📎 This article includes 1 downloadable practice file ↓
In this article
VALUE turns text that looks like a number into a real number, so SUM and lookups work.
Syntax
=VALUE(text)| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
text |
Text such as “1,250” or “12.5”. |
Examples
Example 1
=VALUE(A2)“1,250” → 1250.
Example 2
=--A2The double-minus shortcut does the same.
VALUE in practice
Where you will use it
- Turn text numbers into real numbers
- Fix numbers from web or PDF
- Convert '1,500' to 1500
Worked example
| Text | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 | =VALUE(A2) | 1500 |
| 250 | =VALUE(A3) | 250 |
| 12% | =VALUE(A4) | 0.12 |
Results calculated in Excel.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Currency symbols | Remove ₹ with SUBSTITUTE first |
| Locale commas | Use NUMBERVALUE with separators |
Related functions
📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.
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Test formulas dynamically in our web formula laboratory or download the companion Excel workbook.
📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Practice workbook: Text & cleaning24 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.⬇ XLSX · 35 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
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