How to Use Calculations in Microsoft Word

How to Use Calculations in Microsoft Word

You don’t necessarily need Excel to run calculations. Here’s how you can do it in Word.

Microsoft Word doesn’t offer the level of formulas and functions found in Excel. But it’s not exactly a slacker when it comes to calculations. Yes, you can set up formulas in Word to add, count, average, and perform other mathematical wizardry on numbers. You start by creating a table of figures. You then add fields to perform calculations on the numbers in that table. And you can choose from an array of formulas.

Why would you opt to use Word instead of Excel? Maybe you already have a table of numbers in Word and don’t want to move it to Excel. Or perhaps the table is part of a larger Word document that you need to use. For example, I keep my invoices in a Word document and use calculations to display the total amount each month for all projects for each client. Let’s check out how to perform calculations in Word.

For this article I’m using Word 2016 as always, but the process works the same in the previous few versions of Word. In Word, you create a formula in a table cell by inserting a field. You can then edit the field to change the formula or apply certain attributes such as a dollar sign.

Open Word with a blank document and create a table with five rows and three columns. Enter any numbers you want in the first column but leave the last cell of that column empty. Do the same with the second column. Leave the third column empty for now. Place your cursor is the last cell of the first column. You should see the Design and Layout menus for tables. Click on the Layout menu to display the Layout ribbon. Click on the Formula button. Word displays the Formula window.

Like Excel, Word tries to guess what formula you wish to place in that cell. Since there are numbers in the cells above your current cell, Word assumes you want to total those numbers and suggests the formula of =SUM(ABOVE), meaning sum up all the numbers above. That’s exactly what we want, so click OK to insert that formula. You should see a number showing the total of all the above cells. Move to the last cell in the second column and use the same process to insert the =SUM(ABOVE) formula.

Now move to the first cell in the third column. Again, click on the Formula button. Since the cells to the left of your current cell contain numbers, Word guesses that you want to add the numbers to the left, suggesting the formula =SUM(LEFT). And that’s just what we want, so click OK.

Move your cursor to the second cell in the third column and click on the Formula button. This time Word suggests the formula to sum up the above number. But that’s not what we want. We want to sum up the numbers to the left, just like we did in the above cell. So we need to change the formula. Delete the word ABOVE and type the word LEFT. You can type it in uppercase or lowercase; the result is the same. Click OK. The displayed number reflects the formula.

Now we want to insert the =SUM(LEFT) formula into the remaining empty cells in that column. In Excel, we could copy the formula from one cell to another so it applies relatively to the cells in the new row or column. That won’t work in Word. Here the formula does get copied, but the results aren’t automatically updated. We do have a couple of options.

You can certainly move to each cell, click on the Formula button, change the formula, and then click OK. But here’s a quicker way. Double-click the number in the first cell to select just the number, not the entire cell. Right-click on the number and click on Copy (or just press Ctrl+C). Move to each of the remaining cells in that column one by one and press Ctrl+V in each one to paste the number. Yes, the number stays the same, but we’re going to fix that. Click the number in the second cell in that column. From the popup menu, click on the command to Update Field (or just press F9). The number now changes to reflect the values in that row. Do the same for the remaining cells in that column, and the results are all updated. To save time, you can update all the fields in one shot. Select the table by clicking on the Move Handle in the upper left. Press F9, and all fields in the table are updated.

You can also change a formula after you’ve inserted it. Click on any cell that contains a formula and then click on Edit Field from the popup menu. In the Field window, click on the Formula button. That brings you to the formula window where you can modify the calculation.

Next, let’s change the format of the formula. Add a decimal point and two figures to each number in the table. But don’t change the cells that contain fields, meaning the bottom row and the last column. Now click in the last cell of the first column and right-click on Edit Field from the menu. Then click on the Formula button. At the Formula window, click on the dropdown arrow for Number format and change the format to the third one in the list, the one with the $ sign at the beginning. Click OK. The format of the formula changes to display the $ sign and the decimal point numbers.

To apply that format to the other cells with formulas you can manually edit each field and select the $ format. Make sure you manually edit the field in the first cell of the third column since that one uses a different formula than the fields in the first and second columns. Then copy and paste the field from the first cell in the third column to the other cells in that column. Right-click on each field and click Update Field from the menu to display the correct results for each row (or select the whole table and press F9).

Do you want to see the formula without having to edit it? No problem. Right-click on a cell with a formula and select Toggle Field Codes from the menu. The cell contents change to display the field instead of the actual result. Do the same thing to turn off the field code and see the result again.

Adding numbers is probably the most common formula. But it’s not the only one. Right-click on the last cell in the first column and select Edit Field from the menu. Then click on the Formula button. We’re going to change the formula from addition to something else. Delete the SUM(ABOVE) part of the formula but keep the = sign. Click on the dropdown menu for Paste function. Let’s average the numbers instead. Click on the function for AVERAGE. Then in the parenthesis type ABOVE. So the formula should read: =AVERAGE(ABOVE). Click OK. The number is updated to reflect the new formula.

Right-click on the last cell in the second column. Select Edit Field from the menu and then click on the Formula button. Delete SUM(ABOVE) from the formula but keep the = sign. Click on the dropdown menu for Paste function and select MAX. Type ABOVE in the parentheses and click OK. The cell now shows the maximum amount listed in that column.

You can use other types of formulas in your calculations. For a list of all available formulas in Word and more information on using calculations, refer to Microsoft’s webpage on “Use a formula in a Word or Outlook table.”

