Have you ever had to copy numbers from one Excel file to another and found yourself having calculation problems or confusion in the order of the data because the data was incorrectly treated by the software and formatted as text after pasting instead of as numbers? Have you ever worked on a project where you needed to convert letters to binary numbers and didn’t know how to do it? I bet you have, since you’re here and reading this guide on how to convert letters to numbers. Anyway, no problem: whether you’re a student, a professional or just an enthusiast, I’ll walk you through the steps to get to the solution that suits you best.
As far as Excel is concerned, numbers copied into a worksheet sometimes get stored in cells as if they were text. This kind of problem usually happens when importing data from external sources, probably because they were originally formatted in a different way: in this case, numbers formatted as text appear shifted to the left and not to the right in the cell, and are usually signaled by an error indicator. However, this is an easily solvable problem.
On the other hand, when it comes to projects that include the treatment of binary numbers or the encryption of a text by transforming letters into numbers, the solutions available to you are also numerous and easy to adopt. That said, are you ready to get started? Are you? Very well, because now we’ll see, together, some tools that will perfectly serve the purpose, whether you prefer to act from your computer, smartphone or tablet. Enjoy reading and good luck with everything!
Convert letters to numbers on Excel
Are you having trouble copying numbers from one Excel sheet to another, since the figures, once pasted, are formatted as text? Then follow me carefully and don’t get distracted. I’ll explain how to solve this problem in various ways using Microsoft Excel, the famous spreadsheet software included in the Office suite (but also available in a stand-alone version on the Windows and macOS stores) and compatible with both Windows and macOS. If you haven’t installed it yet, you can refer to my guide on the subject. If you prefer to work from the browser, using the online version of Excel, or from mobile, using the official Excel app, you’ll also find explanations.
Conversion via Error Control
The first method of solving the problem that I propose is the one based on the error check present in Excel, at the moment only available for the desktop versions of the application.
As you may have already noticed, numbers stored as text are aligned to the left of individual cells. So, select the cell or cells you want to convert, click on the exclamation mark icon next to the number and then, from the drop-down menu that appears, click on Convert to Number.
If this option is not available, select the cell(s) to be converted (or the entire column, if necessary; the important thing is that the selected cells are all in the same column), then on the Data tab at the top right click the Text in columns button. In the window that appears click on the Finish button, then if you are using Windows press the Ctrl key together with the 1 key.
If you are using a Mac, press the command key together with the 1 key. From the Cell Format window that appears, select the Number category on the left, then write in the middle box how many Decimal Places you want to display and finally, in the box below, the display format of Negative Numbers. When you are sure you have customized the general display of numbers, click on the Ok button in the lower right corner.
An alternative to the above procedure (also valid for Excel online) is to open the central drop-down menu from the Home tab, by clicking on the arrow to the right of the heading General, then select the last option Other number formats. From the Number Format window that opens, select the Number category on the left, customizing the general number displays as you like on the desktop. Finally, click Ok, in the lower right corner, to convert the desired cell(s) to numbers.
If you are using Excel from the Android app on a smartphone, press the arrow at the bottom right (making sure the menu on the left is set to Home), or if you are working from a tablet press the Home tab at the top. Then scroll through the options until you reach the Number Format paragraph, press it and tap on Number, specifying how you want to display negative numbers.
Using the Excel app for iOS or iPadOS you must instead go to the Home section (through the menu at the bottom of the iPhone or tab at the top of the iPad), press the button ABC123 located below the View button and finally select the option Number, possibly specifying the format of negative numbers, using the letter i circled on the right.
Conversion using the “Value” function
As an alternative to what we saw in the previous chapter, you can use a native Excel formula to convert letters into numbers: it is the Value function, which returns the numerical value of the entered text. The following procedure is valid for both desktop versions and Excel Online, but differs in mobile versions.
First, insert a new column next to the cells containing the letters to be converted by right-clicking on the letter identifying the column, then selecting the Insert option from the drop-down menu. Be sure not to create a new one from the one to be converted, otherwise the formula will not work.
Inside a cell of the new column, type the term =VALUE() and then, placing the mouse cursor between the two brackets, click on a cell with the value you want to convert to numeric format (in this case, cell E3); the reference of the cell between the two brackets should appear: press Enter to make the value finally appear in numeric format.
Now move the mouse cursor to the lower right corner of the converted cell until it takes the form of a plus sign (+): click and drag down using the left mouse button, thus duplicating the formula in the cells below.
At this point, you will have a new column of values in numeric format; you can use them directly, or you can copy and paste them into the original column at your convenience.
If you want to copy them in the column you started from, select the cells you just filled with the Value function, press Ctrl together with the C key (command together with the c key, if you use a Mac), then click in the first cell of the original column. In the desktop version select the Home tab, top left, then click the arrow next to the Paste button, select the last item Paste Special from the drop-down menu and select the Values field, top left, then click Ok. In the online version select the Home tab, top left, click the arrow under the Paste button and select Paste values directly.
In case you are using the Android version of Excel, insert a new column next to the cells containing letters by tapping on an existing column other than the one you want to convert, go to the Home section, tap on Insert and Delete, then tap on Insert Columns.
