CONCATENATE and JOIN in Google Sheets - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the CONCATENATE function do in Google Sheets?

It joins two or more text strings into one continuous string without any separator.

beginner

How is JOIN different from CONCATENATE?

JOIN combines multiple text strings but adds a separator between each string, like a comma or space.

beginner

Example: What is the result of =CONCATENATE("Hello", " ", "World")?

The result is "Hello World" because CONCATENATE joins all parts exactly as given.

beginner

Example: What does =JOIN(", ", {"Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"}) return?

It returns "Apple, Banana, Cherry" with commas and spaces between each fruit.

intermediate

Can CONCATENATE join ranges or arrays directly?

No, CONCATENATE joins individual strings or cell references but does not handle arrays or ranges like JOIN does.

Which function would you use to combine text with a comma between each item?

A CONCATENATE

B SUM

C JOIN

D AVERAGE

JOIN lets you specify a separator like a comma to place between text items.

What is the output of =CONCATENATE("A", "B", "C")?

A "A B C"

B "ABC"

C "A,B,C"

D "A-B-C"

CONCATENATE joins text exactly as given without adding spaces or separators.

Which function can join a range of cells with a space between each value?

A JOIN

B RIGHT

C LEFT

D CONCATENATE

JOIN can combine multiple cells or array values with a separator like a space.

If you want to join text strings without any separator, which function is best?

A CONCATENATE

B JOIN with empty string separator

C TEXTJOIN

D SPLIT

CONCATENATE joins text directly without adding anything between strings.

What happens if you use JOIN with an empty string as separator?

A It adds spaces between text

B It joins text with commas

C It returns an error

D It joins text without any separator

JOIN with "" as separator joins text strings directly without spaces or commas.

Explain how CONCATENATE and JOIN differ when combining text in Google Sheets.

Think about whether you want spaces or commas between words.

Describe a real-life example where you would use JOIN instead of CONCATENATE.

Imagine making a shopping list or a sentence.