How to Automatically Convert Numbers to Words in Excel

Excel VBA Number to Words Macro
Whether you are preparing professional invoices, printing bank checks, or finalizing financial reports, writing out currency amounts in words adds a layer of professionalism and security.

Surprisingly, Microsoft Excel does not include a built-in “Number to Words” button. However, you can easily add this functionality yourself using a VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) script. This method is the most reliable way to handle large figures and decimals automatically.

Why Use the VBA Method?
While complex formulas exist to “spell” numbers, they are often bulky and difficult to troubleshoot. Using a User Defined Function (UDF) like SpellNumber is:

  • Cleaner: It looks and acts just like a native Excel function.
  • Scalable: It handles everything from units to billions effortlessly.
  • Professional: It automatically formats results into “Dollars and Cents.”

Step-by-Step Guide: Adding the SpellNumber Function
Follow these steps to enable automatic conversion in your workbook.

  1. Open the VBA Editor
    Open your Excel workbook and press Alt + F11 on your keyboard. This will open the Visual Basic for Applications window.

  2. Insert a New Module
    In the top menu, go to Insert > Module. A blank white window will appear on the right side of the screen.

  3. Add the Script
    Copy and paste the SpellNumber code into that blank module window.

    Option Explicit

    'Main Function
    Function SpellNumber(ByVal MyNumber)
    Dim Dollars, Cents, Temp
    Dim DecimalPlace, Count
    ReDim Place(9) As String
    Place(2) = " Thousand "
    Place(3) = " Million "
    Place(4) = " Billion "
    Place(5) = " Trillion "

    ' String representation of amount
    MyNumber = Trim(Str(MyNumber))

    ' Position of decimal place 0 if none
    DecimalPlace = InStr(MyNumber, ".")

    ' Convert cents and set MyNumber to dollar amount
    If DecimalPlace > 0 Then
    Cents = GetTens(Left(Mid(MyNumber, DecimalPlace + 1) & "00", 2))
    MyNumber = Trim(Left(MyNumber, DecimalPlace - 1))
    End If

    Count = 1
    Do While MyNumber <> ""
    Temp = GetHundreds(Right(MyNumber, 3))
    If Temp <> "" Then Dollars = Temp & Place(Count) & Dollars
    If Len(MyNumber) > 3 Then
    MyNumber = Left(MyNumber, Len(MyNumber) - 3)
    Else
    MyNumber = ""
    End If
    Count = Count + 1
    Loop

    ' Final result
    Select Case Dollars
    Case ""
    Dollars = "No Dollars"
    Case "One"
    Dollars = "One Dollar"
    Case Else
    Dollars = Dollars & " Dollars"
    End Select

    Select Case Cents
    Case ""
    Cents = " and No Cents"
    Case "One"
    Cents = " and One Cent"
    Case Else
    Cents = " and " & Cents & " Cents"
    End Select

    SpellNumber = Dollars & Cents
    End Function

    ' Converts a number from 100-999 into text
    Function GetHundreds(ByVal MyNumber)
    Dim Result As String

    If Val(MyNumber) = 0 Then Exit Function

    MyNumber = Right("000" & MyNumber, 3)

    ' Convert the hundreds place
    If Mid(MyNumber, 1, 1) <> "0" Then
    Result = GetDigit(Mid(MyNumber, 1, 1)) & " Hundred "
    End If

    ' Convert the tens and ones place
    If Mid(MyNumber, 2, 2) <> "00" Then
    Result = Result & GetTens(Mid(MyNumber, 2))
    End If

    GetHundreds = Result
    End Function

    ' Converts a number from 10-99 into text
    Function GetTens(TensText)
    Dim Result As String

    Result = "" ' Null out the temporary function value

    If Val(Left(TensText, 1)) = 1 Then ' If value between 10-19
    Select Case Val(TensText)
    Case 10: Result = "Ten"
    Case 11: Result = "Eleven"
    Case 12: Result = "Twelve"
    Case 13: Result = "Thirteen"
    Case 14: Result = "Fourteen"
    Case 15: Result = "Fifteen"
    Case 16: Result = "Sixteen"
    Case 17: Result = "Seventeen"
    Case 18: Result = "Eighteen"
    Case 19: Result = "Nineteen"
    Case Else
    End Select
    Else ' Value between 20-99
    Select Case Val(Left(TensText, 1))
    Case 2: Result = "Twenty "
    Case 3: Result = "Thirty "
    Case 4: Result = "Forty "
    Case 5: Result = "Fifty "
    Case 6: Result = "Sixty "
    Case 7: Result = "Seventy "
    Case 8: Result = "Eighty "
    Case 9: Result = "Ninety "
    Case Else
    End Select
    Result = Result & GetDigit(Right(TensText, 1)) ' Retrieve ones place
    End If

    GetTens = Result
    End Function

    ' Converts a number from 1-9 into text
    Function GetDigit(Digit)
    Select Case Val(Digit)
    Case 1: GetDigit = "One"
    Case 2: GetDigit = "Two"
    Case 3: GetDigit = "Three"
    Case 4: GetDigit = "Four"
    Case 5: GetDigit = "Five"
    Case 6: GetDigit = "Six"
    Case 7: GetDigit = "Seven"
    Case 8: GetDigit = "Eight"
    Case 9: GetDigit = "Nine"
    Case Else: GetDigit = ""
    End Select
    End Function

  4. Save as a Macro-Enabled Workbook
    This is a crucial step. Go to File > Save As and ensure you select Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm) from the file type dropdown. If you save it as a standard .xlsx file, the function will not work next time you open the file.

  5. Use the Function
    Return to your spreadsheet. You can now use your custom function just like =SUM(). In any cell, simply type:
    =SpellNumber(A1)
    (Where A1 is the cell containing the number you want to convert.)