Shorten digits and other worksheet data

Westend61 / Getty Images

• Tweet
• Share
• Email

To truncate means to shorten an object by cutting it off abruptly. In spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel and Google Spreadsheets, both number data is truncated with your worksheet using the TRUNC function, while text is truncated using the RIGHT or LEFT function.

These instructions apply to Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel versions 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010, and Google Spreadsheets.

Rounding vs. Truncation

While both operations involve shortening the length of numbers, the two differ in that rounding can change the value of the last digit based on the normal rules for rounding numbers, while truncation involves no rounding, but simply cutting off data at a specified point.

The reasons for doing so includes:

• Making it easier to understand data such as reducing the number of decimal places present in a long number.
• Making items fit such as limiting the length of text data that can be entered into a data field.