To capitalize words in desktop Word, select the text, go to Home > Change Case, and choose Capitalize Each Word. You can also select the text and press Shift+F3 until the case you want appears. Word for the web does not have the Change Case command, so you will need desktop Word or a manual edit there.
Capitalize words with the Change Case command
The ribbon method is the most reliable route because each option is labeled with the outcome it produces. It works in desktop Word, and the menu names are the same whether you are writing a heading or cleaning up a paragraph.
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- Select the word, phrase, sentence, or passage you want to change. The command acts only on the selected text, so a missed selection is the most common reason nothing appears to change.
- On the Home tab, choose Change Case.
- Pick the option you need:
- Sentence case capitalizes the first letter of a sentence and leaves the other letters lowercase.
- lowercase changes every letter to lowercase.
- UPPERCASE changes every letter to uppercase.
- Capitalize Each Word capitalizes the first letter of each word and makes the remaining letters lowercase. This is the option for title-style headings.
- tOGGLE cASE switches each letter to the inverse of its current case.
- If the result is not what you wanted, press Ctrl+Z on Windows or ⌘+Z on Mac, then apply a different option.
Cycle through cases with the keyboard
The keyboard method is faster once you know the sequence. Select the text and press Shift+F3 repeatedly. Each press moves to the next case, cycling among lowercase, uppercase, and title case (Capitalize Each Word), so you watch the text change until it reaches the case you need.
- Windows: Shift+F3.
- Mac: fn+Shift+F3, as given in Microsoft’s Mac instructions.
Shortcuts can differ by platform and keyboard layout. If pressing the key does nothing, or the case changes in an unexpected order on your device, switch to the ribbon command. Microsoft’s keyboard shortcut reference for Word covers the wider set of shortcuts.
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Choosing between the ribbon and the keyboard
| Method | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Home > Change Case | Choosing a named result directly, such as Capitalize Each Word or UPPERCASE | Takes more clicks than a shortcut |
| Shift+F3 (Windows) or fn+Shift+F3 (Mac) | Fast repeated changes to the same selection | You must watch the text to reach the case you want, and results can vary by device |
Word for the web
Microsoft states that “Word for the web doesn’t support changing case.” (Microsoft Support: Change the capitalization or case of text). The web app therefore has no Change Case command and no case-cycling shortcut for this task.
You have two workarounds:
- Open the document in the desktop Word application and use Home > Change Case or Shift+F3 there.
- Edit the capitalization manually in the web app by retyping the affected letters.
Common mistakes
- Using UPPERCASE for headings. UPPERCASE makes every letter capital. For title-style capitalization, use Capitalize Each Word.
- Applying the change to an unintended selection. Check the selection before choosing an option, since the command affects only what is highlighted.
- Assuming the shortcut behaves the same everywhere. Confirm the case after each press, especially on Mac or with a non-standard keyboard layout.
Microsoft’s own instructions, including the undo guidance, are the primary reference for these steps: Microsoft Support: Change the capitalization or case of text.
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