Math
Counting only the numeric cells
Definition
Counting only the numeric cells means giving COUNT a mixed list so text is skipped.
Syntax
=COUNT(value1, [value2], ...)
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
value1 |
The first cell or range to check, such as B2:B5. |
value2, ... |
Optional extra cells or ranges to check as well. |
Worked example
A job log stores minutes in B2:B5. One row is marked skip.
| A: Job | B: Minutes |
|---|---|
| J-1 | 11 |
| J-2 | skip |
| J-3 | 4 |
| J-4 | 8 |
Formula: =COUNT(B2:B5)
Result: 3. 11, 4, and 8 are numbers; skip is text, so it is not counted.
Practice
Cell A2 holds 5. Cell A3 holds no. Cell A4 holds 8. In B2, write a formula that counts how many of those cells are numbers.
- In B2, write a COUNT formula for A2:A4.
- B2 should show how many numbers are in A2:A4.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =COUNT(A2:A4) in B2.
5 and 8 are numbers. no is not, so the count is 2.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
Loading the sheet…
B2 uses COUNT.
B2 now shows 2.
The next lesson is Counting numbers down a column.
Related functions
COUNT is the function that tallies only the numeric cells in that list.
Common mistake
Using COUNTA instead, as in =COUNTA(B2:B5): that counts skip as well and returns 4, not 3.