Example
That's a great idea
tHaT's A gReAt IdEa
How letters are counted
Only letters count toward the pattern. Spaces, numbers, and punctuation are skipped, so the alternation carries on smoothly from one word to the next.
Where people use it
Alternating case is used almost entirely for sarcasm and jokes in chats and social posts. Some screen readers handle it poorly, so avoid it anywhere accessibility matters.
Where the style comes from
Alternating case has been around in online chat since the early internet, but it became widely known in 2017 through the “Mocking SpongeBob” meme, which pairs the style with an image of SpongeBob acting like a chicken. Since then it has meant one thing: repeating someone’s words back to them in a mocking tone.
Use it with care
Because it signals mockery, alternating case can come across as rude in work chats or to people who don’t know the meme. Screen readers may also spell out mixed-case words letter by letter, which makes them hard to follow for people who are blind or have low vision.