When using the SUMIFS function in Excel, you may come across situations where you want to exclude certain criteria. One common requirement is to find the sum of values that do not equal a specific condition. In this guide, we’ll explore different ways to express “does not equal” in a SUMIFS formula and provide you with tips, examples, and variations to help you accomplish this task.
Table of Contents
Formal Ways to Say “Does Not Equal”
In formal Excel syntax, the “does not equal” operator is denoted using “<>”. This operator is commonly used in SUMIFS functions to exclude specific criteria. Here’s an example:
SUMIFS(B2:B10, A2:A10, “<>apple”)
In this example, the formula sums the values in the range B2:B10 but excludes any values where the corresponding cells in A2:A10 contain “apple”.
Informal Ways to Say “Does Not Equal”
While “<>” is the standard formal way to express “does not equal” in Excel, you might come across alternative phrases used in informal contexts. These informal variations can make your formulas easier to read and understand. Here are a few examples:
- Not equal to: This phrase can be used interchangeably with “<>” in most situations. Here’s how the previous example would look using “not equal to”:
SUMIFS(B2:B10, A2:A10, “not equal to apple”)
Note that the phrase “not equal to” needs to be enclosed in double quotes when used in a SUMIFS formula.
- Not: In some cases, you might find SUMIFS formulas that use the word “not” followed by the specific condition. Here’s an example:
SUMIFS(B2:B10, A2:A10, “not apple”)
This formula sums the values in the range B2:B10 but excludes any values where the corresponding cells in A2:A10 contain “apple”.
Tips and Examples
Now that you know the formal and informal ways to express “does not equal” in a SUMIFS formula, let’s explore some useful tips and examples to help you understand this concept better.
Tip 1: Using Wildcards
Wildcards can be combined with the “does not equal” operator to exclude certain criteria based on pattern matching. The asterisk (*) represents any number of characters, and the question mark (?) represents a single character. Here’s an example using wildcards:
SUMIFS(B2:B10, A2:A10, “<>*apple*”)
This formula sums the values in the range B2:B10 but excludes any values where the corresponding cells in A2:A10 contain the word “apple” anywhere within them, even if it is part of a larger word.
Tip 2: Combining Multiple Criteria
If you need to exclude multiple criteria in a SUMIFS formula, you can use additional pairs of criteria ranges and criteria expressions. Here’s an example:
SUMIFS(B2:B10, A2:A10, “<>apple”, C2:C10, “<>banana”)
This formula sums the values in the range B2:B10 but excludes any values where the corresponding cells in A2:A10 contain “apple” in column A and “banana” in column C.
Tip 3: Using Cell References
To make your formulas more flexible and dynamic, you can use cell references for your exclusion criteria. This allows you to easily change the criteria without modifying the formula itself. Here’s an example:
SUMIFS(B2:B10, A2:A10, “<>”&D2)
In this formula, the criteria “D2” refers to a cell where you can input the value you want to exclude. By changing the value in cell D2, the formula will automatically update to exclude that specific value.
Conclusion
Now that you have a comprehensive understanding of how to express “does not equal” in a SUMIFS formula, you can confidently exclude specific criteria while performing calculations in Excel. Remember to use the formal “<>” operator by default and explore informal variations, such as “not equal to” or “not”, when appropriate. Utilizing wildcards, combining multiple criteria, and using cell references will further enhance the flexibility and power of your SUMIFS formulas.
By following the examples, tips, and variations provided in this guide, you can effectively leverage the SUMIFS function and enhance your data analysis capabilities in Excel.
