

By following above-mentioned steps, you will be able to uppercase the first letter of words efficiently by using formulas in Excel. This technique saves time as well as enhances the professionalism and consistency of your data presentation. You can realise the power of Excel formulas to elevate your spreadsheet skills and streamline your data formatting tasks by using it.

"Save your changes."



1.2 Capitalise the First Letter with Power Query in Excel

Power Query, a powerful data transformation tool in Excel sheet that capitalises the first letter of words efficiently and effortlessly, in your data. This feature is particularly useful at the time when dealing with large datasets is required. Say no more manual adjustments or time-consuming processes of capitalization – The Power Query allows you to achieve uniformity and professionalism in your data with just a few clicks.

1.2.1   Steps to use power query in Excel

Step 1.       Accessing power query: Open Excel and find the "Data" tab in the menu bar. Click on "Get Data" or "Get & Transform Data," (depending on your Excel version). This click opens the Power Query Editor in this sheet.

To access Power Query, open Excel and locate the 'Data' tab in the menu bar. Click on 'Get Data' or 'Get & Transform Data,

Step 2.       Selecting the column: In this Power Query Editor, choose the column that contains the desired text to change. Now click on the column header to select the entire column.

Within the Power Query Editor, select the column containing the text you want to modify.

Step 3.       Transforming the data: With the selected column, go to the AAA"Transform" or "Home" tab, (depends on your Excel version). Find and click on the "Text Transform" or "Format" option then select the "Capitalise Each Word" option. This applies the capitalization to the selected column.

With the selected column, navigate to the 'Transform' or 'Home' tab (depending on your Excel version).

Step 4.       Previewing the changes: Use Power Query Editor's preview feature to see the changes before applying them to your dataset.

"Utilize Power Query Editor's preview feature to view the changes before applying them to your dataset.

Step 5.       Applying the changes: After preview, click the "Close & Apply" button to save the changes in the sheet and return to your Excel workbook. The selected column now contains the text that has uppercased only the first letter.


1.3 Capitalise First Letter Using Text Toolkit

Achieving consistent and visually attractive text formatting in Excel is not quit easier, say thanks to the Text Toolkit feature in excel. This powerful tool helps you in automatically capitalising the first letter of words within a cell, saving your time and ensuring your data in maintaining the professional appearance. Everyone can easily utilise this Text Toolkit feature in Excel to capitalise the first letter of words to enhance the overall readability of their data.

Follow the steps mentioned below to capitalise the first letter using Text Toolkit in Excel:

1.3.1   Steps to use text toolkit in Excel

Step 1.       Select the cell: Select the entire range of cells containing the text you want to modify.

Select the entire range of cells that contain the text you want to modify

Select the entire range of cells that contain the text you want to modify

Step 2.       Navigate to text toolkit: In the Excel Ribbon, go to the "Add-ins" or "Text Toolkit" section (depends on your Excel version and installed add-ins).

In the Excel Ribbon, locate the 'Add-ins' or 'Text Toolkit' section (depending on your Excel version and installed add-ins).

In the Excel Ribbon, locate the 'Add-ins' or 'Text Toolkit' section (depending on your Excel version and installed add-ins)."

Step 3.       Choose capitalization: Find the "Capitalise" or "Proper Case" function here. Click this option to apply the capitalization conversion to the selected cells.

Locate the 'Capitalise' or 'Proper Case' function in this section. Click on this option to apply capitalization conversion to the selected cells

Locate the 'Capitalise' or 'Proper Case' function in this section. Click on this option to apply capitalization conversion to the selected cells

Step 4.       Save and share: After carefully reviewing the transformed text, save your Excel file to preserve the formatted changes and share this professionally presented data to others, with confidence.


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1.5 FAQs

Q.1 How to lowercase in Excel except the first letter - 6 easy ways?

Making text lowercase in Excel while keeping the first letter uppercase can be accomplished through these several simple methods:

1.    Using Formulas

2.    Using Flash Fill

3.    Using Text Toolkit Add-in

4.    Using VBA Macro

5.    Using Power Query

6.    Using Online Text Converters

Q.2 How do I make sure my name is capitalised in Excel?

Follow these steps to ensure correct capitalization of your name:

  • Select the cell holding your name.

  • In its next empty cell, use the formula "=PROPER(A1)" (assume that your name is in cell A1).

  • Press Enter. The formula will capitalise the first letter of your name.


1.6 Summary

By learning multiple techniques in excel spreadsheets like using formulas, Power Query, and Text Toolkit, you understand how to make first letter capital in excel with ease. The above-mentioned step-by-step instructions ensure that your data maintains a polished and professional look. You can transform your spreadsheet skills and modernise data formatting tasks, all while maintaining data reliability in excel sheets.

Additionally, the article highlights the game-changing potential in respect of WPS Office. This free alternative to traditional office software increases the affordability, impressive compatibility with multiple features like file formats, and an intuitive user interface.


15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.