Helpful Free Add-ins for Microsoft Excel

You can beef up Excel through a host of free and effective add-ins.

Microsoft Excel boasts a hefty number of features and functions on its own. But it can always use a helping hand. And that helping hand comes in the form of add-ins. An add-in enhances an Office program by offering greater functionality and flexibility. You’ll find a variety of add-ins for Excel at Microsoft’s Office Store. But here are some particularly helpful ones. XLTools.net Calendar lets you easily insert dates from an interactive calendar. Read My Document reads aloud selected cells in your spreadsheet. Symbols and Characters serves up special characters that you can insert into your spreadsheets. Merge Cells offers more options for combining cells than does the merge feature built into Excel. Stock Connector helps you keep track of any stock. And Excel Training and Tips provides videos, text, and quizzes to help you learn the program.

I’m using Excel 2016 from my Office 365 subscription, but these add-ins also work with Excel 2013. Some add-ins support the free online version of Excel as well as Excel on the iPad. You can browse and search for an array of Excel add-ins at Microsoft’s Office store, some of which require payment but most of which are free.

To download and install an add-in, click on the “Get It Now button” on the add-in’s page at the Office store. Open Excel for the add-in to install. To use the add-in, click on the Insert menu and then click on the button for My Add-ins. At the Office Add-ins window, select the add-in you want to use and then click on the Add button to add it to your current spreadsheet. To get rid of an add-in, select it from the Office Add-ins window, click on the Options button and click on Remove. Now let’s check out a few helpful add-ins for you Excel users.

XLTools.net Calendar

Do you often work with dates in Excel? Then you should find this add-in a big time-saver. XLTools.net Calendar shows up as an interactive calendar nestled on your spreadsheet. Position your cursor in the cell where you wish to insert a date. You can now move to any year, month, and day in the calendar just by clicking on the current month or year and choosing a new one from a menu. Clicking on a specific date from the calendar inserts that date into your current cell in the standard MM/DD/YYYY format. Clicking on any inserted date in your spreadsheet nudges the calendar to move to that date. You can even move the calendar anywhere on your spreadsheet if it gets in the way. When’re done with the calendar, just select it and press the Delete key, and it goes away.

Read My Document

For those of us entering lots of complex numbers into our Excel spreadsheets, making a typo or other mistake isn’t hard. And even when you scan your spreadsheet for errors, you may easily miss some. That’s why an add-in that reads the contents of your cells aloud can be a useful way to find mistakes. And that’s exactly what Read My Document does. With this add-in, you select the cells you want to hear aloud. Then select the speed and the voice you wish to use. Click on Play, and the add-in reads your selected content to you, one cell at a time. You can select a single column, a single row, or any groups of cells. The only downside is that the add-in reads your selected cells by row rather than by column, with no way to change that. Otherwise, Read My Document is an effective proofreading tool.

Symbols and Characters

Want a quick way to insert special characters into your spreadsheets? Yes, you can tap into the Windows Character Map in Excel, but an add-in called Symbols and Characters is simpler to use and offers some unusual characters. Symbols and Characters provides special characters arranged into eight categories: Emoticons, German, Currency, Arrows, Math, Circles, Fractions, and Misc. You can browse the different categories. You can narrow the selection by choosing characters from a specific language, including English, French, Turkish, and Ukrainian. You can also view specific subsets, such as geometric shapes, mathematical operators, and superscripts and subscripts. And you can search for specific characters, such as a dollar sign, a copyright, or a smiley face. When you find the right symbol, just click on it to insert it into your current cell.

Merge Cells

Yes, Excel comes with a feature that lets you merge cell content, but it’s limited. The Merge Cells add-in offers greater power and flexibility. You can merge all cells in two or more columns, specifying a line break, a space, or a word or character of your choice to separate each value. You can opt to merge the content into a column or into a single cell. You can also merge cells from the same row into a single cell. By default, the add-in preserves the extra cells after the merge, so the original layout survives in case you need it. If not, you can choose to have Merge Cells clear the processed cells. You can choose to skip empty cells and decide where you want the merged content placed. The add-in even shows you a preview of your merged cells before you merge them. The one downside is that you can’t undo the merge, so you’ll want to go through a few test runs before you try your merges on important data.

Stock Connector

Want to keep track of the stocks you own or follow? You can do that via Excel thanks to a useful add-in named Stock Connector. Enter the ticker symbol of each stock you want to track. The add-in then inserts the current price of the stock into a cell in your spreadsheet. But it’s not just a static price; it changes within your spreadsheet as the live trading price changes. You can set the price to update at certain intervals, anywhere from five seconds to one hour, or you can refresh it manually. Stock Connector also displays the percentage gain or loss of the stock from its opening price. Though the add-in is free, the developer asks that you contribute $5 to keep the program alive and unlock a few special features.

Excel Training and Tips

Want a free way to learn Excel? An add-in called Excel Training and Tips can help. This add-in offers text, videos, and quizzes to help you in your quest to learn Excel. You can learn by browsing through and selecting specific features, such as the Ribbon, Math functions, Sorting, Filtering, Pivot tables, Charts, and Data Validation. You can search for topics to study. Or you can just start at the beginning and work your way through the entire series. For each topic, Excel Training and Tips provides step-by-step text instructions as well as a video that you can watch. You can also take a quiz to see how well you know each topic.

One warning: Some of the videos are free to watch; others require a paid subscription to the GoSkills service, which will cost you $25 a month for one course or $29 a month for all courses. See which is which before you click.