How to use LEN in Excel
Counts characters.
Syntax
textText or a cellExample
Here’s LEN on a small table of orders. The highlighted cells are the ones the formula reads.
=LEN(C3)Edit this formula live Change the ranges and watch the answer update. Free, no sign-up.
Common mistakes with LEN
Spaces count
LEN counts every character, including spaces you can’t see. Compare LEN(A2) with LEN(TRIM(A2)) to find them.
Numbers are counted as displayed values
LEN(1000) is 4; formatting like a thousands separator isn’t counted.
What the error messages mean
Type these slips into Gridwise and this is the feedback you get:
Leaving off the closing bracket
=LEN(C3
Parentheses don’t match. You have 1 opening and 0 closing parentheses. Every ( needs a ).
Questions
What does the LEN function do in Excel?
Counts characters. The syntax is LEN(text).
Why is my LEN formula giving the wrong answer?
Spaces count: LEN counts every character, including spaces you can’t see. Compare LEN(A2) with LEN(TRIM(A2)) to find them. Numbers are counted as displayed values: LEN(1000) is 4; formatting like a thousands separator isn’t counted.
Does LEN work in Google Sheets?
Most Excel functions, including the core ones on this page, work the same way in Google Sheets. A few newer functions arrived in Sheets later or behave slightly differently, so test it on your own data.