CONVERT Formula in Excel

Did you know that Excel can convert numbers from one measurement system to another measurement system? Yes you can with the CONVERT Formula! You will be surprised at what units it can convert for you!

Key Takeaways

• Convert Units Easily – The CONVERT function allows you to switch between different measurement units, such as length, weight, temperature, and more.
• Wide Range of Unit Types – Supports conversions for distance (meters to miles), weight (grams to pounds), time (seconds to minutes), and many other categories.
• Syntax Simplicity – The formula structure is =CONVERT(number, from_unit, to_unit), making it easy to use.
• Unit Abbreviations Are Key – Each unit has a specific abbreviation (e.g., “m” for meters, “km” for kilometers), and incorrect abbreviations will result in an error.
• Enhances Data Accuracy – Instead of manually converting measurements, the formula ensures precise unit conversion, reducing human error.

Formula Overview

What does it do?

Converts a number from one measurement system to another

Formula breakdown:

=CONVERT(number, from_unit, to_unit)

What it means:

=CONVERT(number, starting measurement system, target measurement system)

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STEP 1: We need to enter the CONVERT function in a blank cell:

=CONVERT(

 

STEP 2: The CONVERT arguments:

number

What is the numeric measurement?

Select the cell containing the number that you want to convert

=CONVERT(C9,

from_unit

What is the starting measurement system?

Select the cell containing the starting measurement system.

=CONVERT(C9, D9,

to_unit

What is the target measurement system?

Select the cell containing the target measurement system.

=CONVERT(C9, D9, E9)

Apply the same formula to the rest of the cells by dragging the lower right corner downwards.

You now have your conversions completed!

 

List of All Units

Here is an extensive list of all of the units that you can use:

