The fastest way to change caps in Word
Open your document in Microsoft Word and select the text you want to change. Highlight the words by clicking and dragging, or triple-click to select an entire paragraph. Then go to the Home tab at the top, find the Aa button in the ribbon (it looks like a capital and lowercase letter), click the dropdown arrow next to it, and choose lowercase. The text converts instantly.
If you cannot see the Aa button, you may be using an older version of Word or a different application. Word 2007 and later versions all have this button. If you are using Word Online (the free version in your browser), the button is in the same place on the Home tab.
The Aa button also offers other text case options: UPPERCASE, Sentence case (only the first letter capitalized), Capitalize Each Word, and tOGGLE cASE (which flips whatever case the text already has). You can use any of these the same way.
Key Takeaways
- Select the text you want to change, then click the Aa dropdown on the Home tab and choose lowercase.
- The Aa button works on any amount of text — a single word, a sentence, a paragraph, or your entire document.
- Word also offers UPPERCASE, Sentence case, Capitalize Each Word, and tOGGLE cASE from the same dropdown.
- If you cannot find the Aa button, check that you are on the Home tab and that you are using Word 2007 or later.
Selecting text before you change the case
You must select the text first, or the case change will not work. Click at the beginning of the text you want to change, hold down your mouse button, and drag to the end. The selected text will highlight in blue. You can select as little as one letter or as much as your entire document.
To select your whole document at once, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac. This selects everything in the document, including headers, footers, and text boxes. If you only want to change part of the document, select just that section by clicking and dragging.
If you accidentally select the wrong text, click somewhere else in the document to deselect, then try again. There is no penalty for selecting and deselecting multiple times.
Where to find the Aa button in different Word versions
In Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 2021, and Microsoft 365, the Aa button is on the Home tab in the ribbon. Look for it in the section labeled "Font" or near the bold and italic buttons. The button shows a capital A and a lowercase a, sometimes with a small dropdown arrow next to it.
In Word Online (the free version you access through Office.com), the Home tab is still where you find it, but the ribbon layout is slightly different. The Aa button may be smaller or positioned differently depending on your screen size. If your browser window is narrow, some buttons move into a menu — look for three dots or a "more" option.
In older versions like Word 2007 or Word 2010, the button location is the same, but the ribbon design looks different. The Aa button is still on the Home tab in the Font section. If you are using a very old version of Word (2003 or earlier), use the Format menu instead: click Format, then Text, then Change Case.
Changing case in a table or text box
The Aa button works the same way inside tables and text boxes. Select the text inside the cell or box, then use the dropdown as normal. Word treats the text the same regardless of where it sits in the document.
If you have text in a header or footer, select it and use the Aa button the same way. The case change applies only to the text you selected, not to the rest of the document.
What happens to punctuation and numbers when you change case
Punctuation marks and numbers do not change when you use the case conversion button. If your text reads "HELLO, WORLD! 123", changing it to lowercase produces "hello, world! 123" — the comma, exclamation point, and numbers stay exactly as they were.
Sentence case capitalizes the first letter after a period, question mark, or exclamation point, so it treats punctuation as a signal for where sentences begin. If you use Sentence case on "HELLO, WORLD! GOODBYE", it becomes "Hello, world! Goodbye" — the G in Goodbye is capitalized because it follows an exclamation point.
Undoing a case change if you made a mistake
If you change the case and then realize you made a mistake, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac to undo. This works immediately after the change. You can undo multiple times to go back several steps if needed.
If you closed the document and reopened it, you cannot undo the change anymore — the undo history only works within a single session. In that case, you would need to select the text again and change it back manually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the case of just one word?
Yes. Click at the start of the word, drag to the end to select it, then use the Aa dropdown. You can change the case of a single letter if you want to, though that is rarely useful.
Does the case change work on text I have already formatted as bold or italic?
Yes. The case change only affects whether letters are uppercase or lowercase — it does not touch bold, italic, underline, color, or any other formatting. Your bold text stays bold, your red text stays red.
What if the Aa button is grayed out?
The button is grayed out when you have not selected any text. Select the text you want to change first, then the button will become active and clickable. If it stays grayed out after you select text, try clicking on the Home tab again to refresh the ribbon.
Can I change case in Word on my phone or tablet?
The case change feature is available in the Word app for iPhone, iPad, and Android, but the button location is different. Select your text, tap the formatting icon (usually looks like an A with lines), and look for the case options. The exact steps vary by device and app version.
Does changing case work on text in images or PDFs?
No. The case change button only works on actual text that Word recognizes as editable. If your text is inside an image, a scanned PDF, or a locked section, you cannot change its case using this method. You would need to retype the text or use a different tool designed for that file type.