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ROUND function
Rounds a number to a set number of decimal places.
Syntax
=ROUND(number, num_digits)
| Argument | What it is |
|---|---|
number | The number or formula result to round. |
num_digits | Decimal places to keep. 0 rounds to a whole number. Negative values round to the left of the decimal point. |
What ROUND does
ROUND returns a number rounded to the number of digits you ask for. The second argument is how many decimal places to keep.
Positive digits round to the right of the decimal point, zero rounds to a whole number, and negative digits round to tens, hundreds, thousands and so on.
The difference from cell formatting is what makes ROUND necessary. Formatting changes how a number looks. ROUND changes the number, so every formula that uses the cell afterward sees the rounded value. Use it at the end of a calculation, not in the middle.
Two relatives sit beside it. MROUND rounds to a multiple, such as the nearest 5 or the nearest 0.25. ROUNDUP and ROUNDDOWN force the direction instead of choosing the nearest. In a pricing or tax sheet it is common to see all of them: ROUND for tax, ROUNDUP for quantities, MROUND for price points.
Rounding is also where totals most often disagree with an answer key. If the key rounds each line before adding and you add before rounding, the two differ by a cent or two. The prompt normally says which; when it does not, round at the level where the number is reported.
ROUND examples
1. Round to cents
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Price | |
| 2 | Cable | 12.3456 | 12.35 |
A price of 12.3456 becomes 12.35 with two digits. Halves round away from zero, so 12.345 would also become 12.35.
2. Round to the nearest thousand
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City | Population | |
| 2 | Hilo | 48617 | 49000 |
A negative digit count reaches left of the decimal point. -3 rounds to thousands, so a population of 48,617 becomes 49,000.
3. Rounded values add up differently
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Line | Amount |
| 2 | 1.004 | 1 |
| 3 | 1.004 | 1 |
| 4 | 1.004 | 1 |
| 5 | 3 |
Three lines of 1.004 add up to 3.012. Formatted to two decimals, the raw column shows 1.00 three times above a total of 3.01, which looks like an error to anyone checking by eye. Rounding each line first, as column B does, makes the visible figures and the total agree at 3.
Common ROUND mistakes
- Formatting instead of rounding. Decimal places in the number format change what you see, not the value. A formula that uses the cell still sees 12.3456. Use ROUND when the rounded number must be the number.
- Rounding too early. Round at the last step, not on every intermediate result. Repeated rounding drifts the total.
- Confusing the digits argument. 2 means two decimals. 0 means whole numbers. -2 means hundreds.
- Rounding .5 the wrong way by hand. Excel rounds halves away from zero, so -2.5 becomes -3. Banker's rounding needs a custom formula.
ROUND on Excel job tests
The word "rounded" in a task means the function. "Calculate the tax at 8.25 percent, rounded to two decimals" wants ROUND, because changing only the number format leaves the unrounded value underneath.
Wrap the whole calculation: ROUND(B2*0.0825,2). Then decide the order of operations from the wording. Rounding the tax on each line and then adding gives a slightly different total from rounding the tax on the subtotal, and the task normally says which it wants.
"Nearest hundred" is a negative digit count. If the task specifies up or down, use ROUNDUP or ROUNDDOWN, and for multiples such as 5 or 0.25, MROUND.
Related functions
ROUND questions
- What is the difference between ROUND and formatting a cell?
- Formatting changes the display only. ROUND changes the stored value.
- How do I round to the nearest 10?
- Use -1 as the digits argument:
=ROUND(B2,-1). For the nearest 5, use MROUND. - How does ROUND treat 0.5?
- It rounds away from zero: 2.5 becomes 3 and -2.5 becomes -3.
- Can ROUND return text?
- No, it returns a number. Use TEXT if you need a formatted string.
Practice ROUND
No lesson is built around ROUND yet. The closest thing to practice is a free 5-item sample test, which uses the same kind of formulas in a working grid. The Everyday Excel track shows what is published.
Try a 5-item Excel test sample