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“Small letters”; letters of the alphabet that are not capital letters or upper-case letters .
Words nearby lower-case letters
More about lower case letters, what are lowercase letters .
Lowercase letters are the shorter, smaller versions of letters (like w ), as opposed to the bigger, taller versions (like W ), which are called uppercase letters or capital letters .
The adjective lowercase can also be used as a noun meaning the same thing as lowercase letter , though this is much less commonly used. The adjective uppercase can also be used as a noun in this way. As an adjective, uppercase means the same thing as capital , and uppercase letters can also be called capitals .
Some lowercase letters are just shorter, smaller versions of their uppercase counterparts (like lowercase w and uppercase W or lowercase c and uppercase C ), but in many cases the two versions of the letter take different forms altogether, such as lowercase a and uppercase A or lowercase b and uppercase B .
To capitalize a word is to make its first letter a capital or uppercase letter. The word uppercase can be used as a verb to mean the same thing. The word lowercase can be used as a verb meaning to make a letter lowercase. For example, to lowercase the word Polish (which is here spelled with an uppercase p ), you would write it with a lowercase P , as polish .
In English, uppercase letters are used at the beginning of words for a few different reasons. It is considered a standard rule of English to use an uppercase letter to start proper nouns (which are nouns that refer to specific people, places, or things—meaning one’s that have specific names), such as Jess , Mexico , and Nintendo . Using an uppercase or lowercase letter at the start of a word can change the way the reader interprets its meaning, as in the case of polish (a verb meaning to make something shinier) and Polish (an adjective describing someone from Poland) or apple (the fruit) and Apple (the company).
We also use an uppercase letter for the first letter of the first word in a sentence. Sometimes, we use an uppercase letter for the first letter of each word in a title, as in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before . This is sometimes called title case .
Some acronyms and abbreviations are written using all uppercase letters, such as NASA and U.S . A word written entirely in uppercase letters (like WHAT ) is said to be written in caps or all caps .
Using lowercase letters in any of these cases typically indicates that the communication is casual or informal, such as in text messages or online posts.
Example: A lot of people exclusively use lowercase letters in text messages unless they want to emphasize something.
Where does lowercase letter come from?
The term lowercase letter has been used since at least the 1680s. The words uppercase and lowercase come from printing. The process of physically printing things with printing presses involved trays, called cases , that were divided into compartments for holding different kinds of type (blocks with letters on them). The upper case held capital letters and the lower case held what came to be known as lowercase letters .
It can be confusing to know whether to use uppercase or lowercase letters in certain situations, but a capitalization guide can help.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to lowercase letter ?
- lower-case letter (alternate hyphenated spelling)
- lower case letter (alternate two-word spelling)
What are some synonyms for lowercase letter ?
- lowercase (when lowercase is used as a noun)
What are some words that share a root or word element with lowercase letter ?
- uppercase letter
What are some words that often get used in discussing lowercase letter ?
- capital letter
- capitalization
How are lowercase letters used in real life?
In most contexts, the majority of letters in a text are lowercase letters . Uppercase letters are used in the beginning of names and other proper nouns, at the beginning of sentences, at the beginning of words in titles, and in some abbreviations. Informal communication like text messages and online posts are sometimes written entirely in lowercase letters .
A capital letter in my code where there was supposed to be a lowercase letter just drove me insane for four hours because I didn't see it. — Kyle Roth (@jkroth1987) October 22, 2015
Identifying and matching uppercase and lowercase letters using these colorful underwater themed cards. Games make learning fun! 🐟 🐠 #IslipENL #LearningIsFun @WingElemIslip pic.twitter.com/QjUSLvuZ57 — Jaclyn Brady (@JaclynBrady17) February 5, 2021
i got a new phone and my new keyboard doesn’t know that i only use lowercase letters so now all my texts are being autocorrected into formal work emails — noor body, noor crime (@abnoormality) January 17, 2019
Try using lowercase letters !
Which of the following letters is a lowercase letter ?
A. e B. h C. r D. all of the above
How to use lower-case letters in a sentence
Certain features of its history suggest why this may be the case.
And, in the case of fluoride, at least, that doubt might actually be justified.
Her latest book, Heretic: The Case for a Muslim Reformation, will be published in April by HarperCollins.
Their friendship began when Krauss, who was chairman of the physics department at Case Western in Cleveland, sought out Epstein.
A grand juror in the Ferguson case is suing to be able to explain exactly what went down in the courtroom.
The case was an assault and battery that came off between two men named Brown and Henderson.
In this case, I suspect, there was co-operant a strongly marked childish characteristic, the love of producing an effect.
On the upper part of the stem the whorls are very close together, but they are more widely separated at the lower portion.
Sometimes in the case of large plants, cones have been known to occur on the tips of the branches of the Marsh Horsetail.
