LEFT Function in Google Sheets
Returns the leftmost N characters of a string. The simplest text-extraction function — useful for prefixes, area codes, initials, and quick parsing.
Syntax
LEFT(text, [number_of_chars])Returns: The leftmost number_of_chars characters of text.
Excel equivalent: LEFT (identical)
Parameters
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| text | Required | The string to extract from. |
| number_of_chars | Optional | How many characters to return from the left. Default 1. |
Examples
First letter of a name
=LEFT(A2, 1)Returns just the first character. Common for initials.
Area code from a phone number
=LEFT(A2, 3)Returns the first 3 characters — works when phone numbers are formatted consistently.
Combine with FIND for variable-length prefix
=LEFT(A2, FIND(" ", A2) - 1)Returns everything before the first space — the first word.
When to use an alternative
- MID — You need characters from the middle, not the start.
- RIGHT — You need characters from the end.
- SPLIT — You want all delimited parts, not a fixed-length prefix.
- REGEXEXTRACT — Your extraction is pattern-based, not position-based.
Common errors and how to fix them
Returns shorter than expected
Cause: Source string is shorter than number_of_chars.
Fix: No error — LEFT silently returns the whole string if it's shorter than requested. Wrap with IF if you need to detect this case.
Related functions
Frequently Asked Questions
What if number_of_chars is greater than the string length?
LEFT returns the entire string without error. So LEFT("abc", 10) returns "abc".
Can LEFT be used with numbers?
Yes — Sheets converts the number to its default text representation first. LEFT(12345, 2) returns "12" as text. To get a numeric result, wrap with VALUE().