Text
Counting letters in a name
Definition
Counting letters in a name means giving LEN the cell that holds the name.
Syntax
=LEN(text)
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
text |
The cell that holds the name to measure. |
Worked example
A badge sheet stores first names in B2:B4.
| A: Seat | B: Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Paul |
| 2 | Jo |
| 3 | Helen |
Formula: =LEN(B2)
Result: 4. Paul has four characters.
Practice
Cell A2 holds Ann. In B2, write a formula that returns the length of A2.
- In B2, write a LEN formula for A2.
- B2 should show the length of A2.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =LEN(A2) in B2.
A2 is Ann, so the length is 3.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
Loading the sheet…
B2 uses LEN.
B2 now shows 3.
The next lesson is Putting the current date in a cell.
Related functions
LEN is the function that counts the characters in that name.
Common mistake
Wrapping the cell in quotes, as in =LEN("B2"): that counts the letters B and 2 and returns 2, not the 4 characters in Paul.