As a rule, however, even in the case of extreme varieties, a careful examination of the specimen will enable it to be identified.
letter case
- 1.1.1 Hyponyms
- 1.1.2 Coordinate terms
- 1.1.3 Translations
- 1.2 References
- 1.3 Anagrams
English [ edit ]
Noun [ edit ].
letter case ( countable and uncountable , plural letter cases )
- ( typography , uncountable ) The distinction between majuscule ( uppercase ) and minuscule ( lowercase ) letters.
- ( countable ) A case (container) used for carrying letters (messages on paper).
Hyponyms [ edit ]
( each letter considered individually ) :
- lower case ( lowercase ), minuscule , small
- upper case ( uppercase ), capital , majuscule , tall (in tall-man lettering )
( across whole phrases ) :
- AlTeRnaTinG cApS
- Initial Caps
- Sentence case
Coordinate terms [ edit ]
Translations [ edit ], references [ edit ].
- " letter case " in WordNet 2.0 , Princeton University, 2003.
Anagrams [ edit ]
- retelecast , telecaster
Allison Bressmer
Professor and Freelance Writer
The 26 letters in the English alphabet can take two forms: uppercase and lowercase. Each form serves a different function. Most of the letters you see in writing are lowercase.
Definition of Lowercase Letters
Definition of uppercase letters, when should you use lowercase letters, when should you use uppercase letters, a summary of lowercase and uppercase letters.
Lowercase letters are smaller and sometimes take a slightly different form than their uppercase counterparts.
Notice the L that starts the word Lowercase in the previous sentence. It’s larger than the other letters and looks different than the l in the word letters .
Lowercase letters are used more often than uppercase letters. They follow the first letter of a sentence or the first letter of a proper noun.
English Alphabet Lowercase Letters
These are the lowercase forms of each of the 26 letters in the English alphabet.
Uppercase letters, also called capital letters, are used to start sentences and as the initial letter of a proper noun .
Uppercase letters are larger than their lowercase counterparts. Though most uppercase letters look similar to their lowercase partners, others take slightly different forms.
English Alphabet Uppercase (Capital) Letters
These are the uppercase or capital forms of the 26 letters in the English alphabet.
It’s easier to explain the function of lowercase letters by saying what they don’t do. Lowercase letters do not start sentences and are not used as the initial letter of a proper noun.
They are used for all the remaining letters in sentences and following the first letter of proper nouns.
Most of the letters you write will be lowercase. A quick scan of this article shows that uppercase letters are used in specific circumstances and lowercase are used everywhere else!
In the first sentence of the paragraph above, Most of the letters you write will be lowercase. , only the M in Most is an uppercase letter. All the others are lowercase.
Use Lowercase Letters with Common Nouns
Nouns are words that represent a person, place, thing, or idea. There are two types of nouns: common and proper.
Common nouns refer to a non-specific person, place, thing, or idea. They are generic terms. The chart below shows the common noun version of the proper nouns used above.
Proper nouns refer to a specific person, place, thing, or idea. For example, the name of a particular person, city, country, day of the week, or month is a proper noun.
The initial letter of a proper noun is an uppercase letter. The rest are lowercase.
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Sentence Examples with Proper and Common Nouns
These sentences contain both proper and common nouns (in bold). The proper nouns are capitalized, the common nouns contain only lowercase letters.
- After work , Sue met friends for dinner .
- The ancient poet Homer wrote The Odyssey and The Iliad .
- My favorite day of the week is Sunday , and my favorite month is July .
Most often, capital letters are used to start sentences and proper nouns, but those aren’t the only times.
This list explains other circumstances that require uppercase letters.
1. The first word of a quote that’s part of a complete sentence
When an embedded quote is also a complete sentence, the first word of that quote should be capitalized.
- Mary said, “We should go to the beach.”
2. Titles of literary or artistic works
Capitalize the first, last, and all other words in a title except conjunctions, articles, and prepositions of fewer than four letters. This is called “Title Case.” (Some style guides have even more specific guidelines, so always check!)
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- The Hunger Games
- The Fault in Our Stars
3. Professional titles preceding a person’s name
When a title such as “Dr.” or “President” precedes a specific person’s name, capitalize it.
- We will now hear from Dr. Jones, our keynote speaker.
- President Biden will give a speech later today.
Use lowercase letters if the title is used as a description or not followed by a specific name.
- The keynote speaker is Martin Jones, a doctor.
- I’m watching the president give a speech.
If you feel overwhelmed by the different rules of capitalization, remember that ProWritingAid is here to help!
It’s a thorough grammar checker (and more) that will detect errors in capitalization for you.
4. The pronoun “I”
You should always capitalize the pronoun “I.”
5. Acronyms and Initialisms
An acronym is a word formed by taking the first letter of each word of a compound term. Initialisms are similar abbreviations, except that the letters are pronounced individually rather than forming a new word.
