Formula Guide

The Excel NUMBERVALUE Function
explained simply

NUMBERVALUE converts text into a number, letting you specify which characters are used as the decimal and thousands separators.

ExcelPro · 4 min read · Updated June 2026
Contents
  1. What does NUMBERVALUE do?
  2. Syntax
  3. 3 examples
  4. Common mistakes
  5. FAQ

What does NUMBERVALUE do?

NUMBERVALUE converts a text string into a real number, similar to VALUE, but with the added ability to specify exactly which character is used for the decimal point and which for thousands separators.

This matters for international data — many countries use a comma as the decimal separator and a period for thousands, the reverse of US/UK convention, which can confuse a plain VALUE conversion.

Syntax

=NUMBERVALUE(text, [decimal_separator], [group_separator])
ArgumentDescription
text requiredThe text to convert.
decimal_separator optionalThe character used as the decimal point. Defaults to your system setting.
group_separator optionalThe character used to group thousands. Defaults to your system setting.

Examples

Example 1
Convert standard US-format text
=NUMBERVALUE("1,234.56")

Returns 1234.56 using default US-style separators.

Example 2
Convert European-format text
=NUMBERVALUE("1.234,56",",",".")

Returns 1234.56 by explicitly telling Excel that comma is the decimal separator and period is the thousands separator — the reverse of US convention.

Example 3
Clean imported European data
=NUMBERVALUE(A2,",",".")

Useful when a whole column of European-formatted numbers was imported as text and needs converting consistently.

Common mistakes

⚠️ Using plain VALUE on European-format numbers

VALUE relies on your system's regional settings and may misinterpret "1.234,56" — NUMBERVALUE lets you specify the separators explicitly, regardless of system settings.

FAQ

When would I use NUMBERVALUE instead of VALUE?
Specifically when the text uses separators different from your system's default — most often, imported international data.

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