LEFT Function in Excel: Explained
In this article, you will learn how to use the LEFT formula in Excel.
What is the LEFT formula in Excel?
The LEFT formula in Excel extracts a specified number of characters from the beginning of a text string.
When is the LEFT function useful in Excel?
The LEFT function in Excel is beneficial when you want to extract a specific portion of a text string. For example, you might use it to pull out the prefix of an ID number. It is also useful when extracting the first few characters of a text string to sort or filter the data. For example, you might use the LEFT function to extract the first letter of each word in a list of names to group them alphabetically. It can also be combined with other functions, such as the CONCATENATE function, to extract a specific portion of a text string and then combine it with another text string.
How to use the LEFT formula in Excel
The general syntax for the formula is as follows:
The "text" argument is the text string you want to extract characters from, and the "num_chars" argument is the number of characters you want to extract, starting from the left. The formula will return the entire text string if the "num_chars" argument is omitted.
Note: The “num_chars” parameter must be equal to or larger than zero. When “num_chars” is larger than the length of a text string, the LEFT function returns the entire text string. If the “num_chars” argument is left blank, the formula considers that it is 1.
Look at the following examples to understand the LEFT function better.
Example:
In this example, B2 contains "apple tree," and the formula would return "app".
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61f27b4a37d6d71a9d8002bc/63c87a0a048244854731a916_bO27JE7TXvYCEqJyJSGHzeCvCth5K9Ohy7iSJy_R1HKkEcxt2RN-vbrzeguXdK0o9FY74t94CFR7ylF0XelBIx9KpYFZ8dH0GqKYRC1USPAMz0sLxP5TUwdYXoDn6yQ1Zwxd_OJz1nDRj2_PWR-nrCUhdqc6C-rcpCAJMmoKM1DnK7Gf5iWTyuOCWwHDEw.png)
You can also use the LEFT function in a more complex formula, such as combining it with other functions, like CONCATENATE, to extract a specific portion of a text string and then combine it with another text string.
An example formula is as follows::
In this case, B4 contains "apple tree", and B5 contains "banana leaf". The formula would return "app-ban", as shown below in the picture.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61f27b4a37d6d71a9d8002bc/63c87a0acf63f1e1edb23e16_MCGIg9IgKAvrnIt7FHWp2i-x5-qBXLTbT-ObXyIBOQqgtZmRVvoXrpATRlUF8_k0HmH-bUWhxJ3LzE42boRJKo2gxYLDxwsn9YCAVW9OA1WM7vYt3_U-R4Bo6Mp-KQSAA2iOWAvVNMs3Ehy90Cift6_Cs4DYuSkRXN6YUvzdrHD1IZZ1jDw34QpaqSVrpQ.png)
Finally, note that the LEFT function is case-sensitive, as shown in the screenshot below. So, “liveflow” and “LiveFlow” are considered different by the LEFT function.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61f27b4a37d6d71a9d8002bc/63c87a0b5a925e6decdf340c_Gy8b7OAKobLGEE7axwFdNzi2KaXDoDLk9tG3hpBeidSNrUUlSUYELWUFpYfSs-6W_siOFonpWgJSx2UhLpsZuy28bvWuO3jG03i32_YLhls_JbUeg9Et4_OmPzMUP4Z9FzEzoeXVmx3qfMcoorVQQ2JdN4aeeV6bpf1i25NkQjzcVv8Ebt06DR_SIFRTWA.png)
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![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61f27b4a37d6d71a9d8002bc/63094d4ff22c84c91b065734_k_tknKuBvQLC26yRFvG3KBrgiZe2EN-g1RsVh1HFq4LYumJDh7_qMQ31VLFPYg5OqPq2GaUG58MNZo7Nj0HVd1yY_QitXvo0kQ5lSCEfOBkd4Ugiu3m72sqHO7vI7cuq_eEk-MRWGa_ry8EaHRtKsN8.gif)