Follow the steps below to capitalize first letters in Google Sheets using the PROPER function.
Click on the first cell of a new column (say, Column B) next to your data in Column A.
In the B1 cell, type the formula: =PROPER(A1). This formula converts the text in cell A1 to a format where the first letter is capitalized. Press Enter.
Click and drag the small dot in the lower-right corner of the B1 cell to apply the formula to other cells.
As you drag, Google Sheets automatically adjusts the formula for each row (B2 will have =PROPER(A2), B3 will have =PROPER(A3), and so on).
If you want to change the text in place (i.e., in the same column), you’ll need to paste the capitalized text back into the original column as values.
To do this, after applying the formula in Column B, select the formatted cells in Column B, copy them (Ctrl+C), right-click on the first cell in Column A, and choose "Paste special" > "Paste values only".
We hope that this article has helped you and given you a better understanding of how to capitalize the first letter in Google Sheets. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our articles on how to insert Pi in Google Sheets and how to capitalize all letters in Google Sheets.
