diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index f47cdae..e06ee6f 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -143,15 +143,22 @@ const App = (_props) => {
     };
 
     const handleSearch = (direction: SearchDirection) => {
-        const searchTerm = direction === SearchDirection.ToEnglish ? convertSearchBoxShorthand(searchBoxInput, conlang) : searchBoxInput;
-        if (searchTerm === "") {
+        // First convert any shorthand notation
+        let processedSearchTerm = direction === SearchDirection.ToEnglish ? 
+            convertSearchBoxShorthand(searchBoxInput, conlang) : 
+            searchBoxInput;
+        
+        // Then normalize to lowercase
+        processedSearchTerm = processedSearchTerm.toLowerCase();
+        
+        if (processedSearchTerm === "") {
             setSearchResults(null);
             setSearchTerm(null);
             setDirection(null);
         } else {
-            searchEntry(searchTerm, conlang, direction, (json) => {
+            searchEntry(processedSearchTerm, conlang, direction, (json) => {
                 setSearchResults(json);
-                setSearchTerm(searchTerm);
+                setSearchTerm(processedSearchTerm);
                 setDirection(direction);
             });
         }
@@ -205,7 +212,7 @@ const App = (_props) => {
                             onChange={ (evt) => {
                                 setSearchBoxInput(evt.target.value);
                             }} 
-                            placeholder="Enter search term"
+                            placeholder="Enter search term (case-insensitive)"
                         />
                     </div>
                     <div className="searchControls">