- PIN is an acronym for personal identification number and is pronounced as the word “pin”
- FBI is an initialism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is pronounced as individual letters F-B-I
Some phrases are also abbreviated as initialisms:
- “Talk to you later” is TTYL
- “As soon as possible” is ASAP
Acronyms and initialisms should always appear in uppercase form.
6. When adding emphasis
Be careful with this use of uppercase letters!
When you put words or sentences in ALL CAPS, a practice often seen in texts or posts, you add emphasis to your words. Consider how that emphasis will be perceived.
ALL CAPS statements carry more aggression and intensity than lowercase words. That’s not always a bad thing.
For example, texting someone “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” instead of “Happy birthday” is a way to convey excitement and show you really mean those good wishes.
Other times, ALL CAPS can sound accusatory, demeaning, or rude.
Remember that ALL CAPS in writing makes it seem as though the speaker is yelling. Keep that in mind before you press “send” on your uppercase text or post!
Lowercase letters are used for common nouns and for every letter after the initial letter of the first word of a sentence.
Uppercase letters are most often used at the start of sentences and as the first letter of proper nouns, though there are other times to use the capital letter form too.
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Allison Bressmer is a professor of freshman composition and critical reading at a community college and a freelance writer. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her reading a book or listening to a podcast while happily sipping a semi-sweet iced tea or happy-houring with friends. She lives in New York with her family. Connect at linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer
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Vocabulary
What does letter case mean?
Definitions for letter case let·ter case, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word letter case ., princeton's wordnet 5.0 / 1 vote rate this definition:.
letter case noun
case for carrying letters
Wiktionary 5.0 / 1 vote Rate this definition:
the distinction between majuscule (uppercase) and minuscule (lowercase) letters.
a case used for carrying written letters.
Wikipedia 0.0 / 0 votes Rate this definition:
Letter case
Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally majuscule) and smaller lowercase (or more formally minuscule) in the written representation of certain languages. The writing systems that distinguish between the upper and lowercase have two parallel sets of letters, with each letter in one set usually having an equivalent in the other set. The two case variants are alternative representations of the same letter: they have the same name and pronunciation and are treated identically when sorting in alphabetical order. Letter case is generally applied in a mixed-case fashion, with both upper and lowercase letters appearing in a given piece of text for legibility. The choice of case is often prescribed by the grammar of a language or by the conventions of a particular discipline. In orthography, the uppercase is primarily reserved for special purposes, such as the first letter of a sentence or of a proper noun (called capitalisation, or capitalised words), which makes the lowercase the more common variant in regular text. In some contexts (e.g. academical), it is conventional to use one case only. For example, engineering design drawings are typically labelled entirely in uppercase letters, which are easier to distinguish individually than the lowercase when space restrictions require that the lettering be very small. In mathematics, on the other hand, letter case may indicate the relationship between mathematical objects, with uppercase letters often representing “superior” objects (e.g., X could be a mathematical set containing the generic member x).
Freebase 5.0 / 1 vote Rate this definition:
In orthography and typography, letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger upper case and smaller lower case letters in certain languages. The term originated with the shallow drawers called type cases used to hold the movable type for letterpress printing. In the Latin script, capital letters are A, B, C, etc.; lower case includes a, b, c, etc. Most Western languages use letter cases in their written form as an aid to clarity. Scripts using two separate cases are also called "bicameral scripts". Many other writing systems make no distinction between capital and lowercase letters – a system called unicase. If an alphabet has case, all or nearly all letters have both forms. Both forms in each pair are considered to be the same letter: they have the same name and pronunciation and will be treated identically when sorting in alphabetical order. An example of a letter without both forms is the German ß, which exists only in minuscule. When capitalised it normally becomes two letters, but the ß letter may be used as a capital to prevent confusion in special cases, such as names. This is because ß was originally a ligature of the two letters "ſs", both of which become "S" when capitalised. It later evolved into a letter in its own right. ß is also occasionally referred to as a ligature of "sz", which recalls the way this consonant was pronounced in some medieval German dialects. The original spelling sz is preserved in Hungarian and pronounced.
Matched Categories
Anagrams for letter case », how to pronounce letter case.
Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African
How to say letter case in sign language?
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of letter case in Chaldean Numerology is: 8
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of letter case in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Translations for letter case
From our multilingual translation dictionary.
- पत्र का मामला Hindi
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Are we missing a good definition for letter case ? Don't keep it to yourself...
Image credit, the web's largest resource for, definitions & translations, a member of the stands4 network, image or illustration of, letter case, browse definitions.net, free, no signup required :, add to chrome, add to firefox, are you a words master, formal separation from an alliance or federation.
- A. germ
- B. secession
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- D. jab
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What Are Lowercase, Uppercase Letters?
Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What Are Lowercase, Uppercase Letters?
