Text
LEFT
Definition
LEFT returns the first characters of a text string.
Syntax
=LEFT(text, [num_chars])
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
text |
The text, or the cell holding it, to take characters from. |
num_chars |
Optional. How many characters to take from the start. If left out, Excel returns 1. |
Worked example
Shipping labels start with a three-letter country code followed by a number. The labels are in A2:A4.
| A: Label |
|---|
| NOR-3391 |
| SWE-7720 |
| DEN-5164 |
Formula: =LEFT(A2,3)
Result: NOR. The first three characters of NOR-3391 are the country code.
Practice
Cell A2 holds the word Tuesday. Write a formula that returns the first three letters.
- In B2, write a LEFT formula that takes the first 3 characters of A2.
- B2 should show the first 3 characters of A2.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =LEFT(A2,3) in B2.
A2 is Tuesday, so the first 3 characters are Tue.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
Loading the sheet…
B2 uses LEFT.
B2 now shows Tue.
Related functions
LEFT is often paired with LEN, which counts the characters in the text so you can work out how many to keep.
Common mistake
Treating the result as a number: LEFT on 2048 with 2 characters returns the text 20, which SUM and other number functions will not add inside a range.