What is UPPERCASE?
UPPERCASE, also known as capital letters or majuscule, is a text format where all letters in a word or sentence are capitalized. For example: "HELLO WORLD" instead of "hello world".
When to Use UPPERCASE
- Acronyms: NASA, FBI, HTML, CSS
- Emphasis: IMPORTANT, URGENT, WARNING
- Constants in programming: MAX_VALUE, API_KEY
- Headings and titles: Chapter titles, section headers
- Road signs and labels: STOP, EXIT, ENTRANCE
- Social media: Hashtags like #BREAKING, #SALE
Examples
Input: welcome to our website
Output: WELCOME TO OUR WEBSITE
Programming Example:
const MAX_CONNECTIONS = 100;Best Practices
- ✓ Use sparingly for emphasis - overuse reduces impact
- ✓ Perfect for acronyms and abbreviations
- ✓ Great for constants in programming
- ✗ Avoid for entire paragraphs - difficult to read
- ✗ Don't use for formal correspondence
- ✗ Avoid in user interfaces except for labels
Common Use Cases
Programming
In most programming languages, UPPERCASE with underscores (CONSTANT_CASE) is used for constants and environment variables.
Marketing
Used in call-to-action buttons (SHOP NOW, SUBSCRIBE), headlines for emphasis, and promotional materials.
Legal Documents
Often used to highlight important terms and conditions or definitions within contracts.
Readability Considerations
Studies show that text in all capitals is more difficult to read than mixed-case text. This is because:
- • Lowercase letters have more distinctive shapes
- • Word shapes are harder to recognize in all caps
- • Reading speed decreases by about 10-15%
- • Can be perceived as "shouting" in digital communication
Use UPPERCASE strategically to draw attention, but prefer mixed case for body text to maintain readability.