How to Use ROUND in Excel: Syntax, Examples, and Tips
Use the
ROUND function in Excel to round a number to a specific number of decimal places. The syntax is =ROUND(number, num_digits), where number is the value to round and num_digits is how many digits to keep after the decimal point.Syntax
The ROUND function has two parts:
- number: The value you want to round.
- num_digits: The number of decimal places to round to. Use 0 to round to the nearest whole number, a positive number for decimals, or a negative number to round to the left of the decimal.
excel
=ROUND(number, num_digits)
Example
This example rounds the number 3.14159 to 2 decimal places.
excel
=ROUND(3.14159, 2)
Output
3.14
Common Pitfalls
One common mistake is using num_digits as a negative number without understanding it rounds to the left of the decimal. For example, =ROUND(123.456, -1) rounds to the nearest 10, giving 120.
Another pitfall is expecting ROUND to always round up or down. It rounds to the nearest value, rounding .5 away from zero.
excel
=ROUND(123.456, -1) =ROUND(2.5, 0)
Output
120
3
Quick Reference
| Usage | Description | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round to 2 decimals | Rounds number to 2 decimal places | =ROUND(5.6789, 2) | 5.68 |
| Round to whole number | Rounds number to nearest integer | =ROUND(5.4, 0) | 5 |
| Round to nearest 10 | Rounds number to nearest 10 | =ROUND(123, -1) | 120 |
| Round to nearest 100 | Rounds number to nearest 100 | =ROUND(987, -2) | 1000 |
Key Takeaways
Use ROUND(number, num_digits) to round numbers to a specific decimal place.
Positive num_digits rounds right of decimal; negative rounds left of decimal.
ROUND rounds .5 values away from zero.
Use 0 for num_digits to round to the nearest whole number.
Be careful with negative num_digits to avoid unexpected rounding.