What Is Excel SUM Function – How To Use It?

It can be during complex financial calculations or simple daily math, we can’t escape the addition of numbers.

SUM function of excel can help us with that!!!

Let us see how to use it in detail…

1. What is the SUM Function?
2. What is the Syntax?
3. How to use it with an example?


1. What is the SUM Function?

SUM function can be used to add the ‘N’ number of values, which can be passed as arguments.


2. What is the Syntax?

=SUM(num1, [num2],[num2],….)

  • num1 = (Required) A number, a range of cells which contain numbers or a single cell which contain a number.
  • [num2] = (Optional) A number, a range of cells which contain numbers or a single cell which contain a number.

Note :

  • It can take up to 255 arguments.
  • #NUM error occurs when the range contains an error in it.
  • It ignores the text values if any in the provided range.

3. How to use it with an example?

Assuming we have got a list of grocery items from the few local supermarkets and are interested in finding the totals of those.

1.Finding the sum of the numbers in a range
2.Finding the sum of the numbers in a range and an extra number
3.Lets find out what happens when the supplied argument contains ‘TEXT’ values
4.Lets find out what happens when the supplied argument contains any ‘ERROR’ values



1.Finding the sum of the numbers in a range

Excel Sum function

Note: It provides the summation of all the numbers falling under the range.



2.Finding the sum of the numbers in a range and an extra number

Sum Function 3

Note: It provides the summation of all the numbers falling under the range and the other added arguments.



3.Let us find out what happens when the supplied argument contains ‘TEXT’ values

Sum Function 2

Note: It provides the summation of all the numbers falling under the range while ignoring any TEXT values in the range.
It also ignores the numerics, when they are formatted to TEXT type.


4.Let us find out what happens when the supplied argument contains any ‘ERROR’ values

Sum Function 4

Note: It throws an ERROR instead of summation.

Hope it has helped you…

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