Lowercase letter definition: Lowercase letters are all other letters not in uppercase.
Uppercase letter definition: Uppercase letters are letters that represent the beginning of a sentence or a proper noun.
What are Lowercase Letters?
In writing, most letters are lowercase. Lowercase letters are all letters that do not begin a sentence or refer to a proper noun.
English alphabet lowercase letters: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z.
Examples of Lowercase Letters:
- The word above uses only lowercase letters.
- The sentence above has lowercase letters after the first letter of the sentence.
- This sentence and the one directly above have all lowercase letters except for the “T.”
What are Uppercase Letters?
English alphabet uppercase letters: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.
Examples of Uppercase Letters:
- This is a proper name, so the first letter of the title and the last name are capitalized
- This is a proper noun so the first letter of each word is capitalized
When to Use Uppercase Letters
Other uses of uppercase letters are detailed below.
All titles are considered proper nouns and require capitalization.
- Incorrect: miss mabry
- Incorrect: mr. mathers
- Incorrect: madam lockfield
- Incorrect: lady grace
- Incorect: mrs. janks
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
- Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
All Proper Nouns
All proper nouns need to be capitalized.
- Incorrect: We visited the bowers museum on Saturday.
- Incorrect: I would like to tour the eiffel tower.
- Incorrect: Their names are jake and suzy.
When to Use Lowercase Letters
- Every word in this sentence other than the first word is written in lowercase.
- The only words in this sentence that require uppercase letters are the proper nouns, London and Paris.
All nouns that are not proper nouns are called common nouns . All common nouns use lowercase letters (unless a common noun begins a sentence).
Define lowercase letters: lowercase letters are those letters used for common nouns and internal words.
Define uppercase letters: uppercase letters (also called capital letters) are those letters that signify the beginning of a sentence or a proper noun .
In summary,
- Uppercase and lowercase letters refer to all letters used to compose the English language.
- Uppercase letters are used to begin sentences and are also used for proper nouns.
- Lowercase letters are all letters that do not begin sentences.
- 1 What are Lowercase Letters?
- 2 What are Uppercase Letters?
- 3.2 Acronyms
- 3.3 All Proper Nouns
- 4 When to Use Lowercase Letters
Daniel Miessler
A List of Different Case Types
Created/Updated: February 26, 2021
Capitalization Writing the first letter of a word in uppercase, and the rest of the letters in lowercase.
Title Case All words are capitalized, except non-initial articles like “a, the, and”, etc. Used for…um, titles.
lowercase All letters in all words are lowercase.
Sentence case Capitalization just like a standard English sentence, e.g. “The damn has broken.” Many sub-titles use this case format.
ALL CAPS All letters in every word are capitalized. Used for extreme emphasis and considered rude when used over the Internet.
SMALL CAPS Only capital letters are used for all letters in all words, but the letters are the size of lowercase letters of the font, not the uppercase.
CamelCase Words are written without spaces, and the first letter of each word is capitalized. Also called Upper Camel Case or Pascal Casing.
lowerCamelCase A variation of Camel Case in which the fist letter of the word is lowercase, e.g. iPhone, iPad, etc.
SNAKE_CASE Punctuation is removed and spaces are replaced by a single underscore. Can be done with either upper or lowercase, but whichever is used should continue to be used.
Leet Substitutes numbers for some letters that are most similar, e.g. 3’s for E’s, 1’s for I’s, etc.
StudlyCaps or StickyCaps Random capitalization within a word, or sometimes nonrandom capitalization, but not where it should be, e.g. cAPITALIZING the wrong part of a word because the CAPS LOCK is on.
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Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally majuscule) and smaller lowercase (or more
Letter case is the difference between uppercase/capital letters and lowercase letters for certain writing systems. The name comes from letters on a printing
Lowercase letters are the shorter, smaller versions of letters (like w), as opposed to the bigger, taller versions (like W), which are called uppercase
Letter case refers to the size and shape of a letter used in writing, usually with a distinction between upper and lower cases in a language
(typography, uncountable) The distinction between majuscule (uppercase) and minuscule (lowercase) letters. ... (countable) A case used
NounEdit · (typography, uncountable) The distinction between majuscule (uppercase) and minuscule (lowercase) letters. · (countable) A case (container) used for
Lowercase letters are smaller than uppercase letters and make up most of the letters you see in writing. ... This is called “Title Case.
Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally majuscule) and smaller lowercase (or more
What is title case? What is the meaning of lowercase and uppercase letters? Are capital letters the same thing? Find out at Writing Explained.
Capitalization Writing the first letter of a word in uppercase, and the rest of the letters in lowercase. · Title Case All words are capitalized
Letter case ~~~Title: What is Letter case? Explain Letter case, Define Letter case, Meaning of Letter caseCreated on: 2018-10-09Source Link: