How to use NOT in Excel
Flips TRUE and FALSE.
Syntax
logicalA testExample
Here’s NOT on a small table of orders. The highlighted cells are the ones the formula reads.
=NOT(B2="West")Edit this formula live Change the ranges and watch the answer update. Free, no sign-up.
Common mistakes with NOT
Often there’s a simpler way
NOT(B2="East") is the same as B2<>"East". Use whichever reads more clearly.
It flips TRUE and FALSE only
NOT expects a logical test or TRUE/FALSE value.
What the error messages mean
Type these slips into Gridwise and this is the feedback you get:
Leaving off the closing bracket
=NOT(B2="West"
Parentheses don’t match. You have 1 opening and 0 closing parentheses. Every ( needs a ).
Text without quotes
=NOT(B2=West)
Text needs quotes. West isn’t a function or a cell, so Excel can’t read it. If you mean the word, write "West" with quotes.
Questions
What does the NOT function do in Excel?
Flips TRUE and FALSE. The syntax is NOT(logical).
Why is my NOT formula giving the wrong answer?
Often there’s a simpler way: NOT(B2="East") is the same as B2<>"East". Use whichever reads more clearly. It flips TRUE and FALSE only: NOT expects a logical test or TRUE/FALSE value.
Does NOT 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.