ROUND in Excel

Q: How do I round to the nearest thousand?

Use a negative number of digits: =ROUND(B2,-3) turns 48,637 into 49,000.

Q: How do I always round up in Excel?

Use ROUNDUP with the same arguments as ROUND. =ROUNDUP(50/12,0) returns 5, while ROUND would return 4.

Last updated October 30, 2026

ROUND rounds a number to the number of digits you choose. For example, =ROUND(B2,2) turns 19.4762 into 19.48. Use 0 for a whole number and a negative number to round to tens or hundreds: =ROUND(B2,-2).

ROUND syntax

=ROUND(number, num_digits)

number: The value to round: a cell such as B2, a number, or a calculation like B2*1.2.
num_digits: How many decimals to keep. 2 rounds to cents, 0 to a whole number, -1 to the nearest ten, -2 to the nearest hundred.

Practice ROUND here

Type your formula straight into the sheet. It’s checked like real Excel, and you can write it with commas or semicolons.

Exercise 1 of 1

Round a price to 2 decimals

The price in B2 comes from a currency conversion and has 4 decimals. In C2, round it to 2 decimals with ROUND.

Product	Converted price ($)	Price ($)
Desk lamp	19.4762

How to use ROUND, step by step

Click the cell where you want the rounded result and type =ROUND(.
Select the cell to round, or type the calculation whose result you want to round.
Type a comma and the number of digits: 2 for cents, 0 for a whole number, -2 for hundreds.
Close the parenthesis and press Enter. A digit of 5 or more rounds up, 4 or less rounds down.

ROUND examples

Round to cents

=ROUND(B2,2)

Keeps 2 decimals: 19.4762 becomes 19.48.

Round to a whole number

=ROUND(B2,0)

Removes the decimals: 12.5 becomes 13 and 7.49 becomes 7.

Round to the nearest hundred

=ROUND(SUM(B2:B7),-2)

Adds the range, then rounds the total: 31,617 becomes 31,600.

Round a calculated price

=ROUND(B2*(1+$F$1),2)

Calculates the price with the tax rate in F1, then rounds the result to cents.

Common ROUND problems and how to fix them

Result	Cause	Fix
Totals off by a cent	The cells were only formatted to show 2 decimals. The hidden decimals are still there and add up in the total.	Round the value itself with `=ROUND(…,2)` in each line, not just its display.
Rounded down instead of up	ROUND goes to the nearest value, so 4.17 boxes become 4, one box short.	Use `=ROUNDUP(B2/C2,0)` when you always need to round up.
#VALUE!	The number argument is text, for example a value pasted with a currency sign or a letter in it.	Convert the cell to a real number, then round it again.
#NAME?	The function name is misspelled (=ROUNT) or written in another Excel language.	Type `=ROU` and pick ROUND from the list Excel suggests.

ROUND vs ROUNDUP, ROUNDDOWN and formatting

ROUND goes to the nearest value: 4.5 becomes 5 and 4.4 becomes 4. ROUNDUP always rounds away from zero (4.1 becomes 5), which suits boxes, trips or staff needed. ROUNDDOWN always rounds toward zero (4.9 becomes 4), for example to count complete packs. Number formats and the Decrease Decimal button change only what you see: the cell keeps every decimal, and formulas use the full value.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my total not match the rounded lines?

The lines are probably only formatted to show 2 decimals, so the total adds the hidden decimals. Round each line with ROUND, then add the rounded values.

How do I round to the nearest thousand?

Use a negative number of digits: =ROUND(B2,-3) turns 48,637 into 49,000.

How do I always round up in Excel?

Use ROUNDUP with the same arguments as ROUND. =ROUNDUP(50/12,0) returns 5, while ROUND would return 4.

Does ROUND change the value or just how it looks?

It changes the value. Other formulas that use the cell get the rounded number, unlike a number format, which only changes the display.

Keep practising

All 5 ROUND exercises, with explanations and progress tracking.

Open the ROUND practice set