Category	Unit	Usage in CONVERT FORMULA
Weight and mass	Gram	“g”
Weight and mass	Slug	“sg”
Weight and mass	Pound mass (avoirdupois)	“lbm”
Weight and mass	U (atomic mass unit)	“u”
Weight and mass	Ounce mass (avoirdupois)	“ozm”
Weight and mass	Grain	“grain”
Weight and mass	U.S. (short) hundredweight	“cwt” or “shweight”
Weight and mass	Imperial hundredweight	“uk_cwt” or “lcwt” (“hweight”)
Weight and mass	Stone	“stone”
Weight and mass	Ton	“ton”
Weight and mass	Imperial ton	“uk_ton” or “LTON” (“brton”)
Distance	Meter	“m”
Distance	Statute mile	“mi”
Distance	Nautical mile	“Nmi”
Distance	Inch	“in”
Distance	Foot	“ft”
Distance	Yard	“yd”
Distance	Angstrom	“ang”
Distance	Ell	“ell”
Distance	Light-year	“ly”
Distance	Parsec	“parsec” or “pc”
Distance	Pica (1/72 inch)	“Picapt” or “Pica”
Distance	Pica (1/6 inch)	“pica”
Distance	U.S survey mile (statute mile)	“survey_mi”
Time	Year	“yr”
Time	Day	“day” or “d”
Time	Hour	“hr”
Time	Minute	“mn” or “min”
Time	Second	“sec” or “s”
Pressure	Pascal	“Pa” (or “p”)
Pressure	Atmosphere	“atm” (or “at”)
Pressure	mm of Mercury	“mmHg”
Pressure	PSI	“psi”
Pressure	Torr	“Torr”
Force	Newton	“N”
Force	Dyne	“dyn” (or “dy”)
Force	Pound force	“lbf”
Force	Pond	“pond”
Energy	Joule	“J”
Energy	Erg	“e”
Energy	Thermodynamic calorie	“c”
Energy	IT calorie	“cal”
Energy	Electron volt	“eV” (or “ev”)
Energy	Horsepower-hour	“HPh” (or “hh”)
Energy	Watt-hour	“Wh” (or “wh”)
Energy	Foot-pound	“flb”
Energy	BTU	“BTU” (or “btu”)
Power	Horsepower	“HP” (or “h”)
Power	Pferdestärke	“PS”
Power	Watt	“W” (or “w”)
Magnetism	Tesla	“T”
Magnetism	Gauss	“ga”
Temperature	Degree Celsius	“C” (or “cel”)
Temperature	Degree Fahrenheit	“F” (or “fah”)
Temperature	Kelvin	“K” (or “kel”)
Temperature	Degrees Rankine	“Rank”
Temperature	Degrees Réaumur	“Reau”
Volume	Teaspoon	“tsp”
Volume	Modern teaspoon	“tspm”
Volume	Tablespoon	“tbs”
Volume	Fluid ounce	“oz”
Volume	Cup	“cup”
Volume	U.S. pint	“pt” (or “us_pt”)
Volume	U.K. pint	“uk_pt”
Volume	Quart	“qt”
Volume	Imperial quart (U.K.)	“uk_qt”
Volume	Gallon	“gal”
Volume	Imperial gallon (U.K.)	“uk_gal”
Volume	Liter	“l” or “L” (“lt”)
Volume	Cubic angstrom	“ang3” or “ang^3”
Volume	U.S. oil barrel	“barrel”
Volume	U.S. bushel	“bushel”
Volume	Cubic feet	“ft3” or “ft^3”
Volume	Cubic inch	“in3” or “in^3”
Volume	Cubic light-year	“ly3” or “ly^3”
Volume	Cubic meter	“m3” or “m^3”
Volume	Cubic Mile	“mi3” or “mi^3”
Volume	Cubic yard	“yd3” or “yd^3”
Volume	Cubic nautical mile	“Nmi3” or “Nmi^3”
Volume	Cubic Pica	“Picapt3”, “Picapt^3”, “Pica3” or “Pica^3”
Volume	Gross Registered Ton	“GRT” (“regton”)
Volume	Measurement ton (freight ton)	“MTON”
Area	International acre	“uk_acre”
Area	U.S. survey/statute acre	“us_acre”
Area	Square angstrom	“ang2″ or “ang^2”
Area	Are	“ar”
Area	Square feet	“ft2” or “ft^2”
Area	Hectare	“ha”
Area	Square inches	“in2” or “in^2”
Area	Square light-year	“ly2” or “ly^2”
Area	Square meters	“m2” or “m^2”
Area	Morgen	“Morgen”
Area	Square miles	“mi2” or “mi^2”
Area	Square nautical miles	“Nmi2” or “Nmi^2”
Area	Square Pica	“Picapt2”, “Pica2”, “Pica^2” or “Picapt^2”
Area	Square yards	“yd2” or “yd^2”
Information	Bit	“bit”
Information	Byte	“byte”
Speed	Admiralty knot	“admkn”
Speed	Knot	“kn”
Speed	Meters per hour	“m/h” or “m/hr”
Speed	Meters per second	“m/s” or “m/sec”
Speed	Miles per hour	“mph”

 

The following abbreviated unit prefixes can be added in front of any metric from_unit or to_unit.

Prefix	Multiplier	Abbreviation
yotta	1.00E+24	“Y”
zetta	1.00E+21	“Z”
exa	1.00E+18	“E”
peta	1.00E+15	“P”
tera	1.00E+12	“T”
giga	1.00E+09	“G”
mega	1.00E+06	“M”
kilo	1.00E+03	“k”
hecto	1.00E+02	“h”
dekao	1.00E+01	“da” or “e”
deci	1.00E-01	“d”
centi	1.00E-02	“c”
milli	1.00E-03	“m”
micro	1.00E-06	“u”
nano	1.00E-09	“n”
pico	1.00E-12	“p”
femto	1.00E-15	“f”
atto	1.00E-18	“a”
zepto	1.00E-21	“z”
yocto	1.00E-24	“y”

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the CONVERT function in Excel?

The CONVERT function is used to change a value from one unit of measurement to another, such as feet to meters or Celsius to Fahrenheit.

Why is my CONVERT formula not working?

Check if you are using the correct unit abbreviations. If the unit is unsupported or misspelled, Excel will return an error.

Can the CONVERT function handle currency conversions?

No, the CONVERT function does not support currency conversion. You will need real-time exchange rate data for that.

How do I convert temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit in Excel?

Use the formula =CONVERT(temperature, "C", "F"), replacing “temperature” with your actual value.

Can I use the CONVERT function with custom units?

No, the function only works with predefined unit types available in Excel. Custom conversions require separate calculations or VBA scripting.