The PROPER function is a text function that converts the initial character of each word in a text string to uppercase, and the rest to lowercase. For example, if you have a text string like “john doe”, the PROPER function will return “John Doe”.
The syntax of the PROPER function is:
=PROPER(text)
where text is the text string or a reference to a cell that contains the text.
To use the PROPER function in Excel, follow these steps:
- Select a cell where you want to enter the formula.
- Type
=PROPER(and then select the cell that contains the text you want to convert, or type the text directly within quotation marks. For example,=PROPER(A2)or=PROPER("john doe"). - Press Enter to complete the formula. The result will be the text with the initial character of each word capitalized, and the rest in lowercase. For example, “John Doe”.
- You can copy and paste the formula to other cells if you want to apply the PROPER function to multiple text strings.
Example
Suppose you have a list of names in column A, and you want to convert them to proper case using the PROPER function. Here is how you can do it:
| A | B |
|---|---|
| john doe | =PROPER(A2) |
| mary smith | =PROPER(A3) |
| DAVID JONES | =PROPER(A4) |
| lisa brown | =PROPER(A5) |
The result will be:
| A | B |
|---|---|
| john doe | John Doe |
| mary smith | Mary Smith |
| DAVID JONES | David Jones |
| lisa brown | Lisa Brown |
Other Approaches to Convert Text to Proper Case in Excel
Besides using the PROPER function, there are other ways to convert text to proper case in Excel. Here are some of them:
- You can use the Flash Fill feature, which automatically fills in values based on a pattern you provide. To use Flash Fill, type the first name in proper case in the adjacent column, and then press Ctrl+E. Excel will fill in the rest of the names in proper case based on the first one.
- You can use the Text to Columns feature, which splits a text string into multiple columns based on a delimiter. To use Text to Columns, select the column that contains the text, and then go to the Data tab and click Text to Columns. In the wizard, choose Delimited and then select Space as the delimiter. Click Next and then Finish. Excel will split the text into two columns, one for the first name and one for the last name. Then, you can use the PROPER function on each column to convert them to proper case.
- You can use a formula that combines the UPPER, LOWER, and MID functions. The formula is:
=UPPER(LEFT(text,1))&LOWER(MID(text,2,LEN(text)))
where text is the text string or a reference to a cell that contains the text. This formula works by extracting the first character of the text and converting it to uppercase, and then extracting the rest of the text and converting it to lowercase. For example, =UPPER(LEFT(A2,1))&LOWER(MID(A2,2,LEN(A2))) will return “John” for the text “john”. You can use this formula for each word in the text, and then concatenate them with a space. For example, =UPPER(LEFT(A2,1))&LOWER(MID(A2,2,LEN(A2)))&" "&UPPER(LEFT(B2,1))&LOWER(MID(B2,2,LEN(B2))) will return “John Doe” for the text “john” in A2 and “doe” in B2.
