Comments on: How to convert text to number in Excel

Sometimes values in your Excel worksheets look like numbers, but they don't add up, don't multiply and produce errors in formulas. A common reason for this is numbers formatted as text. This tutorial will teach you how to convert numeric strings to actual numbers. Continue reading →

Comments page 6. Total comments: 219

  1. I have the following challenge, when generating a string that I'm then willing to reference a named variable. Imagine 4 cells in a sheet, such as:
    A1 contains the number 9, and I name that cell Blue.Color using Formula/Define Name
    A2 contains the number 6, and I name that cell Green.Color
    B1 contains the text Green
    B2 contains a formula such as =A2&".Color"
    The problem is that B2 cell now shows Green.Color, whereas I would have wanted to read 6
    Any trick for me ?
    Thanks a lot,
    Sebplus.

  2. Select text which is to be converted in number
    prss Alt DEF

  3. the value of A1 is "31-35", how can I convert this to (4)? When I use =Value(a1) the result is #value!

  4. A5 consists of a set of values "3,8,5,6,12" collected from other formulas.
    This set of values will have to be used by CHOOSE frequently, CHOOSE(x,A5) where x is a variable.
    But, "CHOOSE(x,A5)" returns "#VALUE!".
    How can I make it work, please? Thank you very much.

  5. Finally, Someone who actually knows what they are doing. All of the articles I found including MS only give you one or two options. The Paste Special function is the first time I've seen this method and it did the trick for me. Great article, well organized, comprehensive, and easy to follow. Thank you

  6. How to convert numbers to word.
    Exp. 1 - A
    2 - B
    3 - C

  7. Hi,
    I want to convert a placement to an other number, like: placement 1 = 10, placement 2-5 = 7.
    What is the best way to do this?
    thanks in advantage!

  8. Hi
    How to convert a value number of 3.5581E +14 to the right number. it is not working in with format cells. Thanks for responding.

    1. Just paste the number by adding " ' (Appostropy) ". exp 123456789 should mention as '123456789

  9. I need to give the letter P (for present) the value of 1 and the letter A (for absent) the value of 0. Very new to Excel and can't figure it out. Thank you.

    1. Use the Excel function IF.

      1. Hi, Just Select all, then Ctrl+F, at top select "Replace", then in find what give "1", and give "P" in Replace with and right below select "options " and select only "match entire cell content" and select "Replace all" in left bottom

  10. Kindly suggest how to convert all text strings to numbers in a column in Excel sheet? Example:
    2,66,020
    2,66,020
    2,24,650
    70,170
    91,250
    2,66,810
    2,66,810
    91,250
    2,66,810
    2,64,840
    2,67,720
    17,150
    2,67,720
    2,360

    1. Hi,
      It seems to me that the easiest solution is to apply the ‘Extract’ tool offered by ‘Ablebits Ultimate Suite’. One of the options its menu has is ‘Extract numbers’. Simply click the corresponding radio button on selecting your records, and a new column will appear next to the original one. The extracted data will get numerical status for Excel and lose commas, by the way.

  11. I need help making a number in D5 which is 1 to mean 2 in the formula I used in P5.
    =(A5/C5)*D5+A5+40

  12. Kindly suggest how to convert all text strings to numbers in a column in Excel sheet? Example:
    2,66,020
    2,66,020
    2,24,650
    70,170
    91,250
    2,66,810
    2,66,810
    91,250
    2,66,810
    2,64,840
    2,67,720
    17,150
    2,67,720
    2,360
    Thanks. RAKESH

    1. just replace , with blank and its done :)

  13. You guys are making my life easy...
    Thanks a lot for your support

  14. The other problem might be that the 'System Separator' is not the same as your pasted value.
    I.e. In the cell you have value 100.22 In other words 100 point 22 or 100 decimal 22.
    If your File -> Options -> Advanced -> (About 16 lines down) Use system separator is ticked then the decimal point will make the field text - No matter what you do.
    To correct this, un-tick 'Use system separators' and ensure that 'Decimal separator' is a . and 'Thousands separator' is empty and not a blank.

    1. Thousand separator is taking a , automatically even if we delete it.

  15. How to convert 1911420211989 this number in word

  16. Thank you gurus of excel!

  17. Thank you!

  18. Thank you so much to this very helpful post.

  19. ShortCut key - ALT+a+e+f

    1. Thanks to you, column to text was causing excel to crash, this was the best solution since i am trying to automate the a script, that does just this.

  20. Hi

    My excel does not recognize the following as a value 2 027,60. I need a thousands separator to be a "," and decimal to be "." . I have a whole column of values that need to be converted.

    Please help!!!

    I have tried the substitute function which works on changing the decimal function for values less than a thousand, thereafter it does not work on a value of 1,000 or more.

    Thanks!

  21. There are a number of tricks you can use if you have a column of numbers in a format that Excel does not recognise as numbers. For example, let's say you have a column of numbers where some idiot has typed each number in using a comma as the thousands separator like this:

    52,321.45
    17,615.28
    19,785.98
    41,963.49

    If your version of Excel does not use commas for the thousands separator, (mine is et to use the apostrophe - ' -), or if some dummy actually typed in the commas, you can still quickly convert the entire column of text-numbers to numbers by using the Data - Text to columns function:

    Highlight the entire column.
    Click text to numbers
    Select "Delimited" and hit next.
    Uncheck all the delimiters and hit next
    Click General and then Advanced
    In the advanced box it asks for the decimals separator and for the thousands separator.
    Enter the separator you see on the screen (NOT the separator that you want). So in the above example you would put a comma as the thousands separator, and a full-stop as the decimal separator.
    click OK and finish.

    Hey presto your text-numbers now ARE numbers in your preferred Excel format. (with an apostrophe as the thousands separator - in my case)

    1. Excellent! Simple and clear, and fully efficient. Thank you!

  22. Saved my day too..

  23. You are amazing! Saved my day and future days as well!!

  24. How to change a text into the number like we need to convert "Best" is equal to 5.

    1. In case if we have a column with 100 text cells and each of them have to be converted into unique numbers, it will be cumbersome to use nested IF function, what will be the best option?

    2. =IF(A1="Best"),5,""). The number 5 may be associated with a certain cell.

      1. Hi,

        I'm busy doing a spread sheet with all my golf scores and related points for 2020/2021.

        Example: 65 equals 36 points or 70 equals 30 points.

        My question is how can I formularise this so that if I type 65 it will automatically insert 36 in the next cell ?

        Thanks

  25. I want to add text data field in rows portion after Values field in excel pivot table. How can I do that?

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