Count the number of characters in a cell in Excel

This lesson introduces the LEN() function, which allows you to calculate the number of characters in a cell. This formula is useful on its own, or can be combined with other text functions such as RIGHT(), LEFT(), MID() and FIND().

LEN() function syntax

The LEN() function has the following syntax:

=len(text)

Where 'text' is the text value for which you want to calculate the number of characters, or a reference to a cell that contains a text value. Note that the LEN() function will count the number of characters in a cell regardless of whether the value is text string or a number.

Example of the LEN() function in action

To use the LEN() function, follow these steps:

• Click on a cell and enter the function
  
• Enter the reference to a cell that contains the text for which you want to calculate the length:
  
• Once you have finished, press Enter to complete the formula and see the result:
  

• You can use the LEN() function to calculate the length of values in a column of cells. This example also uses the AVERAGE(), MAX() and MIN() functions: