Replace a specific character in a cell with another
This tutorial explains how to use the SUBSTITUTE function to replace a specific character in a cell with another one.
How to replace a specific character in a cell with another?
Generic formula
=SUBSTITUTE(text_string,old_text,new_text)
Arguments
Text_string: The text string that containing the specific text you want to replace.
Old_text: The text you want to replace.
New_text: The new text you want to replace the old text with.
The above text arguments can be:
- 1. The text enclosed in quotation marks;
- 2. Or a reference to a cell containing the text.
How to use this formula?
As the below screenshot shown, you want to replace all spaces in each cell of range B5:B9 with dashes, you can do as follows.
1. Select a blank cell to output the result.
2. Enter the below formula into it and press the Enter key. And then drag the Fill Handle to apply the formula to other cells.
=SUBSTITUTE(B3," ","-")
Note: The SUBSTITUTE function is case-sensitive. If you need to replace text with another and ignore the case, please use the UPPER function inside the SUBSTITUTE function.
=SUBSTITUTE(UPPER("text_string"),UPPER("old_text"),"new_text")
How this formula works?
=SUBSTITUTE(B3," ","-")
Here the SUBSTITUTE function replaces all spaces in cell B3 with dashes.
Related functions
Excel SUBSTITUTE function
The Microsoft Excel SUBSTITUTE function replaces text or characters within a text string with another text or characters.
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