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Adding parentheses around text in Excel is a simple and effective way to visually group and organize data. To do so, simply select the cell or cells containing the text you want to enclose in parentheses. Then, click on the “Home” tab in the menu bar and locate the “Number” section. Click on the “Number Format” drop-down menu and select the “Custom” option. In the “Type” field, enter the desired format using parentheses, such as “(text)” or “(#)”. Click “OK” to apply the formatting and the text will now be enclosed in parentheses. This method is useful for presenting data in a more structured and visually appealing manner.
Add Parentheses Around Text in Excel (With Examples)
You can use the following formula to add parentheses around the text in a specific cell in Excel:
="("&A2&")"
This particular formula adds parentheses around the text in cell A2.
For example if cell A2 contains the name Andy then this formula would return (Andy) as a result.
Note: This formula simply uses the & symbol to concatenate parentheses around the existing text in cell A2.
The following example shows how to use this formula in practice.
Example: How to Add Parentheses Around Text in Excel
Suppose we have the following list of athlete names in Excel:
Suppose we would like to add parentheses around each athlete name.
We can type the following formula into cell B2 to do so:
="("&A2&")"
We can then click and drag this formula down to each remaining cell in column B:
Notice that column B now displays the text in each corresponding cell in column A with parentheses wrapped around it.
Also note that you could use a similar formula to wrap any symbols you’d like around the text.
For example, you could instead type the following formula into cell B2 to wrap brackets around the text in cell A2:
="["&A2&"]"
The following screenshot shows how to use this formula in practice:
Notice that column B now displays the text in each corresponding cell in column A with brackets wrapped around it.
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Excel: