Uppercase the first character and leave the rest of the sentence as-is.
Copy this formula
=UPPER(LEFT(A2,1))&MID(A2,2,LEN(A2))Unlike PROPER (which capitalizes every word), this uppercases only the first letter and keeps the remaining text unchanged — the right choice for sentences and descriptions.
=UPPER(LEFT("hello world",1))&MID("hello world",2,99)→Hello worldSentence case for a phrase.
=UPPER(LEFT(A2,1))&LOWER(MID(A2,2,LEN(A2)))→Hello worldAlso lowercases the rest, turning HELLO WORLD into sentence case.
=REPLACE(A2, 1, 1, UPPER(LEFT(A2,1)))→Excel tipsREPLACE swaps only the first character and leaves the rest untouched.
Capitalize every word
=PROPER(A2)Use PROPER for titles and names.
PROPER capitalizes every word, which is wrong for sentences. This formula touches only the first letter.
The space counts as the first character, so nothing appears to change. Wrap the reference in TRIM: =UPPER(LEFT(TRIM(A2),1))&MID(TRIM(A2),2,LEN(A2)).
Copy the cells, then use Paste Special ▸ Values. The capitalized text stays and the formulas are removed.
Yes. UPPER, LEFT, MID and LEN behave the same way in Google Sheets.
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