The PROPER function will convert any string of words into "proper" capitalization. The first character/letter of every word will capitalized, and the rest are converted to lowercase, just like how names and titles are written. PROPER is one of a few different text functions that work to standardize text strings, the others being UPPER and LOWER.
Syntax
= PROPER([text])text = any text string, can be hardcoded inside of quotes or a cell reference
Explanation
This function is part of the "Text" function group. Its purpose is to capitalize the first letter of each word in a string and convert the rest to lowercase.
The PROPER function will only affect uppercase characters (a -> z). Symbols and lowercase characters are not effected by the function.
In general, character case only matters visually. In very specific circumstances, casing can effect calculations, (using the EXACT formula, the string "DESK" is different from "desk"), but for the most part it will just give your workbook a cleaner, more uniform look.
It is also worth noting that any apostrophes, numbers, or symbols will reset the proper casing, meaning the string "chris's couch" will be capitalized as "Chris'S Couch". and "best1day$ever" will be "Best1Day$Ever"
Examples
1. Properly Capitalize Names using the PROPER function
This is a standard use case for the PROPER function. When given a list of uncapitalized names (or all uppercase names), the proper function can quickly convert the names into their proper formatting.
= PROPER(A2)
2. Properly Capitalize Titles using the PROPER function
Like the previous example, the PROPER function can also be perfect for capitalizing titles of movies, books, and other media. One thing to note is that this may not be the correct capitalization in every case. In the below example, the "of" in Children Of Time, should not be capitalized, and should really be "Children of Time", it is important to double check that the items you are trying to capitalize will not be effected by this.
= PROPER(A2)
3. Proper Case Multiple Cells Inside the PROPER function
Here is a practical use case for PROPER. Here we can combine a , first name, middle initial, and a last name, into a "Full Name" for our boss. Using the PROPER function and the "&" symbols, we can easily join the cells in column B, C, and D, together, using " " between columns B and C and ". " between C and D in order to preserve proper formatting.
Instead of just combining the cells as is, by using the PROPER function, the names are all converted into the correct, clean looking format, and we are left with a full name that is easy to use and pass on to other areas of our spreadsheet.
= PROPER(B3&" "&C3&". "&D3)