What is lowercase?
Lowercase refers to the small forms of letters, such as a, b and c, which vary in height thanks to ascenders (b, d, h, k) and descenders (g, j, p, y). Standard written English uses lowercase for the vast majority of letters inside any sentence, reserving uppercase for sentence starts, proper nouns and acronyms. Brands such as adidas and ebay also use lowercase stylistically, setting their wordmark, headlines or even entire sites in lowercase to signal informality, accessibility or a quiet, approachable personality. Inside body text, lowercase is the default that makes reading feel natural.
Why does lowercase matter?
Lowercase matters because it is easier to read than uppercase, thanks to the distinctive word shapes lowercase letters create, and it also sets a specific tone when you apply it stylistically. A lowercase wordmark or headline reads as modern, soft and approachable, while the same text in all caps reads bold and formal. The tradeoff is that all-lowercase styling can feel too casual for serious subject matter, so most brands use it selectively in logos, display headlines and stylized moments rather than across every surface.
How do you use lowercase?
Use lowercase as the default for body copy, captions, lists, tooltips and any long-form reading surface.
Follow the brand spelling exactly when referring to companies that style their name in lowercase, such as "adidas" or "ebay."
Reserve all-lowercase styling for short moments, such as wordmarks, hero headlines and stylized feature titles, rather than body copy.
