GAUSS Function in Excel: Probability Between the Mean and z

GAUSS Function in Excel: Probability Between the Mean and z 1
⏱ 1 min readUpdated 5 October 2026

StatisticsLevel: ExpertAvailable in: Excel 2013+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. GAUSS in practice
  5. Where you will use it
  6. Worked example
  7. Mistakes people make
  8. Related functions

GAUSS returns the probability that a standard normal value falls between the mean and z standard deviations: NORM.S.DIST(z) – 0.5.

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Syntax

=GAUSS(z)
Argument What it means
z Number of standard deviations

Examples

Example 1

=ROUND(GAUSS(A2),4)

Result: 0.3413. See the worked example table below for more cases.

GAUSS in practice

Where you will use it

  • How much of the data lies within 1 SD above the mean
  • Teaching the normal curve
  • Quality limits

Worked example

zFormulaResult
1=ROUND(GAUSS(A2),4)0.3413
1.96=ROUND(GAUSS(A3),4)0.475
3=ROUND(GAUSS(A4),4)0.4987

Results calculated in Excel.

Mistakes people make

MistakeWhat to do instead
Expecting both sidesDouble it for ±z
Negative zReturns a negative value

NORM.S.DIST · PHI

📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.

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