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Excel - Display a Word Next to a Number in a Cell Without Changing the Total - Episode 991

517 views · Published 13 April 2009 · 3:46 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2009 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial: Display a Word Next to a Number in a Cell Without Changing the Total.

Welcome back to the MrExcel netcast! In this video, we're going to tackle a common problem that many of us face when working with large amounts of data. How do we analyze it efficiently? Well, the answer lies in using pivot tables. But before we dive into that, I want to remind you that Tax Day is coming up on April 15th. And for those of us in the accounting world, that means seminar season is just around the corner. I have a few upcoming seminars in Springfield, Illinois, Louisville, Kentucky, Springfield, Missouri, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. And the following week, I'll be hosting a 3-day boot camp in Chicago with my co-author, Mike Alexander. So if you're in any of those areas, I would love to have you join us and mention that you watch this podcast.

Now, let's get to today's question. This one comes from a former co-worker of mine, Don, who is now in Europe. He's struggling with a formula that adds up numbers, but he also needs to make a note next to those numbers. Don doesn't like using cell comments because they don't appear in the cell and require extra steps to view. So, he asked me if there was a way to add a word next to the number without it affecting the formula. And I have two solutions for him, which I'll be sharing with you in this video.

The first solution involves using a custom number format. We'll select the cell, press control+1 to open the Format Cells dialog box, and then choose the Custom category. From there, we'll delete the word "General" and enter our desired word in quotes, followed by a space and the closing quote. Then, we'll add a number format, such as a zero or pound comma pound pound 0. This will display the word next to the number without affecting the formula. And if we need to add the same comment to multiple cells, we can simply double click the Format Painter and paint it into the other cells.

But wait, there's more! In tomorrow's video, we'll explore another solution to this problem. So make sure to tune in for that. And as always, thank you for watching this netcast from MrExcel. Don't forget to like and subscribe for more Excel tips and tricks. See you next time!

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Table of Contents:
(00:00) Display Word Next to Number in a Cell
(01:18) Solution 1: Using Custom Number Format
(02:43) Explanation of Solution 1
(03:04) Solution 2: To Be Discussed in Next Netcast
(03:23) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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Don from Europe calls with today's question: How can I add some text next to a number and still keep the number "as a number" that will flow into future formulas. Episode 991 shows you a cool trick for achieving this effect.

This video is the podcast companion to the book, Learn Excel 97-2007 from MrExcel. Download a new two minute video every workday to learn one of the 377 tips from the book!

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