Excel Convert String to Number

What this does

This covers converting a general text string — one built by a formula (LEFT, MID, CONCAT), typed with a leading apostrophe, or pasted from another system — into a genuine number, as distinct from the "numbers stored as text" CSV-import case with its green-triangle warning icon. VALUE() is forgiving: in a US-English workbook it happily parses digits, a leading +/- sign, a decimal point, thousands commas and a currency symbol, so =VALUE("$1,250.75") returns 1250.75 with no cleanup at all. It only returns #VALUE! when the string carries a character that is not part of a recognized number format — a letter, or, most commonly, an invisible non-breaking space (CHAR(160)) that web and PDF pastes leave behind. Those need stripping first with CLEAN, TRIM and SUBSTITUTE. =A1*1 and the double-unary =--A1 coerce the same way through implicit arithmetic and fail on the same genuinely non-numeric characters. Text to Columns re-parses an entire column at once instead of one formula per cell. Most people learn this as a sequence of clicks and forget it by next week; learning it as a pattern instead is what lets you apply it to the next, slightly different version of the problem without starting from scratch. That is the difference this page is trying to make. Treat “excel convert string to number” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected cells shows up while it is still harmless. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. That turns a data step that keeps your analysis trustworthy into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.

A worked example

A2 holds the text string "1250.75" — a number stored as text, typed with a leading apostrophe so it sits left-aligned and SUM treats it as 0. =VALUE(A2) returns the real number 1250.75, and the shorthand =A2*1 gives the same result; either one now sums, compares and charts correctly. The value even survives extra formatting: =VALUE("$1,250.75") also returns 1250.75, because VALUE understands the currency symbol and thousands comma in a US-English workbook. Reach for this whenever a string built by a formula, typed with a leading apostrophe, or pasted in from another system needs to behave like a real number in SUM, comparisons or charts instead of silently acting like text. One habit worth forming early: name the cells that hold your inputs, so the formula reads in plain language instead of a string of cell addresses. A reviewer — or you in three months — can then follow the logic without decoding what B7 and D2 were supposed to mean, which is most of what makes a sheet maintainable.

In Google Sheets

If you are in Google Sheets rather than Excel, the good news is that the formula shown here is identical and the workflow barely changes — menus sit across the top instead of in a ribbon, and a few function names differ slightly, but anything you build here moves across with little or no rework. Keep this page bookmarked for the next time the same question comes up. Better still, repeat the steps once in your own workbook — doing it yourself is what turns a copied answer into something you remember. The short version of “excel convert string to number”: the answer is at the top of this page, the tool proves it on your own numbers, and the sections above explain why it holds so the next variation does not stump you. Excel rewards people who reference cells instead of typing values and who keep inputs separate from formulas, because that is what makes a result you can audit months later. Build it once, deliberately, with the live tool as a check, and you convert a one-off lookup into a reusable skill — which is the whole point of learning the why and not just the what.

Common mistakes

• Assuming VALUE cannot handle commas or currency symbols and wrapping every conversion in SUBSTITUTE — in a US-English workbook =VALUE("$1,250.75") already returns 1250.75, so the extra cleanup is wasted effort.
• Chasing a #VALUE! error visually when the culprit is an invisible non-breaking space (CHAR(160)) from a web paste — clean it with CLEAN, TRIM and SUBSTITUTE(A2,CHAR(160),"") first.
• Reformatting the cell as Number without converting the value — formatting only changes the display; the stored string does not become numeric until VALUE, *1 or Text to Columns actually runs.
• Forgetting the decimal separator depends on locale — VALUE parses "1.250,75" differently on a comma-decimal system than "1,250.75" on a period-decimal one, so a file that opens fine on one machine can error on another.
• Running Text to Columns without checking the Column data format step, which can silently convert a numeric-looking ID like a zip code into a number and drop its leading zeros.

Frequently asked questions