upper case
"upper-case" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“upper case” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The capital letters A, B, C, ... as opposed to the small letters a, b, c, ....
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | upper case |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “upper case” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
upper case is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The capital letters A, B, C, ... as opposed to the small letters a, b, c, ....".
upper case doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Named for the original arrangement in typesetting, where the drawer or case containing capital letters would traditionally be located above the one containing small letters. The correct English form is upper case, spelled U-P-P-E-R- -C-A-S-E.
Definition
- 1The capital letters A, B, C, ... as opposed to the small letters a, b, c, ....
Etymology
Named for the original arrangement in typesetting, where the drawer or case containing capital letters would traditionally be located above the one containing small letters.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “upper case”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is U-P-P-E-R- -C-A-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.