NUMBERVALUE() verus VALUE()

When dealing with numbers stored as text in Excel, particularly from diverse international sources, not all conversion functions provide the same level of flexibility. This is where NUMBERVALUE() functions trumps over traditional VALUE function.

With NUMBERVALUE, users can address regional formatting discrepancies, reduce conversion errors, and achieve greater accuracy when processing numeric data worldwide.

VALUE vs NUMBERVALUE: What’s the Difference?

• VALUE Function function converts text that appears as a number into an actual numeric value. It works seamlessly when your data follows the default system locale—typically, a period (.) for decimals and a comma (,) for thousands.

  
  

• NUMBERVALUE Function is designed to be even more versatile. Unlike VALUE, it lets you explicitly specify which character Excel should treat as the decimal separator and which as the group (thousands) separator. For example, in some countries, a comma is the decimal separator and a dot is used for thousands (12.345,67). In others, it’s the opposite.

  
  

Why Is This Useful?

When you import data from various regions or systems, number formats may not match your local Excel settings.

• VALUE can misinterpret these differences, possibly leading to conversion errors.

• NUMBERVALUE solves this problem by allowing you to define the separators, ensuring Excel understands exactly how to parse the number regardless of format.

Example Usage

Suppose we have this text "12.345,67" representing twelve thousand three hundred forty-five point sixty-seven in cell B3. If your system settings treat a period as the decimal separator, VALUE(B3) won’t convert this text correctly. With NUMBERVALUE, you can simply write:

=NUMBERVALUE(B3)

This tells Excel to treat the comma as a decimal and the dot as a thousands separator, thus interpreting the number correctly.

Takeaway

NUMBERVALUE empowers Excel users to confidently and accurately convert text to numbers regardless of regional formatting, eliminating ambiguity and errors that VALUE cannot always address. If you’re managing global datasets and want robust, locale-independent conversions, NUMBERVALUE is an indispensable tool for your Excel toolkit.