Gaining proficiency in Google Sheets can greatly enhance your productivity and data analysis skills. One fundamental operation you’ll encounter when working with data is comparing values. Whether you’re creating a simple budget spreadsheet or a complex data analysis model, expressing “not equal to” is a crucial skill to master in Google Sheets. In this guide, we’ll explore the formal and informal ways to say “not equal to” and provide valuable tips and examples to assist you along the way.
Table of Contents
Formal Ways to Indicate “Not Equal To” in Google Sheets
1. Using the “Not Equal To” Operator:
The most straightforward approach in Google Sheets is by using the “Not Equal To” operator, which is represented by “<>”. For example, if you want to compare two cell values, you can type “=A1<>B1” to check if they are not equal to each other. This will return either “TRUE” or “FALSE”.
Tip: Enclose the comparison formula within an “IF” statement to customize the result. For instance, “=IF(A1<>B1, ‘Values differ’, ‘Values are equal’)” will display “Values differ” if the two cells are not equal, and “Values are equal” if they are.
2. Leveraging the “ISNONTEXT” Function:
If you specifically want to check whether two cells contain different texts, you can use the “ISNONTEXT” function. By employing the following formula, you can determine if cell A1 is not equal to cell B1:
“=ISNONTEXT(A1)<>ISNONTEXT(B1)”
This approach treats empty cells as equal, so if you need to consider empty cells as not equal, you can add an additional condition “=ISBLANK(A1)<>ISBLANK(B1)” to the formula.
Informal Ways to Indicate “Not Equal To” in Google Sheets
1. Using the “!=” Operator:
While “!=” is not recognized as an official operator in Google Sheets, it has gained popularity among users as a shorthand way to express “not equal to”. For instance, typing “=A1!=B1” achieves the same result as using the “<>” operator.
2. Utilizing the “<>=” Operator:
In some cases, especially when performing numerical comparisons, you may need to check if a value is not just different, but also greater than or equal to another. In such situations, you can use the “<>=” operator instead of combining the “not equal to” and “greater than” operators. For instance, “=A1<>B1” is equivalent to saying “A1 is not equal to or greater than B1.”
Examples of “Not Equal To” in Google Sheets
Example 1:
In cell A1, you have the value “Apple” and in cell B1, you have the value “Banana”. Typing “=A1<>B1” will return “TRUE” as the two values are not equal.
Example 2:
In cells A1 and B1, you have the values 5 and 10, respectively. With the formula “=A1<>B1”, you will obtain “TRUE” since 5 is not equal to 10.
Example 3:
For empty cells, such as A1 and B1, with “=A1<>B1” you will obtain “FALSE” since they are considered equal. However, if you want to treat empty cells as not equal, you can modify the formula to “=ISBLANK(A1)<>ISBLANK(B1)”.
Wrapping Up
Now you’re equipped with several methods to indicate “not equal to” in Google Sheets. Whether you prefer the formal approach using the “Not Equal To” operator or the informal shorthand methods, incorporating these techniques into your spreadsheet skills will make your data analysis more efficient and accurate. Remember to consider any logical conditions you may need for your specific task and leverage the power of nested formulas when necessary. Happy spreadsheeting!
