How to use ROUND in Excel
Rounds to a number of decimals.
Syntax
numberThe number to roundnum_digitsHow many decimal placesExample
Here’s ROUND on a small table of orders. The highlighted cells are the ones the formula reads.
=ROUND(AVERAGE(E2:E9),1)Edit this formula live Change the ranges and watch the answer update. Free, no sign-up.
Common mistakes with ROUND
Formatting isn’t rounding
Showing fewer decimals only changes the display; the full value is still used in later math. ROUND changes the value itself.
Negative digits round left of the decimal
=ROUND(1234,-2) gives 1200. Use 0 for whole numbers, 2 for cents.
What the error messages mean
Type these slips into Gridwise and this is the feedback you get:
Leaving off the closing bracket
=ROUND(AVERAGE(E2:E9),1
Parentheses don’t match. You have 2 opening and 1 closing parentheses. Every ( needs a ).
Questions
What does the ROUND function do in Excel?
Rounds to a number of decimals. The syntax is ROUND(number, num_digits).
Why is my ROUND formula giving the wrong answer?
Formatting isn’t rounding: Showing fewer decimals only changes the display; the full value is still used in later math. ROUND changes the value itself. Negative digits round left of the decimal: =ROUND(1234,-2) gives 1200. Use 0 for whole numbers, 2 for cents.
Does ROUND 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.