Now double-tap on a cell in the new column, use the numeric keypad to type the term =VALUE(), place the cursor between the two brackets, tap on a cell with the value to be converted, and finally tap the green checkmark button at the top right. Repeat the above steps individually for each cell you wish to convert, until you have a new column of values in numeric format.
If you want to copy them in the initial column, select the first cell you just converted, then all the others, dragging the green dot at the bottom right of the cell along the entire column; from the menu that opens, choose the copy option (represented with two sheets of paper next to each other), then press twice in the first original cell, select from the menu that opens the down arrow next to the word Comment, then choose the Values option.
If you are an iOS/iPadOS user, tap on an existing column other than the one you want to convert, then select the Insert option. Double-tap in the first cell of the new column, type the term =VALUE() on the keyboard, place the cursor between the two brackets, select a cell to convert and then press the green button with the check mark in the upper right corner. In order to get the new column filled with numeric values, you will have to repeat every single step described above.
To copy the new values into the start column, tap the first converted cell, then select all others by dragging the green dot at the bottom right of the cell along the length of the column. From the menu that opens select the Copy option, then double-tap on the starting cell, choose the Paste Special option and finally the Values option.
Conversion using the “Paste Special” and “Multiply” functions
If you didn’t manage to convert letters to numbers on Excel with the previous methods, then maybe this will do the trick: it is very useful, especially for converting multiple columns at once.
First, select an empty cell that is not affected by the conversion problem, type the key 1 in it and press the Enter key. Press Ctrl together with the C key (command with the c key, if you are using a Mac) to copy it, then select the cells you need to convert from letters to numeric format.
From the Home tab, top left, then click on the arrow next to the Paste button, click on the last item Paste Special, then from the Task menu click on the Multiply field and finally press Ok (bottom right).
By doing so, you have just instructed Excel to multiply each cell by 1, effectively converting letters to numbers. If you want to change the format, press Ctrl together with the 1 key (command together with the 1 key, if you use Mac) to open the Format Cells window, select the format you prefer from the Category menu on the left and click Ok at the bottom right.
This method is suitable for the desktop version of Excel; however, regarding the online, Android and iOS versions, you can apply the following guidelines based on my tutorial how to multiply in Excel.
How to disable error checking
If you see a green triangle in the upper left corner of a cell when you enter a number, it means that error checking is active (only in the desktop version of Excel). You can stop the error checking by selecting Formulas from the general menu, then clicking on the Error Checking button, then on the Options button at the bottom left, and finally unchecking Numbers Formatted as Text.
Convert letters to binary numbers
If you’re looking to convert letters into binary numbers, for fun or for work, there are several tools for this purpose. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting ones and you’ll see that you’ll find the one that suits you best. Whether you’re working on a cutting-edge computer science project or want to learn the rudiments of binary cryptography, I’m sure you’ll be satisfied.
Convertire il testo in binario (online)
Convert text to binary is an efficient online service that allows you to convert letters into binary numbers. By clicking on the link I have provided you will get to the page ready to receive the text you want to convert, to be inserted into the Input date field.
First, make sure that the Convert tool in the middle of the page is set to text to bin numbers (as you may have guessed, the other option binary numbers to text does exactly the opposite), then type or copy and paste the letters to be converted. You will immediately notice, in the Output field below, the text you entered converted to binary code.
Binary Code Translator (Android)
Binary Code Translator, on the other hand, is a valid service for converting letters into binary numbers available for Android users. If you tap on the above link from your smartphone or tablet, you will be immediately connected to the Play Store, from where you can download the application by pressing the Install button.
Once the installation is done on your device, pressing the Open button will bring you face to face with Binary Code Translator: verify that you are in the Text to binary section (the first on the left) and not in “Binary to text”, then write or paste the text that you intend to encode in binary. When you are done, tap on the Encode command at the bottom left: you will immediately notice the translated text below the one you typed just now.
The app has two other very useful commands: Copy (found right next to Encode) lets you copy the translated text to your clipboard and manually paste it into other apps on your phone, while Share (the last one on the bottom right) helps you share your binary code directly with other installed apps as well.
Text To Binary (iOS/iPadOS)
Text To Binary is also a great tool to convert letters to binary numbers, but exclusively dedicated to users who prefer to use an iPhone or iPad. To use it, tap on the link I’ve just provided, then press the Get/Install button from the App Store, verify your identity via Face ID, Touch ID or Apple ID password (if necessary) and, finally, press the Open button.
You can immediately type whatever you like in the bar at the top of the screen, even copying and pasting text from another app you’re using. You may have noticed that the app translates what you type in real time, so you don’t need to confirm your input or perform any additional operations: simple, isn’t it?
Now you can easily copy the binary code you have obtained using the Copy to Clipboard command located just below the translated text. You will know it has been successfully copied if a pop-up window will appear saying Successfully copied to the clipboard.
If you want to learn more about other aspects of Excel management, I invite you to read my other articles such as how to download Excel, how to use Excel on Android, how to use Excel on iPhone and how to use Excel on iPad. If you would like to learn more about the use of symbols, characters and numerical systems, I invite you to read my guides about ASCII code and how to convert Roman numerals.