Excel ISNUMBER function
Returns TRUE when the value is a number (dates are numbers too). In Spanish Excel it is called ESNUMERO.
Syntax
English Excel
=ISNUMBER(value)
Spanish Excel (Mexico)
=ESNUMERO(valor)
Spanish Excel (Spain, Latin America)
=ESNUMERO(valor)
| Argument | What it is |
|---|---|
| value | The value or formula to check. |
Example
SEARCH returns the position of a text, or an error if it is not there. Wrapped in ISNUMBER it becomes a yes-or-no question: does the cell contain this word?
=ISNUMBER(SEARCH($E$2,A2))
Common mistake
ISNUMBER(SEARCH("text",cell)) is the classic way to ask whether a cell contains a word.
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Practice ISNUMBER
Type the formula in the sheet and check it instantly. Spanish or English function names both work. See all lessons
Contains? ISNUMBER + SEARCH
SEARCH returns the position of a text, or an error if it is not there. Wrapped in ISNUMBER it becomes a yes-or-no question: does the cell contain this word?
In B2, show TRUE or FALSE for whether the description contains the word in E2, ignoring case.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Description | Contains it? | Search | |||
| 2 | Organic coffee from Chiapas | organic | ||||
| 3 | Bee honey | |||||
| 4 | ORGANIC rice 1 kg | |||||
| 5 | Brown sugar | |||||
| 6 | Organic green tea | |||||
| 7 |
Tip: while typing, click a cell or drag across several to insert their reference. F4 anchors the reference with $.
Frequently asked questions
- What is ISNUMBER called in Spanish?
- In Spanish Excel it is ESNUMERO. The formula =ISNUMBER(SEARCH($E$2,A2)) is written =ESNUMERO(HALLAR($E$2;A2)) (or with commas in Mexico).
- Why does ISNUMBER use semicolons in some Excel versions?
- It depends on regional settings. Where the comma is the decimal mark (Spain, much of South America), Excel separates arguments with semicolons. English Excel and Mexican Spanish Excel use commas.
- What is the most common ISNUMBER mistake?
- ISNUMBER(SEARCH("text",cell)) is the classic way to ask whether a cell contains a word.